February 2026 Le Journal

LeJOURNAL

Notre Dame de Sion High School | Volume 48 | February 2026

OPINION: PAGE 17

DATING IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA ERA IS A NIGHTMARE

FACTORS THAT MAKE US WHO WE ARE ON THE COVER: PAGE 12

A&E: PAGE 20

STUDENT RUN SMALL BUSINESSES

The World Cup and Winter Olympics

A recap of President Trump’s first term

Why you are the way you are: the different factors that shape us psychologically

The history of the Sion ring and the Sion Gala News in Brief

Symphony instrumentalists excel at their craft

Principal Ellen Carmody says her goodbye to Sion

A catalog of students who own businesses and what to buy from them

Swinging Through Struggle

By Khamonie Bryant

Alyana Alemán Soaring for Eagle Scout

By Addy Michaelis

The impact of movie marketing

Students’ opinions on movie and TV show conspiracies

Book Corner and LeJ staff’s, and students’, picks for award season

Dating as a teen is harder than ever Your friends affect who you are How injured athletes rebound

A quarter wrap up of Sion sports

The New Flynn Rider

By Addison Porter

editor’s ink

Hey Friends! It’s Santina Bonino, the Copy and Social Media editor. This issue, the Le Journal staff has worked so hard on making the best third issue for you!

Whether you’re about to spend a week across the globe in Italy, or become an expert bread connoisseur, we hope you find out a little bit more about yourself, Sion and the world. For issue three, we decided to deep dive into the psychology behind what makes you who you are. The cover story on page 12 explores the fascinating way genetics and our environment shape us. Is it genetics? Or the people you surround yourself with? Or both?

leave at Sion and learn about her captivating time spent here.

To read about the dating struggles many students experience as teenagers and while attending an all girls school, take a peek at page 17. Flip to the back cover and learn about how we can express ourselves while wearing uniforms.

The amount of effort, late nights and collaborations these girls brought to this issue was indescribable and amazing. I’m so proud of everyone for their hard work and determination to get this issue done to the best of our abilities.

Now, sit down, grab a sweet treat and fun drink, lock in and read this awesome issue! Enjoy your deep dives, spring break and stay safe!

GOING PLACES

Deep Dives are here and begin March 9-13, although a few leave earlier. Some of the spring options include Italy, Galapagos, Iceland, Guatemala, Dallas or just stay here and take a week-long class. All grades can attend the out of town trips, but some Kansas City courses are for upperclassmen only.

Sophomore Addison Barleen is attending the Iceland trip where the students will learn about Viking history, whale-watching and more. She chose this trip because of her love for the environment and her passion for climate change.

“I’m excited for the blue lagoon and trying new food,” Barleen said. “I’m also excited to get closer to the upperclassmen I don’t normally get to talk to.”

Senior Adele Milligan is staying in Kansas City to participate in the “Our Daily Bread” Deep Dive, led by teachers Michaela and Ben Wright.

“I’m excited to learn how to make bread and eat it,” Milligan said Whichever Deep Dive students are going on, whether here or in Kansas City, there are a variety of things to learn and perspectives to understand.

On page five, take a look at an “everything you need to know” recap of the 2026 Winter Olympics. Flip to pages 10 and 11 to witness the legacy Ellen Carmody will

Love,

Iceland Blue Lagoon PHOTO | REUTERS

news in brief

bump, set, spike!

Students and faculty competed in a volleyball game Feb. 9 as part of Catholic Schools’ Week. The sophomore class came out on top.

“The tournament was so much fun,” junior Sydney Blaine said, “Hearing the excitement of my class cheering and how much fun everyone was having was unforgettable.”

PHOTO | DANIELLA JOHNSON

A wrap up of the quarter’s major news, both locally and nationally.

BY ADDISON PORTER A&E EDITOR, SANTINA BONINO COPY AND SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR AND LUELLA MOOK FEATURES EDITOR

religious connections

The annual Women in Ministry lunch kicked off Catholic Schools Week Jan. 23. Students had the opportunity to hear from these women who shared their experiences about their callings.

“It was inspirational seeing all these women from different backgrounds and faiths come together to share their experiences,” junior Giselle Lopez said.

PHOTO | ADELE MILLIGAN

black history month

The Black History Month celebration took place February 11. Throughout the month leading up to the assembly, the Black Student Union shared facts about important Black Americans.

The day of the celebration an assembly was held to honor all aspects of black culture, with a highlight on African Americans’ contributions to the arts. All aspects of the assembly were planned by the Black Student Union.

“It took a couple of months just because we were focusing on not just goals for BHM, but also the goals of our Black Student Union,” junior Raven Silvers said.

Performers included Kansas City based musician, Lady D and KCTV-5 film critic Lonita Cook. Lady D sang a series of songs significant to black culture throughout the decades, including “Respect” by Aretha Franklin and “Lift Every Voice And Sing” by James Weldon Johnson. Cook shared her experience working in creative industries, highlighting the importance of sharing one’s own, unique perspective.

donating day

Anatomy students hosted a blood drive Feb. 13. Over 120 students and staff participated and 90 units were collected.

“This blood drive is one of many ways Sion comes together to support our community and people in need across Kansas and Missouri,” junior Claire Henke said. “Just giving a single donation helps save three lives in need.”

PHOTO | SARA RIOS

Following the assembly, students enjoyed a catered lunch from Peachtree Cafeteria. The lunch included fried chicken, collard greens, candied yams, mac-n-cheese, peach cobbler and banana pudding.

“I think that many minorities go through a lot of discrimination still, even though we’ve come a long way from things like the Civil Rights Movement,” Silvers said. “Even though there’s only a small amount of Black people at Sion and it’s considered only our culture and history, it’s really not. We were the foundation of America, and it wasn’t just African Americans going through these hardships. And overall, it’s important American history.”

dance the night away

The annual Father-Daughter Dance was Feb. 6 at Fiorella’s Event Space. The night began with a dinner and ended with a dance party.

“This year definitely was my favorite. It was so fun watching the dads and daughters sing to each other. It really is a special tradition we have here at Sion,” junior Maria Carson said.

national

Minnesota ICE raids

| REUTERS IMAGES

According to the New York Times, Border Czar Tom Homan said the immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota is ending Feb. 12. Minnesota has been a hot spot of protests against ICE since December.

In the span of one month, two Minnesotans have been killed at the hands of ICE agents: 37-year-old Renée Nicole Good and 37-year-old Alex Pretti.

PHOTO

PHOTO | SANTINA BONINO

PHOTO | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Winter Wonderland

BY LUELLA MOOK FEATURES EDITOR

Every four years both the Winter Olympics and World Cup take place, giving the best athletes in the world an opportunity to compete.

Three thousand, five hundred athletes. Ninety-three countries. One hundred ninety-five medals. Athletes from around the globe fought for Gold at the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games.

The 2026 Olympics are Italy’s third time hosting the multiweek sporting event. The opening ceremony took place Feb. 6 and included performances by singer Mariah Carey, alongside actress Sabrina Impacciatore and other global celebrities. Just before the closing ceremony, the Men’s Hockey team clinched the Gold Medal for the United States Feb. 22.

“My favorite part of the Olympics is the opening ceremony, because all the countries look really proud,” junior Claire Henke said.

The 2026

Olympic Winter Games represented a stride forward for gender equality in athletics. It was the most gender balanced Olympic games in history, with 47 percent of the

athletes being female.

Olé KC Olé

We’ve hit that time of year when children around the metro are holding their breath, waiting for summer. But for some soccer fans, this summer holds more excitement than just pools and warmer weather, because the World Cup is coming to Kansas City.

The World Cup is a soccer tournament that takes place once every four years that provides teams from around the world an opportunity to compete. This year the tournament spans all of North America with games taking place in Mexico, the United States, and Canada and involves 48 teams from around the globe. The tournament begins June 11 and ends July 19. It spans 16 cities: from Mexico City to Philadelphia, to Seattle and Toronto, just to name a few. Games in Kansas City will be taking place from June 16 through 27 at Arrowhead Stadium.

A stunning 650,000 out of town visitors are expected in Kansas City to attend the games. In addition, many local soccer fanatics also hope to

Another development was that players in the National Hockey League were allowed to compete in the Olympic games for the first time since 2014. The St. Louis Blues had not one, but five players compete in the 2026 Olympics (local players included Dvorsky, Binnington, Parayko, Broberg, and Suter).

The United States had several stand out stars, including 21-year-old figure skater Ilia Malinin that helped lead the U.S. Figuring Skating Team to Gold. Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin won Gold in the slalom event, snowboarder Chloe Kim got Silver in the halfpipe final, and Alysa Liu, the recently unretired 20-year-old figure skater who made waves with her win at the 2025 World Championships, claimed Gold. Liu went on to win two Olympic Gold medals in the team and individual event.

In total, the United States won 33 medals, 12 of which were gold.

For many, watching the best athletes from their country compete to be the greatest in the world helps build community in a divided time.

“It’s the most patriotic time of the year,” Henke said.

see the World Cup in action.

“We’re going with our whole family, all our extended family’s coming,” sophomore Lucy Souan said. “I’m very excited. I think it’ll be really interesting.”

Soccer Coach and P.E. teacher Doug McLagan had the opportunity to attend the World Cup in Qatar, but is hoping to attend at least one game in Kansas City as well.

“I was born in Scotland, and they haven’t made a World Cup for 28 years, and they finally made one,” McLagan said. “ Of course, they’re coming to America, so I’m trying to get tickets for those games, but it is not easy and it’s not cheap either.”

There are only about five percent of tickets left available for purchase to the games in KC. Of these tickets the cheapest that can be hoped for is just over $300, but the best seats can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $12,000.

Despite that, if given the opportunity to go, this quarterly chaos has the potential to be a life changing experience.

“I went to three games, it was fantastic,” McLagan said. “Best time of my life.”

Sion’s

From a Sion Student Media Poll of 101 students

Washington Unfiltered

This timeline features pivotal events and decisions made by President Donald Trump from Jan. 20 2025 to 2026 as well as promises that he made at the beginning of the year and their status.

BY CLAIRE STEINER WEB EDITOR

JAN. 20

Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States.

The establishment and implementation of Department of Government Efficiency was signed into law.

US-Mexico borders closed to illegal crossings.

Withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

Revoked the 2021 Protective Areas Policy allowing ICE to conduct enforcement in schools, hospitals and churches.

Granted pardons to more than 1,500 charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

Signed executive order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization.

JAN. 23

The first ICE raids of 2025 in major cities including Boston, New York City, Miami and Denver took place.

JAN. 25

Executive order signed to end federal funding and promotion of abortion.

FEB. 1

Executive order signed to put tariffs on imported goods from countries such as China, Mexico and Canada.

| JOINT CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE ON INAUGURAL CEREMONIES

President Donald Trump signs an Executive Order on the Administration’s tariff plans at a “Make America Wealthy Again” event, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in the White House

| REUTERS

FEB. 5

Executive order signed prohibiting transgender women to play in women sports.

FEB. 13

Established “Make America Healthy Again Commission” which cut certain vaccines and promoted real food dietary guidelines.

MARCH 18

Removed Diversity, Equality and Inclusion initiatives as well as revoked government funding for those who use it in the public sector.

JUNE 30

$6.8 billion in federal education funds cut but later released in July after pending state lawsuits were filed.

Dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development.

JULY 4

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law.

This included tax breaks, cuts to healthcare and nutrition programs, additional funds to immigration and border security, the end of green incentives, promotion of fossil fuels and the elimination of certain student loans.

JULY 18

Secured release of 10 American prisoners in Venezuela in exchange for 252 Venezuelans sent to CECOT prison.

Rose Garden.

PHOTO

President Donald Trump delivers remarks in Emancipation Hall following his second inauguration.

PHOTO

Promises Made and Their Status

COMPLICATED IN PROGRESS KEPT

Declare a national energy emergency to increase drilling and use of fossil fuels.

Withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement.

Make expiring tax cuts permanent.

No tax on tips.

Conduct the largest deportation program in U.S. history.

Cut federal funding to schools that teach critical race theory and support DEI programs.

Close the Education Department.

President Donald Trump attends the announcement of the Make America Healthy Again Commission, Thursday May 22, 2025, in

AUG. 11

Deployed National Guard into Washington DC declaring a Crime Emergency.

SEPT. 15

Deployed the National Guard to Memphis.

SEPT. 17

Jimmy Kimmel was suspended for six days from broadcasting after comments critical of the administration.

OCT. 1

The first of a 43-day long government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.

OCT. 20

Began $400 million demolition of the White House East Wing to build a ballroom all with private funding.

DEC. 19

Signed bill for the release of the Epstein Files.

JAN. 3

Captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro who is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn

JAN. 6

Sent 2,000 ICE agents to Minneapolis to carry out immigration enforcement.

Cut federal fundings to schools that have a vaccine or mask mandate.

Cut energy prices in half.

Begin ideological screenings for all immigrants.

End the constitutional right to birthright citizenship.

Eliminate taxes on Social Security.

Cut the corporate tax rate for companies that make their product in the U.S.

President Donald Trump signs the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, July 4, 2025, during the 4th of July picnic.

PHOTO | REUTERS

the East Room of the White House. PHOTO | REUTERS

Anti-ICE Protest Jan. 30 2026, Minneapolis, Minnesota. PHOTO | REUTERS

Donald Trump shows the ballroom model during East Wing demolition Oct. 20 with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House. PHOTO | REUTERS

Freshman Amani Taylor and senior Linette Carrizosa

Peña are two key members of orchestra.

STORY BY SOPHIA THOMAS

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DESIGN BY NORA GEDNEY

DESIGN EDITOR

ALL PHOTOS | SOPHIA THOMAS

Attached

“I was playing violin with an orchestra, and [Hervey] came to help with the cello,” Taylor said. “My mom went up to talk to her, and [Hervey] mentioned that she teaches the harp. And so we kind of just started because of that.”

Because of the harp’s uniqueness, not many of the music arrangements that the Symphonie plays include it, which leaves both Mulkey and Hervey to add in the arrangements.

“Most music doesn’t come with an optional harp part,” Mulkey said. “That’s actually the biggest challenge.”

However, Mulkey and Hervey work together to select music that Hervey can then write harp parts for. Taylor enjoys performing these pieces, and believes supporting Sion through music is an important part of playing the harp.

“You can help out your community or school in many ways by providing music,” Taylor said.

Another member of the Symphonie, senior Linette Carrizosa Peña provides music to the Sion community through her clarinet and saxophone. Carrizosa Peña started playing for an unconventional reason.

“The only reason I started playing was because my friend was in [a band],” Carrizosa Peña said.

Since then, Carrizosa Peña has grown and even made district band for the second year in a row, and made honorable mention for clarinet for the Missouri All-State Band, a very competitive category.

“They take a very small number of clarinets for state,” Mulkey said. “And when you look at how many they take versus how many audition, it’s outrageous. So the fact that she made it to honorable mention is a big deal.”

The audition process was demanding, requiring a lot of advance work and practice in order to succeed.

“It was definitely nerve wracking,” Carrizosa Peña said. “I just had to put in a whole bunch of effort into it.”

In addition to her district and state

AFTER THE STORM...

Principal Ellen Carmody announced her retirement from Sion after 28 years of working within the community.

BY RILEY PINTADO NEWS & SPORTS EDITOR

Ellen Carmody began her career at Sion in 1997 as a theology teacher at the Grade School. Over the years, due to her talent and dedication to our school’s mission, Carmody held many positions within the community. Her journey has left a positive impression, in addition to a lasting impact on those she has worked with. Ultimately she has become a leader respected by both students and faculty alike.

“If you’re a student at Sion, Ms. Carmody knows your name, and probably a few other things as well such as what you’re interested in, your strengths, etc,”

Annie Riggs said. “I know we’re a smallish school, but she truly cares about students as individuals and sees students for who they are. She works very hard to create a safe, inclusive community where everyone can learn and grow.”

Carmody graduated from Avila University with a double major in theology and elementary education. Post graduation, she worked as a babysitter, but in consideration for her degree decided she would begin her search for a job in

One day, the mother of the children Catherine Butel, who also happened to work at Sion Grade School, told Carmody that a position as a religion teacher was available and that she would be a perfect fit. Butel invited Carmody to a cultural festival being held at the elementary school’s campus. Even though she had never heard of Sion, she decided to attend. Immediately she fell in love with school, interviewed for the position and the rest was

“I snuck through the backdoor of the grounds, snooped around, and just immediately knew,” Carmody said. “I fell in love with the mission. It’s a great vision, building a world that’s more peaceful through talking and accepting diversity, as well as being open to thinkers and learners of all kinds. It’s what has kept me here for the past 28 years.”

During her first year of teaching at the grade

school, Carmody met junior Maggie Grilliot’s mom, Rachel Mahlik, who currently serves as the grade school’s campus minister. The pair instantly clicked, and when a position opened within the fifth grade, the duo decided to co-teach the class. They kept this dynamic up for a few years, with Carmody teaching science and English, and Mahlik teaching social studies and math.

At the dawn of the new millennium, technology was on the rise. Using computers in school was becoming more normalized, but many teachers struggled to make the transition from manual to digital. Carmody, however, took to it keenly which earned her the role as the grade school’s Information Technology manager.

“We got the web, and we had to learn how to do attendance and grading online. It doesn’t seem like a big deal now, but at first a lot of teachers were freaked out,” Carmody said. “For some reason I picked it up, and decided I could do this. It started out as me just teaching a few tech classes to the students, but eventually led to me becoming the IT director.”

Eventually, after the lower school had undergone certain admin transitions, a co-worker told Carmody she should apply to become the Grade School’s principal. She did, and was accepted for the promotion.

Later on, after working at the Grade School for a few years, Carmody took a year off, ultimately leaving her position as principal. But Christina Broderick, the former head of school, asked if she could return as the academic dean for the high school. So she did and became the assistant principal for curriculum and instruction.

“Before getting the job, I had never really been out here, and I was worried that all the girls would be mean, catty, and awful towards each other.,” Carmody said. “When I got here, I realized that the culture isn’t like that at all. I saw that this place was actually really great, and I fell in love with the school.”

However, when former Principal Natalie McDonough left to continue her career at Curé of Ars Catholic School, Carmody was elevated to principal of Sion.

“It sounds cliche, but we also have the best teachers here,” Carmody said. “The conversations in the work room are always smart and funny, but the people still take their jobs super seriously without taking themselves too seriously.”

As she enters this new chapter of her life, Carmody reflects on her time here. She said that she’ll miss the welcoming environment, as well as the rewarding feeling of getting to help students evolve into well-rounded adults, as they grow into the person they’re meant to become. Carmody doesn’t know what this next phase has in store for her, but she is far from retirement.

“You guys are funny and smart, and I love watching people evolve into their own

selves,” Carmody said. “I’ve got to figure out what I want to do for the next chunk. The tree who bears the most fruit are the ones whose roots are deep, so I want to find somewhere that I can dig my roots into and blossom.”

We owe a lot to this hardworking and dedicated principal. Under her leadership Sion has developed the Portrait of a Graduate, written curriculum that aligns with state as well as national standards and grown experiential learning.

Her absence will be felt among the community, but students and faculty alike wish her well as she begins the new journey that awaits her.

“The Sisters of Sion refer to ‘the daughter of Sion par excellence’ and though it sounds a bit cheesy to our 21st century ears, I think that captures who Mrs. Carmody is,” Riggs said. “She understands, lives, and models our mission daily. As she starts her next chapter, I hope she will leave knowing that she has helped to transform Sion into a better, stronger school community than when she started here.”

Carmody, Dear

Students write letters to Carmody.

Sophia Roberts ‘27

“I’m so grateful for the time, effort, and care she has put into having a positive impact on Sion. She goes out of her way to meet each student and always greets us with a smile.”

Summer Bannigan ‘26

Isabelle Bae ‘29

“Thank you so much for empowering Sion girls, showing us that we can do hard things, that we are unique individuals, and we do have a powerful voice. Ms. Carmody is a big part of why I chose to come to Sion, as I thought it was very important to have a strong female principal leading an all-girls school. Thank you so much for making Sion such a special place!”

“Thank you for being a remarkable principal and so much more a mentor, a confidant, and a supporter. Your influence will continue to guide us at Sion and you will be missed more than words can say.”

Ciel Magaña-Mora ‘28

“Ms. Carmody, you have kept in place this loving community that I’ve never been more grateful for. Your vibrant personality and hilarious jokes are some of the highlights of my days. Thank you for everything you do.”

Mind over Matter

As one of the 8.3 billion people on the planet, each one of us has a unique combination of genetics, experiences and environmental factors that make up us and our personality.

STORY BY DANIELLA JOHNSON CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND SANTINA BONINO COPY AND SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

DESIGN BY NORA GEDNEY

DESIGN EDITOR

“The apple never falls far from the tree.” In addition to being a common saying, this phrase is backed by years of scientific research. We are in fact like our parents, often more than we realize. Studies show that genetics dictate approximately 50 percent of our personality, while the other 50 percent comes from our environment - who and what we are surrounded by.

“We learn a lot from our interactions with others, our peers, our school environment and our community environment,” Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologist Anna Egan said. “You’re born with kind of your genetic potential, and then your interactions with your environment also helps to shape how your personality is expressed in different situations.” Some traits are easier to definitively

The Big 5 Personality Traits: Openness

Measures creativity, curiosity, and willingness to try new things.

Conscientiousness

Measures organization and responsibility.

20% of teens have a diagnosed mental health disorder

Extroversion Agreeableness

Measures sociability, assertiveness, and energy levels.

1 in 5

Measures how a person interacts with others.

Neuroticism

Measures emotional stability.

-TheVeryWellMind.com

attribute to genetics than others. Studying MRIs and viewing how the brain reacts in different situations allows doctors insight into the biological reactions that play a role in our personality.

“There are things we know that are based in genetics, in terms of how it affects how our brains function, and the different areas of our brains that communicate,” Egan said. “An example might be having anxiety. You’ll see some kids who just sort of have an anxious temperament and generally feel nervous about lots of different things, but it may not be an anxiety disorder, they just generally approach things with caution, or they’re less likely to try new things, and that can kind of persist with their personality.”

Extroversion and introversion is also rooted in genetics and each person falls somewhere on the spectrum from between extreme introversion and extroversion. People who are naturally more extroverted release more dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter, when they are engaged in social situations with lots of people. Introverted people are biologically wired to release more dopamine and feel rejuvenated during quality self time.

“Our tendency to find energy from within ourselves or being by ourselves, kind of that being introvert, or on the opposite side, being an extrovert, tend to be patterns that are fairly consistent over time,” Egan said.

Introversion and extroversion has been expressed in babies as young as four months. However, depending on a variety of factors like one’s situation and comfort level, people may find themselves wavering back and forth between the two.

“I consider myself really in the middle [of introversion and extroversion]. I’m a really big social butterfly and I love meeting new people and socializing with people, but sometimes I just want more time to myself when I’m stressed or just tired,” sophomore Reese Bell said. “I’ve definitely stayed consistently that way throughout my life.”

One way researchers have come to discover the role genetics play in personality is through understanding the personalities of identical twins. A study at the University of Minnesota studied fraternal and identical twins separated at birth to compare their personality and traits.

“They tracked these twins, and found that the identical twins shared similar temperaments,” Psychology teacher Chris Schreiber said. “There are genetic and biological indicators on how we are going to behave.”

To measure one’s personality traits, psychologists widely use a method with the acronym OCEAN: Open, Continuous, Extroverted, Agreeable and Neurotic. It says that each person has a varying prominence of the five traits, and a personality test can be taken to assess this. In addition to the OCEAN test, there are a variety of others including Myers-Briggs, the Enneagram and the Strengths Finder test. However, these range in accuracy depending on how honest the test taker is.

“Sometimes the way questions will be described, there’s going to be an answer you don’t want to put because it makes you seem like a bad person,” junior Emily Maldonado said. “But I do think it’s a good way to kind of see what your strengths and weaknesses are.”

THE GENDER GAP

Approximately 11.4 percent of children

in the United States are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, more commonly known as ADHD. This is obtained genetically, and while it doesn’t have a direct impact on personality, it can provide unique abilities. For example, many people with ADHD describe being able to rapidly innovate ideas and have exceptionally quick reflexes. Sophomore Kylie Fitzsimmons has been diagnosed with ADHD and views the impact it has had on her life in a different light.

“I think ADHD has caused a lot of struggles,” Fitzsimmons said. “But it makes me really creative and imaginative. I can also look at things from different sides which makes everything better.”

As humans, we are assigned a gender, female or male, at birth by our 23rd chromosome. At a biological level, there are differences in how the brains function. For example, men produce 15 to 20 times as much testosterone, a hormone associated with aggression, than women. On average, females are diagnosed with ADHD five years later than males because females often mask their struggle. And, females emotionally mature sooner in life than males.

“Working within endocrinology, I also work with a lot of youth within gender health, and how hormones play a big role in how we function and our development,” Egan said. “What’s really interesting is there’s a lot of really great data on how culture views gender and what that looks like.”

We live in a culture that has traditionally attempted to distinguish genders. Beginning from birth, girls have been conventionally encouraged to ‘play gently with dolls’ while boys are often expected to ‘be more rough and play with cars or trucks’. According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, women tend

on page 14

-The Annie E. Casey Foundation

to express more empathy, orderliness and positive emotions than men. However they also experience more anxiety and lower self esteem. Men show more assertiveness and excitement seeking, and also have greater confidence in their intelligence.

While studies suggest that genders may naturally gravitate towards these on their own, societal pressure greatly motivates us to gravitate in certain directions. On the whole as a society, we have pushed back against gender stereotypes and expectations, and become more accepting of crossing traditional gender lines.

“Those stereotypes are really, really old, and they’re also out in your brain at such an early age. I feel like a lot of stereotypes are just your own experience, kind of what point of view is,” freshman Clara George said. “I believe I have the power to make a change as a female because, we’ve been oppressed and suppressed for a very long time, and now, as the world’s evolving, we have more opportunities. And I’m excited to use those and become a woman and be well-rounded.”

FAMILY TIES

The human brain is considered fully developed around 25 years old. It is during the time prior to this when our brains have the most plasticity, meaning they are the most malleable and easily changed, and are rapidly absorbing information. This brain plasticity is the reason our childhoods shape us for the entirety of our lives, it is the foundation for what we are accustomed to. These norms that have been engraved into our lives become second nature.

“Your personality is how you’re choosing to interact with the environment and the habits you practice and learn in childhood are going to carry through into adulthood,” Schreiber said. “It can be changed, but it’s most changeable and most

malleable in that connections between different brain areas are happening through your childhood, through your adolescence and through your kind of early adulthood.”

The methods and values parents choose to raise their children has a heavy impact on the way they treat others lifelong. In these formative years, our sense of normality and comfort is set. If babies are not held and cuddled enough, there can be severe long term effects. The physical touch their bodies need lowers stress

“

Our experiences shape us a lot, but it’s not necessarily the experiences themselves, but how we evaluate and think about those experiences.

- CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGIST ANNA EGAN

levels. Without a sufficient amount, there is an increase in the likelihood of developing anxiety and depression. It is also linked to attachment and behavioral complications.

“For children in different situations, maybe it’s a health condition or maybe they’ve experienced trauma, a really significant loss or something else, they may

see that as something that led to negative things in their life, or they may view it as something that gets in the way of their ability to succeed,” Egan said. “It can influence how they see themselves and how they approach the world around them and situations in their life.”

The methods of parenting you are raised with may not just impact your relationship with them, but also your own values and how you view yourself. For example, research from the National Library of Medicine found that authoritative parents tend to have strong relationships with their children and instill confidence and responsibility in their children. Parents who are permissive often have a friend-like relationship with their children which leads to high self-esteem but also self-regulation struggles. The values and moral ways of thinking that children are taught stick with them throughout their lives.

“[It’s] just the way my parents told me to treat others,” sophomore Meghan Fimmen said. “The golden rule of treating others the way you want to be treated and overall just to treat everyone with respect, love, and to try and make a conversation with someone who may seem lonely, because you never know what someone is going through.”

How you were raised also affects how you parent your own children. According to Pew Research Center, 44 percent of parents raise their children in a different way from how they were raised, while 43 percent parent in a very similar method.

“We were kind of free to try things out and get guidance from our parents. And when we made mistakes, it was okay. It was part of growing up,” social studies teacher Rich Shrock said. “I would say, as a parent, that’s sort of how I also operate. I want to listen to my kids. I want them to try things. I want to try to be positive in the sense of offering guidance and advice, but I also really want them to sort through life

without just doing what I tell them to do.”

YOUR INNER CIRCLE

The people you surround yourself with family, friends, a partner, classmates, teammates all shape who you are in some way. As humans, we are biologically wired to unconsciously mimic those around us. Referred to as the chameleon effect, we copy people’s mannerism, behavior and body language. When we interact with those people a lot, those traits become our own.

“My personality is definitely affected by the people I hang out with. I’m more motivated sometimes because of my friends,” freshman Jennah AlmoaminBurks said. “I feel like sometimes you change yourself around different people because you’re trying to become a person they would want to talk to.”

Our teenage years are when we are forming our own image of who we are and how we want to express ourselves. We gravitate towards people who are similar to us and able to help us grow, and being around people we are comfortable with instills more confidence and courage in us.

“I think my friends have made me more funny and comfortable being myself,” senior Ella Meraz said. “I’ve learned to be less stressed because not everything’s so uptight. I just love my friends.”

However as we are trying to fit in with our friends and people we look up to, there is also a pressure we put on ourselves to fit in, even if that means masking part of our personality.

“[As teenagers we think,] ‘I want to be accepted by this group of people. They’re doing this thing, I’m going to engage in this behavior.’ That can affect our personality,” Schreiber said. “[The teenage years] are definitely a stage of life where people are conscious of and seeking approval from other people their age, and trying to create groups and fit in.”

When you are surrounded by a constant flow of negative speech, this can begin to impact you as well. Like other traits we adopt from friends, it can be difficult to pick up on, but can lead to unintended consequences, like increased anxiety and depression.

Depression is very common, with approximately 20 percent of teenagers suffering from it. Recovering from depression is a long, sometimes lifelong, journey.

In the same way we influence one another on a daily basis, seeking and providing the help and love someone needs can help tremendously.

“As a psychologist, one of the things that I really believe in is that change is always possible if we want to put the time and effort into doing it,” Egan said. “That change can be really hard if something was either really significant or it’s been happening a really long time. But we can learn how to monitor our thoughts, our feelings, our behaviors, and we can choose to respond differently, or we can learn to respond differently over time.”

The DNA we are born with and the childhood we have shapes us profoundly for our lives. These factors and others impact us in ways we cannot control, but we also have control over who we become and choose to be. Making conscious decisions to surround ourselves with good people and intentionally improving habits will help us become the best version of ourselves.

“Your friends influence you a lot. If you surround yourself with good people, then you’ll become a good person,” AlmoaminBurks said. “One of my good habits that changed me for the better, is that I use my planner a lot. It was hard at first, but then it just became a habit. It’s really nice, it makes me feel less stressed because when I visually see what I have to do and what I’ve already gotten done, it’s kind of a weight lifted off my shoulders.”

THE GENERATIONAL DIVIDE

Different generations have different stereotypes about their personalities, which can affect how we interact with them.

Boomers

Boomers grew up after World War II and during great social change and unrest, contributing to the resilience and courage they tend to embody.

Gen Xers are self reliant and confident in their capabilities. This is in part attributed to growing up with less parental supervision and learning at an early age to be responsible for themselves.

GEN X millennials

Millennials are open minded and community oriented. Growing up with the internet, millennials have had broader access to worldwide views.

GEN Z

Gen Z are self driven yet collaborative and connective. These personality traits may come from living in an age of social media and accessible communication with anyone.

Nurture Over Nature

As social media continues to grow, the influence of others has become more and more apparent, but one of the biggest factors towards influence remains your friends.

One of the biggest names in the news today is Jeffery Epstein. In 2019, Epstein was convicted on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking. Now many of the people he was associated with and their actions have been displayed for the world to see in the release of the Epstein files. While not all of the people named in the many documents have participated in the heinous acts depicted in the files, many celebrities, politicians and other public figures have been named. While the Epstein situation is complex, it makes one thing clear: the people you surround yourself with have a profound impact on you.

The people you surround yourself with have the ability to influence you, even in the most trivial matters, but they can especially influence your personality more than your DNA. This is because many people cannot see the effect influence has on them, the respect that friendships hold and because as teenagers, your brain is still developing.

The National Library of Medicine states that the human brain does not reach full development until the age of 25. Teenagers are constantly taking in new information from places and are learning to navigate new social situations, succumbing to influence is easy.

One popular story is Lindsay Lohan. Lohan was thrust into the spotlight at a young age, exposing her to many downsides of the entertainment industry. In an interview with CNN Entertainment, she talked of how one of the reasons she did drugs for the first time was because she was out with the wrong people. Lohan’s story is a prime example of how your friends have the ability to influence your thoughts and choices towards things you wouldn’t usually do.

Many believe themselves to be above the power of influence, but realistically, this isn’t true. People readily recognize influence in others, but at the same time can’t recognize that influence in themselves, sometimes by the same exact things. This causes people to have a negative connotation towards influence. It’s often seen as a mindless following of something, not because it is important, but because it is popular and safe.

In an article written about how much influencers are making in 2026 by Demand Sage, influencers with one million followers or more, make at least $5,000

per sponsored post. These are the people you and your friends see online everyday. They are constantly pushing out media in order to sway you a certain way. Even if you do not follow a certain person online, your friends might, and the ideas that these people share can ultimately rub off on you through them.

Friendships are built on trust and respect, which makes influence almost effortless. People tend to choose friends with personalities like their own. One of the key similar factors in your personality is the way you feel.

The Center for Optimism claims that optimism and pessimism are contagious. Spending your time with people who naturally inspire you helps create a more hopeful mindset within you. Similarly, friends who constantly make bad decisions can cause you to make those same ones.

Social media has made the effect of influence more and more prevalent. Earlier last year the tag #skinnytok went viral. It was shared among thousands of teens and young women, and was accompanied by videos telling young girls to diet, lose weight and push their bodies to the extremes in the name of being skinny.

Shaming women’s bodies has been around for years, but in this instance was heightened by the influence of social media. These things happen among family and friends all the time. The only difference with this situation is that it was on the world scale.

The friends you surround yourself with influence you more than the traits you were born with because they are a constant that you choose to surround yourself with. The traits you were born with will always impact your personality, but you are the person who gets to decide who you want to be, and even if you don’t realize it, your friends impact that choice. This is why the friendships you choose must positively influence your mindset and livelihood.

Figure out your core values, then make sure that the friendships you form have the power to help you get there. You might think you behave a certain way because that is just who you are, but more often than not, it is a reflection of the friendships you’ve formed. You do not have to change your friends’ personalities, but make sure that their ability to change yours is worthwhile.

This editorial reflects the view of the entire Le Journal staff.

Social Tensions

30% 75%

Statistic according to Tikvah Lake Recovery

Statistic according to Tikvah Lake Recovery

77-90% of people feel more depressed when their friends are negative of adolescents engage in risky behaviors due to peer influence of teens have reported feeling or experiencing peer pressure

Statistic according to The National Library of Medicine

42.6% of studens at Sion feel like their friends affect their personality all the time

Statistic according to a Sion Student Media survey of 101 students

BY LUELLA MOOK FEATURES EDITOR

Stuck on Delivered

The combination of attending an all-girls school and the age of social media has left many students stuck relying on tools like Snapchat to meet significant others.

Chat

Ciel Magaña-Mora ‘28

“There is definitely lots of risks with talking to people on Snapchat. Not me personally, but I’ve had friends who end up in relationships with stalkers.”

Libby Sanford ‘27

Dating is hard. Spending every day, 8:45 to 3:30, surrounded by hundreds of girls in the trenches of adolescence, it’s almost guaranteed to hear at least a few lamenting their latest relationship, or more commonly, lack thereof.

It feels like the FOMO fueled fervor to find a date, any date, picks up around Halloween and doesn’t die back down until after Christmas. Are we just afraid of having to admit that we didn’t have anyone to take to Winter Formal or is it that the parties surrounding these seasons put this little bit of hope in our hearts that we might actually have the opportunity to meet a boy? Something that, for those of us interested in the opposite gender don’t have very often.

“My experience has been fabulous. I don’t add people I don’t know, and if anyone starts to act weird I just unadd them.”

Brooke Stewart ‘26

“I hate Snapchat, it sucks and only serves to make cool kids cooler and outcasts feel more outcasted.”

Kate Suter ‘27

“The few people I have had a talking stage with over Snapchat felt very shallow, and like I didn’t know the person even on a basic level. It also felt like I had to know if I wanted to be in a relationship with them after only a few weeks of ever speaking to them.”

But hope is a dangerous thing. As I hear my friends’ stories about their latest talking stages or situationships, or whatever label they deem is distant enough from the word ‘boyfriend’ to be safe, I lose a little bit more hope for our generation.

Everyday in the halls, everyday when I read through my notifications after that final bell, it rings true. A star-crossed romance no longer exists. There is only loading and reloading your Snapchat waiting to see if your talking stage has left you on delivered.

Going to an all girls school creates an even more unique situation. Most of us are stuck relying completely on things like Snapchat to meet significant others. Sometimes, it feels like the only option is to add random people on Snapchat or be single until college or you turn eighteen and can finally download a dating app.

This reliance on Snapchat has completely changed the culture of dating. It has created an environment of confusion, nearing paranoia, around getting to know someone. Dating was confusing enough before the internet, but these new online tools, and lack of things like mixers with other schools, has led to the death of the meet cute.

It is almost hopeless to go out and simply run into the person you have been waiting for. Trying just leads to sudden moments of harsh reality, where you wonder, “How did I end up in this Target at 10:30 on a Saturday night?”

When our parents were teenagers they were forced to experience natural, albeit awkward, meet cutes at their jobs, restaurants or parties. Now, teenagers have been given the option to stay hidden behind our screens and avoid the discomfort, and honestly-who can blame us?

It feels safer to hide behind filters,

half visible pictures of faces, and simple conversations of ‘hey wyd’. We have the power of knowing any interactions can be ended immediately, at any slight feelings of embarrassment or even boredom. But this isn’t always a good thing. It means we are left relying on completely disposable, mainly online, relationships.

Along with decreasing the likelihood of a meet cute, the ability to meet people online has also led to the death of any sort of label. No more going steady with someone. We are left wading through a world of talking stages, situationships, and casual hangouts. For most Sion girls, being asked on something defined as simply as a date is nothing more than a pipe dream.

According to a Student Media poll, 62.4 percent of students define their relationship status as single, whereas only 16.8 percent consider themselves in a relationship. That leaves the other 20.8 percent of poll respondents defining their relationship status as either talking stage, situationship, or ‘other’. That is a stunning number of girls left relying on relationships built on ambiguity.

Many of us are left playing these mind games, full of questions like ‘how long should I leave them on delivered for?’, ‘are they just busy and that’s why they haven’t answered me, or is their snap score going up?’, and ‘will I ever even actually meet this guy?’

When you get on Snapchat you enter a gray area with no rules, no reliability, and no definitions. It’s a world built for kids, desperate for connection, and literally invented to lack accountability. It’s perfectly designed to make people question their choices to the point of lowered self esteem.

Yet, for most, that is the option. Be single or spend late nights adding back strangers on Snapchat and hoping that this will finally be the one that works out for more than a month.

We are all terrified of falling behind. To a teenage mind few things are worse than the prospect of having gone to college without having a relationship first. So we are left everyday, playing the odds. Never knowing if we are about to receive a chat that starts a meaningful conversation, or be left on opened wondering, ‘is there something wrong with me?’.

There is no simple solution. Our daily realities are changing, but still we’re just teenagers, searching for the over-hyped moment of teenage romance, hoping it’ll be good enough to balance out the heart ache.

M A R K E T I N G SUPREME

With the expansion of the film industry into everyday media, newer marketing strategies have been reinvented to attract a wider audience.

BY ELENA VERGARA REPORTER & RILEY PINTADO NEWS & SPORTS EDITOR

In the summer of 2023, two opposite yet equally popular movies were set to release in theaters on the same date: Barbie and Oppenheimer. This coincidence became a marketing team’s dream, as the anticipation for “Barbenhiemer” became a cultural phenomenon that took over the likes of tip jars around the nation, and sparked a multitude of online debates over which movie an individual would go see Jul. 21. While Barbie used vibrant colors and method dressing as a means to promote the movie, Oppenheimer took the more classical approach of magazine covers, trailers and a reliance on source material. The two differing subject matters of the movies assisted the public in becoming more engrossed in the themselves, but

“Barbenheimer” is not the only case in which marketing has made the movies a must see.

Much like Barbie’s Margot Robbie, the actors of Wicked: For Good have taken to method dressing as a way to entice fans. Along with both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande dressing as their characters from the film, the cast performed in a live performance called Wicked: One Wonderful Night.

“I think for me, that tells that actors are enjoying what they’re doing,” Theatre Tech Instructor Maggie Killian said. “If they’re willing to go out and perform the songs outside of just in front of a camera, then they must really, like, be about it and enjoy what they’re doing.”

This televised event featured live performances, behind-the-scenes looks, and even performances between the original Broadway cast and actors from the movie. With the theatre being transformed into Emerald City and the live orchestra

“The actors are doing more than just interviews, they’re going out into the world to do that viral marketing”

- Maggie Killian, theatre tech

accompaniment, Wicked: One Wonderful Night served as an immersive and exciting celebration of both Wicked installments that allowed fans across the globe to feel connected to the upcoming film.

“I know there’s lots of people that saw the movie that had never even seen the Broadway show or knew about the show. So I do think the marketing kind of helped widen that audience a bit,” Campus Minister Maria Milazzo said.

Along with this televised event, Wicked: For Good utilized brand collaborations in order to push out their merchandise. With the franchise creating over 400 brand collaborations, Wicked: For Good took stores by storm. Wicked: For Good branded commodities could be found in every aisle of the grocery store. From cereal boxes and clothing to air fresheners and water bottles, Wicked: For Good seemed to be everywhere you looked.

“At first I thought it was really exciting. I was like, oh my gosh, that’s so fun. They have all these Wicked things. And then, like, the more we saw, I was like, okay, this might be a little much,” Milazzo said.

“Wicked: For Good” was released in theaters on Nov. 21, 2025. One month later, another highly anticipated movie was released on Christmas Day. “Marty Supreme.” In contrast to the Wicked: For Good marketing master plan, Marty Supreme took a different approach.

Chalemet created an over-the-top viral marketing campaign, using unconventional and satirical marketing schemes that appealed to a younger audience. He created viral moments like the Marty Supreme Zoom call, corroded orange, and the Marty Supreme blimp in order to promote his new movie.

“I saw Marty Supreme because I thought that the jackets Timothée released were really cool. And all the marketing was all over TikTok, so it inspired me to see it,” junior Ally Conner said. “All of that made people want to see it. I don’t think without that it wouldn’t have gotten as many ratings and views.”

Similar to Wicked: For Good, Marty Supreme’s marketing campaign technically had nothing to do with the content or plot of the movie. However, due to the memefication of the film, people of all ages attended theaters on Dec. 25 earning $9.5 million despite not knowing who the famous ping pong player was.

“It was definitely confusing, but I liked the movie. It was just not really the same as the marketing,” Conner said. “There was a lot of it, but I thought it was cool to see the new things that they would do, because it was so different and weird different than any other movie marketing I’d seen.”

“Marty Supreme was only like 15% pong” -Ally Conner ‘27

“It was hard to take the movie seriously because the marketing was so fun” - Cate Karumbi ‘27

On the EnterpRISE

BY SOPHIA THOMAS CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Students throughout the school own various businesses, but not everybody knows about them.

Heidi’s Clothing

The product: second-hand and blockprint clothes

Price range: $5-$25

Owner’s recommendation: “Feel free to buy from [me], but I also recommend selling too. It’s super easy and it makes you some significant cash. You’re keeping stuff out of landfill too,” senior Heidi Nance said.

The product: lawn mowing service Price range: $30 but can depend on the yard

Owner’s recommendation: “When people hire me they get leaves removed, their lawn mowed, trees and bushes trimmed and any other yard work they need done,” freshman Quinn Simmons said.

GelX by Giselle

The product: nails

Price range: $15-$20

Owner’s recommendation: “I would recommend the BIAB. It’s just a super good protective base for the nails you want. Not only does it make your nails look pretty, it can make them super long,” junior Giselle Lopez said.

Jazzy Styles

The product: hair braiding Price range: $80-$150

Owner’s recommendation: “I recommend that people get boho braids because that’s my favorite hairstyle to do and it’s pretty easy to do, and you can have endless styles with that,” junior Jasmine Karungari said.

Marion’s Crochet

The product: custom, handmade crochet creations

Price range: $10/hour plus materials

Owner’s recommendation: “I would probably recommend someone to buy a keychain or a little stuffed animal (and those are my favorite to make and the cheapest), or if they want clothing, I think I crochet sweaters are best,” freshman Marion Shaw said.

Cielo Clicks

The product: photos

Price range: $10-$20

Owner’s recommendation: “I recommend you get an easy starter pack. It’s just a couple solo shots, nothing like huge groups or anything,” sophomore Cielo Magaña-Mora said.

PHOTO | MARION SHAW

PHOTO | HEIDI NANCE

PHOTO | QUINN SIMMONS

A nice Ring to it More than a Night

BY DANIELLA JOHNSON CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The annual Sion Gala is a night of action and entertainment that raises money for student scholarships.

So much can happen in a single evening. Especially an evening filled with floor-length gowns, delectable confections, music from a live band and a chance at winning $10,000. Alumni will reconnect with their former classmates, someone will bring home the trip of a lifetime, grandparents will bond over their grandchildren’s accomplishments and a school can meet their goal of raising $800,000 to provide scholarships for their students. The Sion Gala on the evening of Feb. 28 will be just that and more. However, it has taken far longer than an evening to plan and perfect the event.

“I am new to the team at Sion, I started in mid-June, and we almost began planning right away,” Manager of Alumni Engagement and Signature Events Hannah Schumm said. “We spent the summer going to tastings, securing our caterers, picking our floral and our event theme, and sending out our save the date. We’ve really been working on it for a while now.”

This year marks the 40th annual Sion Gala. To reflect on the milestone, this year’s theme is ‘Bronze and Brilliance: A Toast to 40 Years’. Attendees are encouraged to dress with glitz and glamour. To accompany the luxurious night, there will be a live and silent auction.

“For the silent auction, we typically have about 350 items that can range from gift certificates, sweatshirts, jewelry, and spa services. We have a really beautiful coat this year and a condo in Keystone that will be on the silent auction,” Schumm said. “Our live auction is more of those bigger items, those more packages.”

Included in the live auction are luxury stays in Ireland, Orlando, Montana and Chicago. There are also items like a “Royals Experience” and a Patrick Mahomes Jersey. However, the treasure of the night is the Cash Raffle, with a grand prize of $10,000. As a part of the Cash Raffle, Sion Students were able to sell at least two tickets to earn this year’s signature Sion sweatpants to wear for the third quarter.

“I asked my grandparents to buy a pair [of sweatpants], and my parents bought the other,” freshman Kenley Burns said. “It feels really good to support Sion, I wear them everyday.”

Students also had the chance to participate in the Phoneathon event where they called and emailed past Sion donors to sell Cash Raffle tickets.

“I did the Phoneathon and so it was just 10 times easier,” sophomore Maye Whittaker said. “I think it’s like a good opportunity to get to know other people outside of school that have gone here so they can keep on supporting our school. We’re one big community of Sion, not just Sion sisters, but also a Sion neighborhood.”

BY DANIELLA JOHNSON CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Sion Ring has a valued place in the tradition and community at Sion.

The Sion Ring was likely familiar before you became students here. It is highlighted in shadow day presentations, the Sion website, and predominantly placed photos across campus.

However it is not only a valued tradition while a student here, it is one that distinguishes us as Sionians for the rest of our lives.

“All of the women in my family graduated from Sion. My grandma has a Sion ring, my mom has one, my aunts, my cousins and my older sister. To me, it means to become a woman, not only here, but also in my family,” senior Loren Clarkson said. “It’s nice to see someone that’s older and they’re still wearing their school ring. It’s a lifetime commitment.”

The Sion ring was designed by Cartier in 1927. The design has since become the Sion logo, easily distinguishable by anyone familiar with the school. Since the 1950s, the company Balfour has been the producer of the ring. Chris Barr is their representative for Sion and has been working with Balfour for 42 years and Sion for five. He currently works with 60 high schools and 200 colleges around the nation.

“It’s like passing the rite of passage as being a role model in the school.” Loren Clarkson, ‘26

“The ring has a timeless design because it is so beautifully crafted. The design is so nice with the ‘ND’ with the purple and with the pearls all the way around it,” Barr said. “It is one of the most unique class rings in the United States for a high school.”

The six pearls placed towards the edge symbolize the “pearls of wisdom” Sion students gain during their time here. Each ring is also customized with the initials of the Sion students.

“An individual cast is made of each of the rings, then the material goes in. After it’s been cast, it goes on a tree that gets cut out, and then it’s polished. The pearls and the purple enamel are added on,” Barr said. “It’s a beautiful process, and it’s a process that has been going on for a long, long time.”

In addition to the symbolism the ring itself brings, the Junior Ring Ceremony symbolizes the passing of the torch of leadership from the Senior to the Junior Class. This year’s ceremony will take place Sunday May 3.

“I love our traditions at Sion, and I think that having something where everybody has the same ring does feel like, ‘okay, we’re all part of this community together,’” Campus Minister and 2010 alumna Maria Milazzo said. “[My ring ceremony] was actually really similar to what it still is now. I love that you received your ring from another Sion sister, whether that’s someone in the senior class or an alum. I think that’s really special.”

ALL ILLUSTRATIONS | DANIELLA JOHNSON

PlotTwisted

In the past years movie and TV show fans have created an abundance of theories on deeper looks in their favorite works.

BY NORA GEDNEY

n recent years, there has been a surge of people creating or feeding into theories about their favorite shows and movies, like in “Stranger Things,” “The Simpsons,” “The Hunger Games” and more. Some are very deep and seem to be true, while others are pretty out there. Nonetheless they really get you thinking, and can lead more viewers into eager anticipation. Whether it’s because you see a theory on TikTok or hear from a friend, these conspiracies pull you into every detail of the production. Some theories are taken seriously and the evidence found for them takes a lot of analyzing. The evidence can be created from the tiniest detail, color or line.

One of these very in-depth conspiracies is Conformity Gate. Conformity Gate is the theory that the seemingly happy ending of “Stranger Things” was in fact not real, and it , the main villain, creating an illusion. It suggested that there would be a secret ninth darker episode that unveiled the real story. This theory took the internet by storm. Many fans posted their versions of the theory or their proof of the theory. Whether that was a set piece being a different color in the finale versus the previous season, or an element that kept appearing, like a number. Even with many believers in this theory there were also people on the

Junior Lucy Kehoe never believed that there would be a ninth episode.

“Conformity gate, in

ILLUSTRATION | NORA GEDNEY

my opinion, was a way for fans to cope with having a not good ending,” Kehoe said.

Other theories are less known but still are perceived by some as very convincing. Take “The Simpsons,” for example. “The Simpsons” are know for predicting the future. They predicted things like Donald Trump’s presidency (2000), Disney buying Fox (1998), the Ebola outbreak (1997), smartwatches & video calls (1995), the FIFA corruption scandal (2014) and the US curling team’s 2018 Olympic win.

These are less theories about the show and more about how they were so accurate with their predictions. One theory about the show itself is that Homer, the dad in “The Simpsons,” is in a coma and the show is him dreaming. This is how some conspirators would explain why none of the characters ever age.

“The Hunger Games” has many different theories. With its abundance of movies and books there is a lot of material to work with. Within the most recent movie/book, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” there is a theory that Lucy Gray’s Cousin, Maude Ivory, is Katniss Everdeen’s grandma. Freshman Marion Shaw also has a take on the Hunger Games theories.

“Originally I thought that Lucy Gray was Katniss’s grandma when I heard her sing the song, but after hearing about her cousin that made more sense to me,” Shaw said.

Shaw said she has always been interested in “The Hunger Games” and only really started to think about the deep theories after seeing some on social media.

Through all of these theories viewers can find a deeper appreciation for the works and how hard the writers work to make thought provoking entertainment.

Some other theories to look at...

Toy Story The Shining Avengers

Andy’s Mom was Jessie’s original owner. She seems to be emotionally attached to cowboy toys so fans think she may have owned Jessie.

The hotel is a time loop.

Jack Torrence has always been in the hotel and is trying to get out of a time loop.

In Avengers: Endgame

Captain America is living a secret double life. After returning the Infinity stones he stays with Peggy watching events unfold.

THE HOUSEMAID PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION

“People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry is a novel focusing on two friends, Alex and Poppy, who meet at the University of Chicago during orientation week freshman year. They carpool back to their Linfield, Ohio at the end of the year and end up vacationing together every summer and slowly falling in love. However, they’re on completely different pages. Alex prioritizes stability, whereas Poppy wants to keep traveling, so their friendship/relationship is put on hold.

I enjoyed the friends-to-lover trope that Henry used to pull the readers in. Alex invited Poppy to go with him to Palm Springs for his brother’s wedding, it added a spin onto the book that helped me stay entertained. The constant time changes and scenery changes also help to keep me engaged.

Overall, this book was written very well.

“The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden follows a down on her luck, violent convicted felon who just scored the job deal of the century: cleaning for a wealthy NYC family, no questions asked about her background. However, not everything is as it seems, and this seemingly perfect family hides more than they let on.

I got through this book in just two days, which I feel is a testament to the level of entertainment in this book. The plot is always moving, with a fresh twist around every corner to keep you engaged.

“The People We Meet on Vacation” movie follows Poppy and Alex who meet for the first time through a mutual friend who tells them to carpool back home to Ohio. Alex and Poppy at first hit bumpy roads, but then go on to have an amazing friendship, but Alex does have a girlfriend. The time shifts in this are important to the story, my favorite flashback in the movie is when Alex and Poppy pretended to be a married couple and I think that is when they realized they loved each other.

It’s such a cute romcom and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who wants a good laugh and a happy ending. The biggest difference between the book and the movie was the way Alex and Poppy reconnected. Some differences in the book and the movie are a little apparent, but I like the book better than the movie.

REVIEWS BY SANTINA BONINO COPY & SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

SONG OF 2025

Despite this, the characters are onedimensional and the writing was often cringey, which took me out of the story. In addition, I could see the final big plot twist coming from the beginning, which diminished its impact when it actually happened.

The plot is entertaining and the relationships are messy enough to keep you reading, but it’s definitely not anything to write home about.

The movie surprisingly deviated from the book in some major ways, none of which I felt were necessary. Instead they left me very confused and disinterested, which really diminished the experience.

As for the acting, Amanda Seyfried as Nina was excellent and really sold her character to me, which is a hard thing to do for actors as big as she is. Brandon Sklenar as Andrew also killed it. Sydney Sweeney as the titular role brought down the movie as a whole, solely because her delivery on all her lines and expressions were just so bland.

All in all, the movie was less engaging than the book, which was a disappointment for me as I was anticipating an entertaining watch.

REVIEWS BY SOPHIA THOMAS CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

AWARDS SEASON

BEST MOVIE OF 2025

Injured, NOT BROKEN

While athletes are on the court or field scoring points, injured athletes on the sideline can only cheer and watch.

STORY BY ADDISON PORTER A&E EDITOR

When an athlete gets injured, the game doesn’t stop. The clock keeps ticking, the crowd keeps cheering, and the scoreboard keeps going up. For the rest of the team, the season carries on, but the injured athlete on the sidelines can only watch. The toughest part isn’t the pain from the injury–it’s the feeling of being invisible. From freshmen beginning their high school career to seniors playing their last season, injured athletes across grade levels share the same experience: isolation, self-doubt, and the pain of quiet struggle. As they sit on the sidelines, wondering if they will ever be able to play again.

For Varsity basketball player, Charlie Baity, the injury happened during a summer game while preparing for the upcoming season.

“It was during a fast break,” Baity said. “The girl did a crossover, and my knee gave out.”

Baity tore her ACL in June, which changed what her junior year would look like. Junior year is when college scouts are looking at you. Instead of being on the court playing with her team and for college scouts to see, she spent the first half of her season watching and cheering on her teammates from the sidelines.

“I felt disconnected from my team,” Baity said. “There’s only so much cheering you can do from the sidelines.”

This feeling of isolation wasn’t felt just with Baity. It echoed throughout different sports and grade levels. Freshman field hockey player Adria Nelson was injured

- Adria Nelson, ‘29 “

They‘ll tell you they’re fine, but inside, it feels like a part of your life was taken away.”

before her season started.

“It was the practice before our first game,” Nelson said. “I felt something pop in my knee.”

What she first thought to be an ACL tear turned out to be a meniscus injury caused by an issue with her kneecap. But the result was still the same. She had to

watch from the sidelines.

Nelson couldn’t play the whole season. She had to wait for her knee to heal, as her team was winning games.

“When I was watching my team without me, it was frustrating,” Nelson said. “I just wanted to be out there with them.”

Due to being sidelined so early in her career left Nelson struggling with uncertainty.

“I was on a knee scooter, and I couldn’t even walk,” she said. “It was hard to believe I’d ever be back on the field.”

For many athletes, sports are more than just an extracurricular activity or P.E. credit. It is a part of their identity. Being a part of a sport for so long, it’s hard to let it go because you spent many years perfecting your technique. But for injured athletes, you have to let it go. This sport you put your whole life into gets taken away in a millisecond, and you don’t know how to change your perspective as fast as you get injured. The continuous question, “Am I more than just my sport?” This was the same struggle Baity was going through.

“I thought if I didn’t play basketball, I couldn’t go to college,” she said.

Senior Merrill Patt is seen here after waking up from her surgery. “The doctor was not sure if he would repair my ACL or replace it until I was under,” Patt said. Now Patt likes telling her story since so many other female athletes have gone through such unfortunate injuries.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY MERRILL PATT

Sophomore Kelly Frank works out on an anti-gravity treadmill at physical therapy, helping her to run and get back to training without feeling pain in her hip. “I feel like you’re running on a cloud,” Frank said.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY KELLY FRANK

Freshman Adria Nelson is pictured during her injury with her friend at a Field Hockey game.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY ADRIA NELSON

Junior Charlie Baity was playing against St. Theresa for the second time in her freshman year warming up for a nervous game. “ I was shooting free throws to calm my nerves before the game because I was really anxious,” Baity said. She said her team compared her to a ghost because of how pale she was.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY

CHARLIE BAITY

what to do. This change caused her to have to shift her mindset and plan for high school.

“When it went away, it was like, ‘Okay, now what am I supposed to do,’” Nelson said.

Senior Merrill Patt tore her ACL during a soccer game against Blue Valley in April, which ended her junior season early. Patt was the varsity goalie and had to sit out at State. Sion’s soccer team ended up third at State, but Patt could only be there for her team.

“I was really bummed,” Patt said. “I had just started to really enjoy playing.”

Although she stayed positive on the sideline, returning to play does come with challenges. Patt said that the biggest obstacle hasn’t been physical but mental. Having to remind herself that she is meant to be on the field and that injury will not define her as a player or person.

“It’s a mental block,” Patt said. “Your doctor wouldn’t put you out there if they didn’t think you could do it. I just have to tell myself that.”

For sophomore Kelly Frank, the injury wasn’t sudden, it was missed.

During her freshman track season, she began experiencing severe pain in her hip, but it was repeatedly misdiagnosed by professionals.

“I could barely walk,” Frank said. “But doctors refused to give me an MRI.”

Months later, she finally learned she had fractured her femoral neck, a critical injury for runners. Missing her entire track season, summer training and cross country season was rough, especially after placing second at State her freshman year.

“Giving my all without being able to compete was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” Frank said.

But this experience taught Frank that she can do hard things. Teaching her that being patient and trusting in God, she said she can achieve anything. Frank joined the

swim team and is now back to running. Yet it was not an easy journey.

“When people say, ‘We really need you out there,’ it makes you feel guilty,” Baity said. “Like the injury is your fault.”

Nelson felt the same.

“They’ll tell you they’re fine,” she said. “But inside, it feels like a part of your life was taken away.”

Patt added that people often don’t realize how much effort injured athletes put in behind the scenes. Both physically and mentally.

“You can’t stop training,” Patt said. “Even after you’re cleared, you still have to keep going.”

Injured athletes want you to understand what they’re going through. They want people to notice that even though they aren’t playing, they’re still part of the team, still working, and still fighting, even if it’s not documented on the scoreboard.

““Now, when I see injured athletes, I give them so much credit,” Patt said. “I know what they’re doing behind the scenes.”

Athletes might be injured, but they’re not broken.

“When people say, ‘you’re so lucky that you’re injured so you don’t have to do this drill,’ it makes me sad because I would give up anything to be able to practice with my team again.”

- Charlie Baity, ‘27

During field hockey media day, freshmen Adria Nelson and Hazel Mallory are seen trying not to drop freshman Emersyn Vickery. “I’m pretty sure we said ‘oh crap!’,” Nelson said.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY ADRIA NELSON

Senior Merrill Patt said she was nervous at the start of game. “The first shot you get is always the most stressful for me,” Patt said. Before the game, Patt does her game-time ritual, listening to music and repeating her mantras every game she plays.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY MERRILL PATT

Sophomore Kelly Frank is at a St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School cross country meet as a manager. “It was heartbreaking to not be able to run, but it helped being able to be there at the meets with my teammates,” Frank said.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY KELLY FRANK

CAPTAIN’S CORNER

Spring sport Captains look forward to their seasons

SENIOR MIA HEBERT

“I’m really excited for this season. I love everybody on the team, and I’m looking forward to playing with everyone one last time. This season we may have to adjust because we lost a lot of people last year. But with those who we still have I believe that it will go well, and I hope to get another District Championship and maybe even State,” Herbert said.

SENIOR REMY GARCIA

“I think lacrosse is going to have a great season this year. We have a lot of new girls coming in, so it’s going to be fun teaching them how to play as we build this team up. I’m also very excited to be back with all my friends again to play some lacrosse,” Garcia said.

SENIOR AVA WICKENHAUSER

“I’m looking forward to the track program this year. We’re supposed to have a lot of freshmen, and I’m excited that we’ll have a bigger team as a whole. I think it will give the program a better sense of community, because even though track is an individual sport, it’s really important that we come together in order to support one another,” Wickenhauser said.

PRESEASON

JUNIOR GRACE BAGGOTT

“I think this year I think we’re going to make some serious strides in progressing the team, because I know we have a good amount of freshmen coming in. Also we have a couple of new coaches, and we’ve already started preseason workouts, which has not happened the last couple of years. So, I definitely think that we’re going to be pretty good this year,” Baggott said.

PHOTO | GEORGIA GOMEZ

PHOTO | SURRIYA QUDDUS

PHOTO | ADELE MILLIGAN

PHOTO | ADELE MILLIGAN

WHAT A SAVE

Entering into the 2025 season the lacrosse program lacked their second goalie. One brave student stepped up despite having no prior experience.

SPREAD BY NEWS & SPORTS EDITOR RILEY PINTADO

Different sports differ in many ways. Strategy, position and rules are all examples of things that might make a sport distinctive. However, there is one highly important position that many sports with a physical goal share: a goalkeeper, whose job is to defend and protect the goal from the other team.

Lacrosse utilizes a goalkeeper. It is their job to defend the 6 feet by 6 feet goal. They can be distinguished on the field by their helmet, head to toe padding and wider lacrosse stick. Also like soccer, their role is extremely important.

Unfortunately, last spring as we went into the 2025 season, the lacrosse program lacked their second goalkeeper. However, junior Grace Goforth stepped up to the role, despite never having previously played the position before.

“My freshman year, I played defense and it wasn’t my absolute favorite,” Goforth said. “Then my sophomore year, the goalie had left because she was a senior. There was one other goalie, but the program wanted two because being the goalie for both teams is a lot. So, I just thought I would try, and I ended up really liking it so I stuck with it.”

Before entering high school, Goforth had never played lacrosse. Therefore her coaches were moved by her willingness to try a new position, as her action ended their desperate search for a new goalkeeper.

“She made a lot of stress go away for us coaches,” lacrosse assistant coach Brie Bowes said. “For her to raise her hand, and then work so hard overall just shows how she wants to be there and how big of a team player she is.”

Goforth said how trying something new for the first time always comes with challenges. However, despite the hardship, she’s willing to continue as she loves the community that she’s found while being a part of the lacrosse program.

“Sometimes I’m just hard on myself, and when I don’t perform well I get impostor syndrome,” Goforth said. “But, I love being a part of the lacrosse team. Everyone is so supportive, and it’s fun getting to go through it all together.”

A goalie is oftentimes a literal and figurative backbone to the team. Goforth’s grit, determination and hard work has left a lasting and positive impact on her teammates.

“She’s a really great goalie, especially when it comes to getting the ball down the field as well as her defense as a whole,” teammate junior Zoe Miller said. “She’s so great at being hype and being there for the rest of the team. She’s a lifesaver and I’m very glad she decided to take up the position.”

UNIQUELY YOU

Students use unique accessories and add ons to express their individuality while in school.

“Whenever people walk by me, I smell good. It makes me feel more put together because when I smell good, I feel good.”

Samantha Vergara ‘29

SPREAD

AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY

CLAIRE STEINER WEB EDITOR

“On my computer, I have all the Bob’s Burgers character stickers on it and Mizzou stickers which is where I really want to go for school. It’s kind’s of like me on a little screen. ”

Loren Clarkson ‘26

“Painting your nails is just a simple way to add a little something extra. I like to pick colors that go with the season, and they start the vibe for my season.”

Gracie Goforth ‘27

“I feel like somehow colors can represent a person. These colors on my backpack are different then a lot of other backpacks. They’re vibrant but also not too much and I feel like it expresses me well.”

Izzy Bae ‘29

“My friends made a bunch of bracelets for me with different designs and charms. I wear them everyday to remember their love for me and to embrace myself.”

Jaylin Williams ‘29

“Sometimes, when I can’t wear my nails, this gives a little bit of pizazz to my outfit. And it’s a two in one. I get to carry my purse and I have my wallet all the time because I have my ID in there.”

Giana Juarez ‘26

“I wore bows when I was younger. My mom made them for me but now we get these nice big ones that I like to wear. They give my outfit a little more flare.”

Avery Yahaya ‘28