The Andalusian Volume 22 Issue 2

NOT NOT

AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT THE BULLYING EPIDEMIC AS IT RELATES TO STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCE, ITS IMPACT ON THE VICTIMS AND WHAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY TO STOP IT.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

To our staff, we appreciate all the hard work y’all have put into the second issue. Your dedication has not gone unnoticed, and we are so proud of the work y’all have accomplished. As October is National Bullying Prevention Month and with wellness Tuesday and Thursday being hosted by Ms. Eubanks, we wanted to bring awareness to the concept of bullying in and out of school. Whether noticed or unnoticed, bullying is a serious issue in today’s world and something that needs to be taken seriously throughout our campus. Our purpose of this issue is to inform the student body about why bullying needs to end and how it negatively affects the minds of each individual. As we signed our name into the school honor code, it’s important that we remember to remain honorable, respectful

and accountable to not only our peers, but ourselves. We would love to receive feedback on our work and are open to any suggestions that you guys have. As homecoming has just ended, we hope everyone had a rowdy week full of games and school spirit. As always, we want to thank Ms. Callaway for always pushing us to step out of our comfort zone and achieve new goals. We would also like to give thanks to Mr. Beamer and all the faculty who continue to provide numerous amounts of support and encouragement to the Andalusian. As a publication, we enjoyed creating this issue and we hope that you guys enjoy it too! We can’t wait to see how the year progresses!

sincerely, RJ Hosay and Merrell Webster

*Photo taken by Kate Bulloch

Design By Merrell Webster

BE THE CHANGE

While October is viewed as a month full of spooky stories, sweet candy and fall weather, there is a deeper meaning to the month that individuals often miss. October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Throughout the month, schools, communities and organizations unite to eliminate all forms of bullying by trying to bring awareness and reduce the hatred and discrimination. This concept though, is easier said than done. Bullying is a problem at schools across the nation, Maclay included, but is often not taken seriously and dismissed with a “it doesn’t happen here” atttitude; however, it is very much a real issue, and we as a community need to do our part to stop it.

If you see something, say something. If you are being bullied or just a witness, it is important to speak up in order to limit the number of bullying cases in our society. As a person being bullied, you may often feel that speaking up makes you more of a target, but by not speaking up, you are keeping your feelings bottled up inside, which can lead to emotions and actions spiraling. If you’re being bullied or know someone who is being bullied, tell someone you trust. Someone who sees or knows that bullying is happening is known as a “bystander.” Bystanders can encourage bullying by simply doing nothing. We can help stop bullying by stepping in if it feels safe, reporting the bullying to a trustful adult and/or checking up on the person being bullied. Upper school counselor Tammy Eubanks agrees and is working

CHANGE

THE MACLAY COMMUNITY NEEDS TO PUT A STOP TO BULLYING

who have experienced bullying or want to share their personal stories. By creating a safe place where students can express their feelings, Eubanks is making those students feel like their voice is heard. Safety starts in the classroom and students should feel safe everywhere on campus. If everyone at Maclay can work together, we can create a climate where bullying is eliminated.

with administration to help encourage reporting and limit bullying on campus.

“If we can all agree to be what is called an upstander, which is when we witness something, we do something about it,” Eubanks said. “Either speak up, or if you do not feel comfortable speaking up, make contact in some way with the person you saw being victimized and let them know that you care.”

In order to be an upstander, students and victims must feel safe to make these reports. To make students feel safe, teachers need to create safe environments and form connections with their students. Studies also have shown that adults can help prevent bullying by encouraging students to do what they love, modeling respect and offering help when needed. Many teachers on campus already do this, like English Department Chair and teacher Lee Norment.

“I think it is important for teachers to create classroom environments like Mr. Norment’s room,” junior Copeland Frazee said. “Whenever I am having trouble with an assignment or just overall having a bad day, Mr. Norment is there to pick me up and give me advice. He is constantly asking individuals how they are doing and checking up on everyone. This not only makes me a better student, but also a better individual.”

For students, Eubanks’s office is viewed as a safe place to share feelings. Eubanks is willing to give advice and listen to those

Another way that Maclay can help limit the percentages of bullying on campus, is by continuing to implement and enforce activities to help encourage the discussion and recognition of bullying. Eubanks focused the first Wellness Tuesday and Thursday of this month around bullying prevention. On Tuesday, Oct. 4, Eubanks asked the upper school to think about a few questions: “What makes someone a bully?” and “How do we classify bullying?” There were no right or wrong answers to these questions, but it was important to encourage students to answer them respectfully and honestly. By talking about bullying directly, it enforces an initial step in understanding how the issue could be affecting students. After answering the questions, Eubanks played a video centered around checking up on individuals and making sure they are “okay.” This Wellness Tuesday and Thursday was important for students to learn about what bullying is and how students can stand up to it safely. Eubanks can’t be the only one making an effort though, students and teacher’s attitudes around these discussions can make all the difference.

FOR: AGAINST: 0 8

“My homeroom class actively participated in the bullying discussions with well thought out points that were brought up by various students,” senior Evan Brown said. “Our main takeaway from last week was that everyone should be friendly and stick up for victims of bullying, even if it results in criticism.”

Aside from upstanding, reporting and taking this issue seriously, the biggest action we can take is to ensure that we are not participating in bullying ourselves. If you are consistently targeting someone whether in person or via social media with the intent to humiliate and embarrass them, you need to stop. Bullying should not be normalized; should not be a right of passage; and it certainly isn’t cool. If you are intentionally bullying someone, you are causing that person physical and emotional distress that include skipping school, changes in eating and sleeping habits, depression, anger, anxiety and harm to themselves or others. Partaking in bullying is unacceptable and as honorable Maclay students, it’s our job to put an end to it.

Overall, we must come together as a community to take bullying seriously and make sure that it doesn’t have a place on our campus. Students, faculty and administration need to all work together to prevent bullying by encouraging upstanding, creating safe spaces and not participating in any bullying behaviors. Be the change; because even the smallest action can make all the difference in someone’s life.

EDITORIAL POLICY

News N

NEWS BRIEF ON ONE SCHOOL, LOCAL AND NATIONAL EVENTS

BY Leah Kiros & RJ Hosay

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR EARLY NOVEMBER 2022

ONE SCHOOL

THE ACCREDITATION TEAM VISITS MACLAY

From Oct. 10 to Oct. 12, Maclay went through “accreditation,” a process in which independent schools are evaluated by a larger association to make sure that they are meeting the standard of their body. As a part of Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) and Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS), Maclay has to go through this same process every five years. The guests from FCIS and SAIS include heads of schools or divisions, directors or classroom teachers from other schools throughout the state. This year, Maclay’s administration team, seventh grade physics teacher Michael Fisher and Director of Center for Academic Excellence

Janine Couch coordinated the event.

LOCAL

“TERROR OF TALLAHASSEE” OPENS FOR HALLOWEEN WEEKEND

Once October hits, so does the haunted house known as “Terror of Tallahassee.” This attraction has been the main haunted house in Tallahassee since it opened in 2003, and this year it opened on Oct. 8. It it not too late to be spooked and enjoy Halloween festivities as “Terror of Tallahassee” will be open from 7:00 p.m to 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29. It will also be open from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30 and Monday, Oct. 31. Tickets per person cost $27 online and $30 at the window. “Terror of Tallahassee” can be found on 1408 Lake Bradford Road, Tallahassee, FL.

NATIONAL

Back in August, President Biden announced that there would be a student debt relief program that could provide a relief of $10,000 to most applicants and up to $20,000 for pell grant recipients. On Oct. 17, Biden announced the release of the official application for the student debt relief program. Potential qualifiers must have made $125,000 or less in 2021 or 2020 as an individual, and families must have made $250,000 or less in 2021 or 2020. Anyone who meets these standards can go to the Federal Student Aid website and apply. The application asks for the applicant’s name, date of birth, social security number, phone number, email and a signature stating that the qualifications required are met. Applicants have until the end of Dec. 31, 2023 to fill out the application and potentially qualify for student debt relief.

THE DEBT DILEMMA

TUES. NOV. 1

School Day ACT

8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

CARTEE GYM

TruBru Tuesday

WED. NOV. 2

Key Club New Member Induction/Luncheon

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

*Information from Forbes.com

Meet & greet first Tuesday

BFIC LANGFORD HALL of each month at TruBru

FRI.

FCIS Conference Day (No Students) ALL DAY

Upper School Career Day

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM UPPER SCHOOL

National Honor Society Inductions

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

CARTEE GYM

Veterans Day Salute

8:30 AM MACLAY SCHOOL

PHOTO BY JACLYN SUMMERS

PHOTO BY KATELYN ELDRED PHOTO BY KATELYN ELDRED

SENIOR SMACKDOWN. The senior class joins in center field for a group photo after taking the victory for the annual powderpuff game. They pose holding up a number one after defeating both the freshman and sophomores, not allowing either team to score any points. The seniors finished off with a score of 41-0.

average each borrower owes 55% of Americans support forgiving student debt up to $10,000 according to NPR

55% a four-year institution have student loans

of students from $1.75 trillion in total student loan debt

IAN’S PATH OF

DESTRUCTION

BY PAYTON BUNDY

HURRICANE IAN FACTS

101 people have been confirmed dead, including in Florida 92

Hurricane Ian is the 5th strongest Hurricane to strike the United States. Ian intensified into a category

4 hurricane with wind speeds of 150 mph.

It was the strongest hurricane to hit Florida since Michael in 2018.

extreme damage to his home, just some flooding in his yard.”

Hurricane Ian left catastrophic damage in its wake. A large number of people have dealt with home damages, along with extreme flooding.

“It was awful to see the effects from the hurricane,” Upper School Academic Dean Angela Croston said. “I actually grew up exactly where the hurricane hit.”

The hurricane destroyed many structures that had been in South Florida for years,

leaving many homes and public places unrecognizable.

“Looking at pictures of the places I grew up was upsetting,” Croston said. “I knew a few people from down there but thankfully everyone was ok.”

Even though Hurricane Ian did not directly hit Tallahassee, the storm still struck deep and affected many people from Maclay.

THE MACLAY COMMUNITY REACTS TO THE CHAOS AND DEVASTATION BY HURRICANE IAN

Design By Meghan Goletz

ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

BY ANNA GRACE

Standardized testing is one of the most competitive realms for students in high school. Getting a high score on either the PSAT, SAT or ACT increases a student’s chances of college admission by showing their academic strengths and potential. For example, leading up to the end of their junior year, students have the opportunity to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. This program is a national academic competition for high school students that can provide financial aid to attend college.

On Oct. 7, Maclay School students Lauren Price, Ariana Sanaullah and Abigail Rubenstein received letters of commendation for qualifying for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Teresa Morgado and Maddy Meeker were semi-finalists.

“I got a 1410 on the PSAT,” Rubenstein said. “I did a few problems to practice, but I had

just taken the SAT a few weeks before, so I felt pretty prepared. Mr. Cave told me one day in the courtyard and I was super excited because I can add it to my college applications and maybe get some scholarship money for it.”

According to College Board, sophomores and juniors are eligible for a National Merit Scholarship if they score in the top 10% on the PSAT National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). Sophomores and juniors are also eligible if they score a three or higher on two or more distinct AP exams in the eligible test period.

The three major factors in eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship include taking the PSAT NMSQT in a specified year of highschool, being enrolled as a full-time-high school student with good academic standing and attending school in the United States.

“I was very excited,” senior Teresa Morgado said. “I had worked hard

preparing for that PSAT. So when I found out I was a National Merit Semifinalist, I was thrilled that all my time spent doing practice had paid off for such a rewarding achievement.”

While these are the starting factors for receiving the scholarships, it is not the end of the process. In order to qualify as a finalist, students must get a high PSAT score, write a strong application and score well on the SAT. Once the finalists are picked for each high school, administrators are notified and given a certificate to award the finalists with. Everyone who places as a finalist is then chosen for the scholarship based on their academic abilities, accomplishments and skills.

Last year, more than 4.5 million juniors took the PSAT, but the National Merit Scholarships only selected 7,500 finalists. According to College Board, that’s less than a fifth of a percent.

The National Merit

Scholarship is only one of many merit scholarships that students can win in the college application process, but it is among the most prestigious. Furthermore, in addition to the cachet of becoming a National Merit Scholarship winner, there are a variety of additional benefits to participating in the National Merit program. Reaching the status of semifinalist is a strong indicator of your academic excellence to include in your application, and may enable students to apply for other special scholarships.

“I’m very honored, especially to be in a group with four other incredible girls,” Price said. “We spoke about how it was even better that it was all girls, very empowering. I’m sure I will include it on some of my college applications but mostly, it just served as a good reminder to myself of what I’m capable of when I put in the hard work.”

MACLAY STUDENTS RECEIVE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS

BY Merrell Webster

GAME ON MARAUDERS

MACLAY SCHOOL CELEBRATES ANNUAL HOMECOMING WEEK FESTIVITIES

Everyone’s favorite week had finally arrived. On the week of Oct. 17 to Oct. 22, Maclay School celebrated Homecoming with a week full of dress up days, food and games during break and homeroom. While Homecoming is an important event for the entire school, especially students attending the dance, the group that typically goes unnoticed is the alumni. This spirit-filled week is a time for students who graduated to come back and celebrate their high school years with past classmates.

“Since social media, people can sort of keep track of their classmates pretty easily,” Key Club advisor Caroline Scheer said. “But before that, [social media] when classmates wanted to see their high school friends or college friends, they had the five year reunion, 10 year reunion, 15 year reunion, 20, and that’s what Homecoming weekend was all about.”

Homecoming week was organized by Key Club and Student Council who came up with the theme and all of the activities. This year’s theme was “game on” with five days of events for students to celebrate leading up to the dance. Key Club came up with the theme because it was something fun and easy for the entire school to enjoy.

“There’s a lot of different service that has had to be done for that [Homecoming]. We basically run and plan the whole thing,” Key Club secretary Sophia Krizner said. “It’s been very busy but it’s also been fruitful to see everyone enjoying this Homecoming week.”

Starting off the week on Monday Oct. 17, Maclay School kicked off Homecoming week with pajama day. Along with spooky halloween pajamas to match the season, students dressed up in their most

festive christmas pajama pants and outfits. Later that day, the hungry hungry hippos contest was held in Webster Gym following the assembly. The game was held on the gym floor where freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors were separated into four groups of two people each, with a tub filled with candy in the middle of the gym. Each group started in the corner and raced to the middle to see who could fill up their bucket with the most candy the fastest. The seniors stole the show and won the game to win one point for their grade for the overall Homecoming contest. Following the assembly and the game, cotton candy was sold in the gym.

The next theme was Twister Tuesday where each grade wore a different color. The freshmen class wore red, sophomores wore yellow, juniors wore green and seniors wore blue. During break, all upper school students participated in a game of tug of war. Each class had a group of boys and a group of girls on either side of a rope stationed next to the oak tree while they fought for the first place spot. After a tough fight from each grade, the seniors boys beat the sophomore boys by a long run in the final, and the freshman girls beat the sophomore girls in their final.

As Homecoming slowly crept along, students dressed up in jerseys, sweatshirts and t- shirts showing their favorite sports team for the Battleship-Game On! theme on Wednesday. Some students even wore pajama pants and blankets to represent their team. The break game of the day was Battleship hosted by Dance Marathon. Two representatives from each grade were chosen to shoot grenades, which were water balloons, at the opposing ships, being laundry baskets. The team with the most hits would win. The seniors were awarded first place with the sophomores coming in at a close second. During the game, Dance Marathon also held a bake sale to raise money. Later that

night, the annual Powder

Puff game was held on the Frankshaw football field at 5:30 p.m. The game started with the seniors beating the freshman 37-0. Next came the sophomores beating the juniors 14-0. Finally, the championship game was played between the sophomores and seniors, where the seniors won with a whopping score of 41-0.

With the dance approaching in just a couple days, students dressed up on their second to last costume day as their favorite board game character. Students showcased characters from Monopoly, Scrabble, Guess Who, Candyland and many other board games. During break and homeroom, Key Club set up multiple different life-sized games around campus including Candyland, Connect Four, Twister, cards, chess and more for students to enjoy. While the fun continued, the student council sold Chick-fil-A chicken minis in the courtyard.

“I really like them [break games],” junior Emma Zaidan said. “ I thought it was a great way that we all were to just have fun during our break. I loved how so much of the teachers were involved and I loved our school spirit.”

As the week came to a close, guest speaker alumna Jennifer Parker LaVia came to speak during homeroom. She spoke about embracing failure and how failure is what leads to success. She included personal stories and experiences to back up her claims. After the speech, the Homecoming parade and pep rally were held in Webster Gym to close out the day before the dance and the upcoming football game.

When the dance finally arrived, upper school students gathered in Cartee Gym in dresses and suits to dance the night away with their friends and celebrate another Homecoming event.

BY ELIZABETH BODIFORD

HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS. Senior Kolton Lawson steals the kiddy pool full of candy in hopes of winning a point for the senior class. Sophomore Zeke Podgorski and junior Jackson Webb follow after him in order to get the candy back for their class. Despite their efforts, the seniors took home the winning point on the first break game.

JUNIOR MIGHT. Junior Olivia Bastien leads the rest of the junior girls in the ultimate fight to win tuga-war. No matter how hard they used their might, they did not end up on top. The sophomore girls took home the victory against the freshman in the final pull.

BRING ON THE PEP

THE FINAL HOCO PEP RALLY. The senior class gets together one last time for their final Homecoming pep rally. While sitting down on the bleachers, many of them begin to think back to all the memories they have made during these years of pep rallies.

GIVE ME AN “H”! Junior Ava Duke shows her school spirit at the pep rally while flying high during a cheer stunt. Duke and the Varsity Cheer Team perform their “MHS” stunt to end Homecoming week on a strong note. While standing tall, she encourages the rest of the school to join her and show some school spirit.

CELEBRATING ALUMNI.

The Maclay Alumni paraded through the Homecoming Parade on trailers. While making their way around the school, all of the teachers and parents were able to catch up and talk about old memories on campus.

PARADE PRIDE. The Maclay football team walks through the parade greeting every student they pass. As they all walk past the Pre-K and the lower school playground, young students reach their hands out to try and receive as many high fives as they can. While walking, the football players also make sure they tell everyone to come out to their game that Friday night against FAMU.

RIDING IN STYLE. Seniors Grayson Oberste and Grace Reicheldefer ride through the Homecoming parade together in style. They wave to and greet every member of the crowd as they pass by. The duo thinks about whether or not they would be crowned Homecoming king and queen at the football game.

PHOTO STORY

Design By Kate Bulloch

OPINION O

STUDENT TAKES

MACLAY STUDENTS RESPOND TO THE OPINION SECTION

120 students surveyed

HOW MANY EXTRACURRICULARS ARE YOU INVOLVED IN AT SCHOOL?

BE THE CHANGE: THE BULLYING EPIDEMIC

STUDENTS RESPOND TO AND REFLECT ON THE EDITORIAL TOPIC

DO YOU THINK BULLYING IS A PREVALENT ISSUE AT MACLAY?

DO YOU THINK THE MACLAY STUDENT BODY HAS SCHOOL SPIRIT?

DO YOU THINK MACLAY SHOULD HAVE A GIFTED PROGRAM?

DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SPEAK TOO CASUALLY ABOUT SUICIDE?

I DON’T THINK IT [BULLYING] IS AS PREVALENT AS IT IS IN OTHER SCHOOLS JUST BECAUSE WE ARE A SMALLER SCHOOL, AND THE STUDENTS HERE I FEEL ARE MORE RESPECTFUL TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER. BUT, MACLAY HAS A LOT CLIQUES AND IT CAN BE EXCLUSIVE AND SO I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE CAN BE LEFT OUT OR MADE FUN OF BECAUSE OF THE CLIQUES. I DEFINITELY THINK ITS MORE VERBAL.

KAILEIGH SCHMIDT, 12

I DO [ THINK IT IS PREVALENT] BECAUSE THERE IS DEFINITELY THIS BASE STANDARD WHERE FOR GIRLS YOU HAVE TO BE SKINNY, HAVE BLOND HAIR AND AND BE AN ATHLETE. FOR BOYS, YOU HAVE TO BE TALL AND SKINNY OR MUSCULAR. I THINK IF YOU DON’T KIND OF FIT THE STEREOTYPE, YOU CAN FACE A LOT OF RIDICULE FROM PEERS.

GABY DATTOLI, 10

DO YOU THINK THAT HALLOWEEN IS OVERRATED?

I DON’T CELEBRATE

I DO NOT THINK BULLYING IS A PREVALENT ISSUE AT MACLAY. I DEFINITELY DO THINK THAT TEASING IS SOMEWHAT CURRENT IN FRIEND GROUPS, BUT I DON’T THINK MAJOR BULLYING IS AN ISSUE AT SCHOOL. I THINK EVERYONE IS VERY KIND TO ONE ANOTHER AND RESPECTS EACH OTHER’S DECISIONS AND IS VERY WELCOMING OF NEW PEOPLE.

CARSON CONWAY, 10

DUELING OPINIONS

A BIG B TO YOU

HALLOWEEN IS AN UNDERAPPRECIATED HOLIDAY

BY SAWYER DAVIS

When the holiday season starts to come into fruition, most people set their eyes on one phenomenon: Christmas. Sure, Halloween is still widely celebrated, but the holiday doesn’t even warrant a single day off of school and becomes quickly overshadowed by the anticipation and preparation for Dec. 25. Now that we are in the midst of the spooky season, it’s important to give Halloween the respect it deserves. The frightening culture surrounding Oct. 31 and the traditions that come on the day are what make Halloween special and ultimately underrated.

With the frightening culture surrounding Halloween comes classic movies, events and history that have helped ingrain fear into people’s minds as soon as October hits. From the holiday’s origin (“All Souls Day”) to the present, Halloween has held

a lingering darkness around it. This darkness has sparked several amazing pop culture staples and events for everyone to enjoy. With classics such as “Halloween” and “The Ghostbusters,” people are reminded of the fun that comes with the holiday while also having nostalgic precedents to reference on a yearly basis. Along with the horror on the big screen, real life events such as “Halloween Horror Nights” have become a big contributor to the fear and fun that makes Halloween an amazing holiday. Without traditions, holidays would not be whole. Dating

with no regrets. Along with this abundance of sweets comes the millions of different costumes that everyone has the opportunity to wear. These costumes not only can be whatever you desire, but also give people a way to express themselves in multiple ways free of judgment. Outside of “Trick-or-Treat,” those who celebrate Halloween may also buy their own pumpkin(s), which has the fun-filled versatility to be carved, eaten or just left alone for a nice decoration. However, out of all of these traditions, haunted houses are the epitome of spooky season fun. Entering these houses give you and your friends a chill that will be remembered forever and allow for wild spikes of emotion that can’t be replicated. Although

Halloween is no doubt an underappreciated holiday, it is true that Christmas and Thanksgiving are bigger and better holidays. Around 95% of the United States celebrates Christmas, while around 65% of the United States celebrates Halloween. Also, Thanksgiving vacation and Christmas’ joy is just too much of a plus for Halloween to counter. However, just because Christmas and Thanksgiving are more widely celebrated holidays, it does not mean we have the right to dismiss Halloween as a whole. Halloween is so often overshadowed by the anticipation of other holidays, but celebrating all of them at once allows for all of us to have optimal enjoyment. With its deep history combined with iconic traditions, there is no reason for Halloween to be as underrated as it is.

“I think Halloween is underrated because not a lot of people love it as much as other holidays. I like hanging out with my friends and dressing up together. It’s fun. “

“[Halloween] is a holiday of much fun that you get to enjoy with your friends and eat a ton of candy. [The best part of Halloween] is dressing up and being whatever you want.”

EDITORS JULIA LUCK AND SAWYER DAVIS DUKE IT OUT FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE AISLE.

ZEKE PODGORSKI. 10

KATE KUPISZEWSKI. 12

Design by Meghan Goletz

It’s a Hall waste

THE GLORIFICATION OF HALLOWEEN IS MISPLACED

BY JULIA LUCK

Beforethe summer season is over, pumpkins, costumes and fall decorations are flooding the stores. Parents and kids start discussing different ideas for costumes and treats before discussing backpacks and books. The holiday of Halloween is overrated and barely even deserves the title of a holiday. The over commercialization, Halloween antics and the lack of a positive meaning all contribute to the glorification of this “holiday”.

Retail stores focus their floor and shelf space on Halloween costumes, decorations and candy as early as August or September. Halloween is only about making profit for stores while families are bombarded with advertisements and commercials. In 2021, there was a projected 3.3 billion dollars spent on Halloween costumes. People purchase costumes for themselves, their kids and their pets which ends up being very pricey. In addition to the costumes, people decorate their yards and houses with larger than life skeletons and horrifying mummies. In the U.S., people are spending an average of 100 dollars on Halloween items in 2022. The over commercialization is the main focus of Halloween for large and small retailers across the country.

Halloween is advertised as a family fun day but unfortunately this is far from the truth. Teenagers wait for the small children to go to bed to begin their evening tricks. From throwing eggs and toilet paper to more serious vandalism, there is an increase in crime and bad behavior. In 2019, 16.4% of families believe that they were victims of a petty crime during Halloween night. Some may think that throwing eggs at a house is a harmless prank, but the home owners who need to pressure clean the yolk off of their bricks the next morning may think otherwise. Instead of kids trick or treating

they are only tricking instead. Many holidays have themes such as love or giving back to the community. Halloween on the other hand, has neither of these themes and many don’t even know why they are celebrating the holiday. Over 2,000 years ago, the Celts believed that Oct. 31 was the end of the harvest and beginning of cold winter which brought the dead back to earth. The Celts wore costumes and built bonfires to welcome back the spirits. Over the years different cultures have morphed the traditions and customs celebrated on Oct. 31. Today the meaning has been lost in horror movies and the fun of trick or treating. Most don’t understand why they are celebrating Halloween and therefore, nothing positive is being taught or learned on this day.

Some may think that Halloween brings friends and families together on this one evening by dressing up in family costumes and walking the neighborhood asking for candy. Although this is true, the potential aftermath of these neighborhoods can be devastating once the teenagers complete their evil activities. In addition, Halloween puts a significant financial pressure on many families having to purchase a multitude of costumes and decorations. Children only learn how to compete with their friends to have the most popular and fanciest costume on the market instead of learning how Halloween came about. Over the years, Halloween has become a significant “holiday” with more money being spent each year and more kids getting in trouble. The true meaning of the “holiday” becomes a distant memory, therefore, Halloween is overrated.

“It’s overrated in my opinion probably because it gets a whole month to be celebrated and it’s only a day. It’s not like Christmas either, you don’t get presents. There is just too much hype surrounding it.”

“I think it’s overrated because people put a little too much hype into it and pressure on one night. It’s not really a holiday season, it’s one night.”

BRINKLEY SNOW. 11 PEYTON CRUMPLER. 12

HURTFUL

MISCONCEPTIONS

STAFF WRITER LEAH SONG SHARES HER OPINION ON ASIAN STEREOTYPES DEVALUING INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY

BY LEAH SONG

Raised in a Korean family in a multicultural environment, I always thought that I was just a normal girl with a normal background. But ever since I moved to Tallahassee, things have changed. I started feeling different about myself because I look different than most people. Although racism exists

Maclay does not have a racially diverse demographic; only 4.7% of the entire student body are Asian. As one of only a handful of Asian students at Maclay, I see and experience prejudice against Asian-Americans while the contributors do not even realize that it is an ongoing issue. However, racial stereotypes are rarely addressed since they are

that I look exactly like her. This grouping culture puts all Asians into a giant category that often belittles my individuality. Whenever people pay more attention to my ethnicity than my interests, abilities and accomplishments, I feel unacknowledged and ignored. Moreover, because physical appearance of an individual is generally the first thing that other people

another expectation, not being talented. This is another situation that makes me feel like just another Asian girl as people are taking away my distinctiveness.

MICROAGRESSIONS: indirect, subtle or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group.

Anti-Asian hate crime increased by 339% last year compared to the year before

MAP OF ASIA

I am proud of my Asian identity and thankful that I have had the chance to develop a unique perspective from which I look at the world. However, in a society where racial stereotypes are one of the biggest factors that determine my impression on people, I have struggled being true to myself. Sometimes, I choose to be something that does not belong to my identity just for the sake of fitting in. Stereotypes often make individuals feel denied or make them deny themselves. They also underestimate students and rarely speak the truth.

Due to the lack of diversity, it is harder for Maclay students, teachers and other staff members to get familiar with foreign cultures and learn to grow an open mindset, making them more reliant on racial stereotypes that society defines. The right to define who we are is given to us, not society. As one community, Maclay should put more effort into bridging the gap between people coming from different backgrounds by having more open conversations about stereotypes, encouraging people to share their own stories, making school an

The COVID-19 Pandemic has only furthered violence and hate against Asian Americans.

77%

Health Affairs.org

THE GIFT OF KN WLEDGE

MACLAY SHOULD IMPLEMENT A GIFTED PROGRAM

9 out of 10 teachers

In first grade, I was called to the guidance counselor’s office to talk about taking a test which, unknowingly to me, would change the trajectory of my education for the better. After passing the test, I was put in classes with like minded peers, exceptional teachers and recieved support from gifted specialists. The test, specific classes, gifted-certified teachers and gifted specialists are all aspects of the gifted program. Maclay doesn’t utilize the gifted program, and since I transferred to Maclay during tenth grade, I lost the resources and help from the program that are crucial to success that I was used to receiving.

The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) defines gifted students as students who have superior intellectual development and are capable of high performance. To get into the gifted program, a student must take the entrance exam and score two standard deviations above the mean or higher in order to meet the intellectual criterion for the gifted program. In conjunction with the psychologist’s testing, a checklist of gifted student behavioral

characteristics is completed by one or more teachers familiar with the student. Florida parents, school boards and community members within each school district partner to provide academic, social and emotional support for gifted students, typically by using gifted specialists. While the structure of the program varies between districts, gifted students are usually grouped together in their classes, given resources and support that are available from grades K-12 and provided with teachers who are certified to supply an appropriately challenging learning environment.

The characteristics of gifted children often include hyperactivity, coupled with lack of focus and boredom. Most gifted students feel misunderstood at school as their behavior and intellectual level doesn’t fit the “norm”, which is why gifted specialists are available to help with any issues a student is having. Considering the fact that Maclay has a small population, it can be even worse for a student to feel like they don’t fit in. In a gifted program, students find peers with similar intellectual pursuits and

may find it easier to socialize with those peers, therefore making them more comfortable socializing which can make it easier to make friends.

The stress from high school can lead to burnout and trouble finding the motivation to keep working. The support from gifted specialists can help with avoiding gifted kid burnout, defined by the Davidson Institute as chronic exhaustion that stems from a mismatch between the individual and their current educational environment. This type of burnout is unique to gifted kids because of their neurological make-up which can cause perfectionism, asynchronous development and hyperactivity that may fuel the intensity of the burnout. Since this burnout is common amongst gifted kids, having resources and support available is crucial for the success of the program and the individual.

Since Maclay is a college prep school, the workload is already rigorous with classes such as APs and Advanced Honors, so some may argue that the gifted program isn’t necessary. While

AP and Advanced Honors classes offer an advanced level of coursework, they are not the same as a gifted education program. The AP program is designed to provide college-level classes for high school students, whereas the gifted program is designed to help students whose entrance test shows they have a certain IQ. The best way to incorporate the gifted program into Maclay would be to let gifted kids take AP and Advanced Honors classes, but provide them the resources they require to help them through their high school years.

The resources that were provided to me through the gifted program shaped who I am today and how I perceive my education. Since Maclay highlights and takes pride in the advantage of going to Maclay and notes that every child learns differently, then integrating the gifted program into Maclay’s curriculum would increase the advantage and make sure that every child is given the resources they need to succeed in the classroom and life.

BY LEAH KIROS

want professional development in gifted programs.

There is money invested from the Federal Government to support gifted education.

Three million students with gifts and talents have been reported in the United States.

*information found from the National Association For Gifted Children

BY SARA MNOOKIN

Suicide has been a global concern for centuries. With suicide rates increasing year after year, everybody must be informed about the negative effects certain words have on people who feel suicidal or have experienced suicide. Language commonly used when speaking about suicide can come across as judgmental, even when not intended to be.

It has become normal in society for individuals to joke about suicide. Suicide is not and should never be a laughing matter. When someone fails their math test and says, “I am going to kill myself,” or mimics a gun to their head after hearing they cannot hang out with their friends, it can be seen as a joke to many, but in reality, it is not a joking matter. Some may think, “I’m with my friends, why should it matter?”

According to The Jason Foundation, suicide is the second leading cause of death between the ages of 12-18.

BEFORE YOU

Additionally, around 3,703 suicide attempts are being made each day, by high schoolers. It is important, now more than ever, that we acknowledge this matter before more concerns arise. No matter the company, joking about suicide can always leave a negative impact on any individual. By simply not making a joke, it makes it a little bit easier for anyone struggling to feel safe when being out of the house.

Suicide is a very sensitive topic, and many people may not be comfortable talking about it. If someone has passed away, giving condolences and support can significantly impact an individual’s life. Knowing the right thing to say is crucial when dealing with such a serious matter. The once widely accepted phrase, ‘committed suicide’, can be seen as ignorant, or out-ofdate. Society often connects the word, ‘commit’ with a crime, like ‘committing murder’, but when someone makes the act of suicide, it should not imply that they are committing a crime.

Instead, by taking a few moments to think and reword the once-popular phrase, the immense amount of pain someone might be in could be reduced. Alternative terminology that people can use instead of ‘committed,’ can be ‘died by’, ‘completed’ or ‘lost their battle to’ when referring to suicide. By working around the phrase, it can eliminate assumptions or judgments that were associated with it and causes a more supportive environment for all to live by.

It was expressed by the American Psychological Association that one in five teenagers consider suicide. Out of those teens, four out of five show clear warning signs that signal help. Being educated about the signs of suicide can prepare the public and help ensure that suicide victims do not go unnoticed. Possible suicide signs are portrayed as isolation, being a burden towards others, heightening emotions, behaving carelessly and a decline in

academics. There are numerous ways to help those who are struggling. One main effort we can do to help is by putting trust in our instincts and reaching out to those we believe need help. Suicide is a serious issue. The quicker an action is done; the quicker people can get the help they need.

The foolishness needs to stop. It’s time that we step up and do our part in helping our loved ones. Whether you’re going out of your way to compliment a stranger, or checking up on your friend, showing that you care impacts others in more ways than one. We need to take note of people’s feelings and recognize the influence words have on us before another victim takes their life.

PEOPLE NEED TO BE MORE AWARE OF THE LANGUAGE THEY USE AROUND SUICIDE

During the first year of COVID-19, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%

AVOIDING THE RAINY DAYS

September was just Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the subject of mental health is still prevalent in Maclay conversations.

Suicide, as stated by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a public health issue and the secondleading cause of death among people age 15 to 24 in the United States, the same age group as the majority of Maclay students.

A big component of what leads people to commit suicide is the stigma around getting help. The stigma of mental health, defined by Medical News Today as societal disapproval, or when society places shame on people who live with a mental illness or seek help for it, is extremely harmful to people’s well being and should be broken to stop preventing people from getting help.

While there are many other causes that increase the risk of suicide, there’s one particular factor that is surprising: the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the biggest impacts of COVID-19 is the impact on mental health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%.

RAINY

BY LEAH KIROS

AsThe decline in mental health was widely due to isolation and lack of mental health services, including suicide prevention. While this situation has improved, many people are now reluctant to get the help they need since it’s not easily accessible.

In order to combat the stigma towards mental health and provide easy access as an outlet for Maclay students to feel comfortable getting help, counselor Tammy Eubanks implemented Wellness Tuesday and Thursday during homeroom.

On Wellness Tuesday and Thursday, either Mrs. Eubanks or volunteer student leaders lead conversations on mental health. Moreover, weekly surveys are sent out so that Maclay can get a better gauge of how students are feeling; this is important to bring light to hard topics in a safe environment and combat the effects of outside causes that affect mental health.

“I just think it’s really important for everyone but particularly teenagers to learn that it [mental health] is not a stigma and the more we talk about it, the more we [Maclay] offer information and even ways to handle it,” Eubanks said. “I think the idea of having a survey after Tuesday/Thursday homerooms is a tremendous way to not only gather information but encourage everyone to be honest about how

they are feeling.”

Talking about mental health with one’s peers helps to show that it’s okay to tell someone how they feel and create a safe space where talking about feelings is normalized. In fact, acknowledging and talking about suicide may reduce, rather than increase suicidal thoughts, and may lead to improvements in mental health in people seeking treatment.

However, since there’s a stigma towards talking about mental health, some people don’t take Wellness Tuesday and Thursday seriously. They may argue that there is no need to talk about

opportunity to do the same and act like it doesn’t matter, because they’re modeling that.”

Although Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is over, this is a still a crucial reminder for people to be conscious of how they react to the topic of mental health for the sake of others and themselves. It also serves to encourage people to reach out for help, so if there is oneself or anyone who someone notices needs help, there are resources available on campus; all of which include: reaching out to a trusted adult or friend, the Student Referral Form and/or going straight to Eubanks, who can be found in her office located in the Cartee gym.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPEAKING UP ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND HOW WELLNESS TUESDAY AND THURSDAY HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO HELP

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people age 15 to 24

An estimated 703, 000 people a year take their life.

*all information found from the CDC, World Health Organization and Medical News Today

PURPOSEFUL PARTICIPATION

With the high levels of stress and pressure that come from being a high school student, most people look forward to escaping it by playing sports, participating in clubs or hanging out with friends. While Maclay has the potential to provide students with these stress-relieving activities, most are unable to be successfully executed as the participation levels are suffering around campus. In addition, students being uninvolved with the school leads to division within school spirit and the sense of community that Maclay is typically known for. After a student graduates, one thing that faculty, administration and other students want them to take away, in addition to education, are the core memories and fun they had. One way Maclay intends to increase the levels of entertainment on campus is through pep rallies. Maclay Student Ambassadors (MSA) sketch out ideas for fun and interactive pep rallies for the whole school to enjoy. With games involving different grade levels and challenges to win various prizes, the overall goal is for the students to have time to let loose and enjoy themselves. While this is the goal, if one gazes into the audience, what is typically seen are cliques of students sitting quietly on their phones and not engaged in the activity that is happening. This action defeats the purpose of such events and creates a painfully awkward experience. With an increase in student participation, situations such as these will be weeded out, and everyone will embody the same energy, feeling the intended effects of this positive event.

“I think it is important to get involved in your school to help support school spirit,” CoSchool Spirit Committee Head Will O’Connor said. “[Everyone should] have fun while doing it.”

Not only would the entertainment factor of school increase from more participation, but

Maclay would be able to create clubs to combine interest groups around campus. According to Neumann University, joining these clubs expands a person’s social circle and allows them to pursue their interests. The creation of a variety of clubs and activities would establish a more inclusive environment at Maclay. Still, without the participation of students, these clubs will be unable to function and gain members, making them unable to happen.

“Unfortunately at our first event, some teams did not show up,” Intramural Sports Coordinator Ryan Kline said. “The planning that we put into it for making the brackets did not necessarily work out, but it still gave 30plus kids something to do during FLEX. Maclay is providing the opportunities for involvement, it is now up to the students to take part.”

In addition to these clubs and events, increasing participation around campus would create a strong sense of family and community. When people come together, unforgettable bonds and memories are made. If the school lacks this participation, students can not receive the entire high school experience. According to the Trauma Learning Policy Initiative, “Academic outcomes, social and emotional competencies and critical thinking skills are all enhanced when students have access to school environments where they feel safe and enjoy a sense of belonging and connectedness.” Schools’ umbrella of comfort will be impossible without the participation and support of other students and faculty.

While most think going all out and participating is embarrassing or a waste of time, this is all the more reason to. Displaying this positive energy will rub off on the community, increasing participation immensely as a school. Replicating this at Maclay will lead to a positive experience for all students going through high school and the memories they wish to cherish.

Design By Kate Bulloch

Design By Kate Bulloch

FEATURE 21

FEATURE 21

GREETINGSFROM OUR MARAUDERS

ISABELLA FEIJOO JOSH RYLAND DE KLOET

ORIGINALLY FROM: New York

FAVORITE PART : “My favorite part about living in New York was how everyday was different and exciting. There was always something new to do or see.”

KAREEM DAWOUD

“ “ “

ORIGINALLY FROM: Egypt

FAVORITE PART : “The history was cool there and [I got to be with] all my family.”

GUIDING THROUGH GLOBAL EXPERIENCE

As the new school year rolls around, many new faces are introduced onto Maclay’s campus. Whether that is a new student, who has just begun high school, or a teacher, who is ready to enlighten those around them, Maclay School encounters new, friendly faces each year. This year is no different, and with new faces, brings new chances to meet those who may offer a different perspective on the world around them. Ismael Milligan, Maclay’s new upper school art teacher, guides his lectures in a unique way by incorporating his own experiences of traveling abroad into the classroom.

Read staff writer Sara Mnookin’s feature article on Mr. Milligan on maclayandalusian.com

ELIZABETH DOWDY

ORIGINALLY FROM: The Netherlands

FAVORITE PART: “It was pretty cold there and you could bike everywhere, so you did not have to ask your parents to drive you somewhere.”

FAVORITE PART : “My favorite part about living there was that I could play with the snow during the winter and go sledding. It was also nice to be able to see my Mother’s side of the family who lived there. ”

MARAUDER PINPOINTS

BREAKING THE SILENCE

THE BULLYING

BY Merrell Webster

Humiliation, self-doubt, fear. That paralyzing fear as you wake up in the morning preparing for the day ahead knowing you will come face to face with your worst fear. It’s like being terrified of the dark and having to carry yourself through the day without a single shred of light. That’s what it is like going to school everyday knowing you have to face your bully. The constant reminder of that humiliation, self-doubt and fear wondering: what will I have to face today?

Bullying is nothing new. In fact, peer-on-peer bullying dates back decades, but recently, the bullying epidemic has become more prevalent than ever with reports showing school bullying rates have increased by 35% just from 2016 to 2019. Furthermore, a 2019 survey collected by the National Center for Educational Statistics states that one in five students reported being bullied. To put that in perspective, if the statistic holds true, on the Maclay campus with 416 students, that would mean around 81 have been bullied at some point in their academic careers. Bullying may seem like an abstract idea to most, but it is a very real issue that students, this campus included, have faced.

“It’s [bullying] kinda a blanket term that I feel like covers a lot more than we think it does,” senior Jackson Kottkamp said. “It’s a little more of a complicated issue than we typically make it out to be so I think it requires a little more thought

and a little more engagement from students to be able to understand.”

According to StopBullying.Gov, bullying is defined as unwanted aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. For something to be defined as bullying, it must be consistent, targeted and ongoing over periods of time. In schools, bullying can appear as consistent teasing, intentionally isolating, mocking or even targeting based on a person’s religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or even appearance.

“I have been bullied for the way I look since elementary school. Physical appearance is not something you choose, and I was born with a birth defect that changes the way I look, and I guess it’s abnormal to people so they use it against me,” Maclay Student A said. “For a child that was seven, eight years old, to hear something about the way you look and have all these kids at school telling you that you are ugly, you are just like what the heck. At eight years old, you don’t know better, and you wonder why do I look so different from everyone else and why are people bullying me for the way I look when it’s not my fault.

Bullying, by definition, is consistent torment for the victims. Usually this torment results in serious repercussions for the way the student functions and lives their everyday life.

“I just remember texting my mom and being like mom I can’t

come back here, I have to leave school, you can’t make me come back to school,” Maclay Student A said. “She said no, it’s going to be

between the ages of 12 and 17 in the United States, approximately 37% reported being cyberbullied at some point during their life. It is hard to understand the seriousness of the issue by just looking at the numbers, but each one of these numbers represent a real person’s experience.

the same anywhere you go, you are not going to get away from it.”

While this story is unfortunately one of many across school campuses, bullying today now extends far beyond the schoolhouse gates.

With children’s growing social media presence and increased interaction via devices, cyberbullying has become one of the main types of bullying that students face. Cyberbullying occurs in any digital platform where people can view, participate in or share content that often includes sending, posting or sharing negative, harmful, private or even false content about another person with the intention of causing embarrassment or humiliation.

According to a 2019 survey of 4,972 middle and high school students

“I experienced cyberbullying and in person bullying,” Maclay Student B said. “They would text me by hurting me with my past experience of people I used to like and make fun of me for it and even judge me for it. They would take pictures of me, cover my face, post them to places and would laugh at me and stare at me. This basically went on for the entire school year and I received death threats as well. I was too afraid to come back to school because I was afraid that they would bully me or judge me or laugh at me for the things that had happened.”

This not only affected Student B’s presence at school, the bullying also affected their future interactions with others and reluctance to form new friendships.

“I would definitely say my trust in people is so much harder,” Maclay Student B said. “I haven’t trusted a lot of new people. My friends who I had last year, those are the ones I trust, and I really haven’t opened myself up to anyone else”

Aside from repercussions expressed by both Maclay students, reports show that kids who are bullied often experience negative social, physical, emotional,

academic They depression, thoughts, eating and achievement skipping number in extremely an the the a history these and bullying still with like Douglas “I someone’s essence who that is wrong view that work to other Ward or something, may didn’t affects it can being worry start as good When bullying

I hope you are ok, and I hope that whatever is going on with you gets resolved and I hope you don’t hurt anyone else

SILENCE:

in approximately cyberbullied

It is seriousness the these person’s cyberbullying Maclay text past like even take post laugh at basically year well. to that or had B’s also interactions form trust Maclay trusted a who ones I opened repercussions students, are negative emotional,

academic and mental health issues. They are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, changes in sleep and eating patterns, health complaints and overall decreased academic achievement due to missing or skipping school. Also, a very small number of children bullied retaliate in extremely violent measures with an alarming statistic that out of the 15 school shooting cases in the 1900s, 12 of the shooters had a history of being bullied. While these are extreme circumstances, and numbers not representative of bullying on Maclay’s campus, it is still a disturbing reality especially with more recent occurrences like the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting.

“I think bullying affects someone’s mental health because in essence you are told by the people who perceive you everyday and that are around you, that something is wrong with you and you start to view yourself as less than or maybe that there is something you should work on, which makes you inferior to other people,” senior Heaven Ward said. “Even if it’s maybe a joke or something, subconsciously you may start to notice that thing you didn’t think about before. I think it affects your mental health because it can make you feel anxious about being out in public, you start to worry about how you look and you start to feel like maybe you are not as good in other people’s eyes.”

The Andalusian uses anonymous sources in this article quoted as Maclay student A and Maclay student B. Given the delicate nature of their stories, we decided to grant anonymity to protect the students from further bullying and/or ridicule. Information disclosed is from the perspective of the sources’ experience

Experiences shared are not targeting specific students or groups of students on this campus. Any other individuals quoted with names in this article are not related to the anonymous bullying reports.

it, Maclay Student A and B are not alone. On a regular school day, school counselor Tammy Eubanks stated that she sees about five to 10 students. She typically sees one student a period, or even groups of students that come in to have their voice heard about issues they are experiencing. Just because students don’t physically see or acknowledge bullying happening around them, doesn’t mean that it’s any less of an issue.

“I have had students that have come to Maclay, they are brand new, just started upper school, and it’s a very difficult transition for them,” Eubanks said. “Coming to a new school and making new friendships to find your place is stressful enough and some of those students have had things said to them that were hurtful, harmful and actually resulted in them not wanting to come to school.”

Despite these stories and frequent references to bullying prevention, it has become a common occurance to hear students say “It doesn’t happen here.” When asked what Maclay student B would say to these students, they stated:

“You are wrong because it takes a lot to bring it up and a lot of people are going through bullying and they don’t want to report it,” Maclay Student B said. “It took a while for me to report it because I was hoping it would go away but it didn’t.”

The reason bullying often continues is because it often doesn’t get reported. Students don’t

report out of the fear of ridicule and isolation from their peers or because they don’t feel confident anything will change. Oftentimes, their solution is to fully drop the situation and suffer in silence.

“I think the most important thing, which is really the hardest thing, is to report it,” Eubanks said. “When it comes to the point where something official has to be done, the student invariably backs off.”

Reporting a bullying situation that has mentally drained and physically damaged the well-being of victims is challenging. In terms of reporting a situation, many students struggle to see the whole situation through as it is a lengthy process to report, prove and then follow through with the entire process ultimately putting yourself and experience out there. Because of these difficulties, victims don’t report it and they can often feel like their voice is not important.

“I never really felt like I got my word in because I never fought back when they texted me and stuff,” Maclay Student B said. “I feel like I never got to tell them how it completely destroyed me inside.”

Although reporting a bullying situation is difficult, it’s important for students to break the silence and confide in adults that they can trust.

“If someone is being bullied, I would say that you need to talk to Mrs. Eubanks because she really helped throughout the whole situation,” Maclay Student B said. “If you needed to, talk to Mr.

Beamer and they could both get your voice heard.”

More than reporting though, it is the responsibility of others to break the silence when they see bullying occur and not participate in bullying themselves. Unfortunately for stories like Maclay Student A and B’s to exist, that means that bullies do walk within the halls of campuses and hide behind screens nationwide. In order for bullying to end, these students need to also realize the consequences of their actions and make a change.

Both Student’s A and B were asked, if given the chance, what would they say to the person or group that bullied them and they responded:

“I would let them know that they destroyed my mental health for a really long time,” Maclay Student B said. My trust is forever not going to be the same, it’s forever affected, and they should know that. I will never be the same.”

While Student B really wanted to speak on how they were affected, Student A had a different response, looking to enact change in future behavior.

“I genuinely hope you are ok,” Maclay Student A said. “To bully someone, you must have something going on because you are either taking your anger that’s going on with you, or your hurt or your pain, and reflecting in on everyone else around you. I hope you are ok, and I hope that whatever is going on with you gets resolved and I hope you don’t hurt anyone else.”

When it comes to experiencing bullying and the fear that surrounds

ALL FOR THE DREAM DREAM

DESPITE THE ADVERSITIES EXPERIENCED IN HARLEM, SENIOR JAMAL BROWN BECOMES A MACLAY MARAUDER TO PURSUE HIS PASSION FOR BASKETBALL.

BY RJ HOSAY

Overthe past couple of years, Maclay has continued to expand their student body and most recently, senior Jamal Brown has joined the Marauder family.

Brown lived in New York for 16 years, but more importantly he lived in Harlem for 10 years. While attending Harlem’s Children’s Zone Promise Academy II, Brown faced adversities that ultimately stood in the way of his dream to become a professional athlete in basketball.

“Over the pandemic, violence started surrounding my school,” Brown said. “It flooded into my school and I didn’t really want to be a part of that or be associated with people that are a part of it. So I moved here.”

According to Brown, fights would happen almost every day, whether it’s in school or out of school.

Experiencing this violence first hand in the third grade, Brown learned his lesson and realized that fighting won’t help him pursue his

ongoing dream. In addition to violence, Brown also experienced bullying and even witnessed illegal activity while in school.

“I walked inside the bathroom as a drug deal was happening,” Brown said. “I never really told anybody about it. When I saw that, it made me not only disappointed in the school, but it made me disappointed in some of those people.”

After the multiple traumatic experiences that Brown faced, he didn’t want to be in this toxic and challenging environment anymore. Struggling to find desire and encouragement in Harlem, Brown’s grandmother and father have been his biggest support system to keep him motivated and focused on his dream as much as possible. To this day, they support Brown by guiding him through life and helping him succeed in any way possible. When in Tallahassee, he and his dad enjoy working basketball games and workouts into their schedules.

“I feel like I was not motivated when I was in New York,” Brown said. “I wasn’t motivated because I didn’t like my environment and I didn’t like my chances of succeeding. There were a lot of times where I wanted to give up on doing things where I didn’t really have hope. My grandmother and my dad told me to keep my head up and like it’s going to come sooner than later. The man above is going to bless you and you’re gonna wind up getting to a school and playing basketball and football.”

With the ongoing support of his grandmother and father, Brown moved away from them to live with his Aunt who resides in Tallahassee. Brown did this in order to surround himself with a better environment with less violence, bullying and illegal actions. He has spent the past year in Tallahassee taking online classes trying to find a school that suits him and his basketball dream. While looking for high schools to attend, Florida High was one of Brown’s main options due to family connections from his Aunt. However, Brown ultimately decided to attend Maclay because of its calm, peaceful environment and its opportunities on and off campus.

“It’s better than virtual school because it’s easier to keep up with work,” Brown said. “You can

actually do the work by yourself and doing it on the computer is a lot more difficult and a lot more stuff to deal with. I haven’t really done it [in person good to actually school and meet and connect with people and actually have friends.”

In a more positive environment, Brown is making the most of his opportunity to pursue his by playing practicing basketball for the upcoming winter season. When on the field or court, Brown looks up to one specific player: Allen Iverson.

“He was a kid who came from an area with a lot of problems and went to jail, but somebody from Georgetown offered him an opportunity to play for them,” Brown said. “Then he went to the NBA and won MVP. So it’s kinda like no matter how much you’re struggling in the past you can always make up for it in the future as long as you do the right thing. That’s why he is my favorite because of his story and background.”

As a new student, it can be hard to transition to a new school, especially later in the year like Brown did. Being in a new setting, he hasn’t let his past experience affect his future. In fact, Brown has been using it as motivation and taking advantage of Maclay’s resources. He uses periods like FLEX to train, meet with teachers, coaches or make new connections with other students at Maclay.

“I’m looking to play sports in college,” Brown said. “That doesn’t mean my focus is gonna be taken off my academic side. I’m always gonna focus on that before sports because in order to play sports I gotta get my work done.”

Brown does not regret his decision of moving to Tallahassee or choosing Maclay as his high school for his senior year. He looks forward to the upcoming basketball season, and is grateful to be in an improved environment optimal to his success as a future basketball athlete. He plans to spend the rest of the year using all his resources to the best of his abilities and making the best of what he has to follow his dream of becoming a professional basketball player.

“I’m looking forward to not only helping myself but also helping my teammates,” Brown said. “I’m looking forward to working with people like [senior] Colin [McCallister] and [senior] Blaise [Wallace] and them. I’m looking forward to working with them because they have that mentality. They care about basketball.”

Bulloch

BY MERRELL WEBSTER

We never really appreciate the little things in life until we realize we can’t have them.

As a loud ring surrounds the school hallway, every kid knows what’s about to happen next, recess. They jump out of their seats and shove each other through the door to see who is going to get to the monkey bars first. Pure joy overcomes each kindergartener as they have the time of their lives playing with all their friends.

While seeming like a small part of a kindergarten experience, it had a multitude of significance to senior Paloma Rambana when she was unable to participate in the small act of playing on the playground with her friends. In and out of different hospitals, Rambana had a sudden seizure that changed the rest of her life.

Born with a 200,000 rare vision condition called Peter’s Anomaly, which affected the corneas, Rambana’s eye site was instantly clouded, causing her to be legally blind. What the average person can see from 100 to 200 feet away, she must stand at 20 feet to see the same thing.

“One of the last surgeries that I had was around kindergarten, and I wasn’t allowed to play on the playground,” Rambana said. “I remember that settling in for me that I was not like other students, and I really was not in the same boat.”

Having nine surgeries before the age of five, Rambana’s childhood was ultimately cut short when she started lobbying the Florida Legislature at age nine. In Florida, kids from the age of 0-5 and 14-20 receive funds from the government to cover tools and necessities they need. However, from the age of 6-13, those kids are unable to receive funds from the government and are left to navigate school without the vital supplies they require.

“When you are 6 to 13, it’s your first year of elementary school to your last year of middle school, and that’s a really crucial time for any student, let alone someone with a disability and for me, it caused me to be left behind by a lot of different programs,” Rambana said. “One of my major magnifiers broke during my first year of elementary school and it was about 5,000 dollars to fix. My parents could not afford that at the time and the lighthouse, which is the organization that helps make all these things possible for students, helped raise enough money for me to get a new one. Because of that, I really skyrocketed into realizing the importance of these schools for people and how much they are important to me.”

Knowing about this gap, Rambana decided to do something about it. At the young age of 10, she started a campaign called “Fund the Gap” and asked the Florida Legislature to fund the Division of Blind Services (DBS) to acquire kids with the resources they needed to succeed. Rambana also led rallies to raise awareness, and in the end raised 1,250,00 dollars to fund the gap as well as 50,000 dollars reoccurring in the budget.

“I became super confident after the first day, but after a while I started to realize this is like a well-oiled machine and there’s a lot of things that go into it and I’m just one person that’s a part of it,” Rambana said. “I think being able to work with elder lobbyists certainly gave me like the right insight to be able to properly attack it and tell my story the right way.”

Preceding her work with the State Legislature, Rambana published a memoir with the help of her friend Hilary Ring at age 13. Available on Amazon and through E-book, “Paloma’s Dream: The True Story of One Girl’s Mission to Help Kids, Inspire Activism and Survive Middle School,” is a 16-chapter book that goes in depth about surviving the dynamics of Middle school.

“It was great to be able to tell my story because that was always something I wanted to do,” Rambana said. ‘’I had never seen representation like this growing up. I hadn’t seen any blind characters or people of color that were disabled that were succeeding and they always seem to be villainized or infantilized in the media, so this was super important to me to show that there was a positive narrative that can be had.”

Throughout the process of writing her memoir, Rambana stated that a challenge of hers was figuring out who to include.

“I was kind of having this internal struggle of who to include because so many people are important to me,” Rambana said.

When asked what she wanted readers to get out of her book, Rambana explains that she wants everyone to realize that people can accomplish anything they put their mind to when they have love within themselves. She states that she would not be where she is today without the love she has for herself and other people.

“When I started to accept my disability as something that was part of me versus a part of other people having to accommodate for, I really became grateful to be alive,” Rambana said. “I have a story and I’m going to share it and I’m gonna make people feel like their stories are just as important to share as well.”

Continuing her passion, Rambana plans to write a second novel and to further her endeavors with the visually impaired by spreading awareness throughout the art community. She is currently interning with former Maclay teacher Sarah Painter and is working on her Girl Scout Gold Award to achieve accessibility to pre-existing public art in Tallahassee. Rambana wants to give artists their autonomy to talk about their work to people who can’t see it.

“What I love most about Paloma is that she never gives up,” senior Lauren Price said. “She has tackled every obstacle that has been thrown at and continues to carry herself with grace. She reminds me, especially with my own health issues, that you can’t let bumps in the road knock you down.”

What most people spend their whole lives working towards, Paloma Rambana has successfully achieved at age 16.

MAKING A

DREAMS REALITY

RAMBANA’S MEMOIR “PALOMA’S DREAM: THE TRUE STORY OF ONE GIRL’S MISSION TO HELP KIDS, INSPIRE ACTIVISM AND SURVIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL”

AN IN DEPTH LOOK INTO THE PERSONAL LIFE OF SENIOR PALOMA RAMBANA AND HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT A YOUNG AGE.

MORE THAN F UR

SENIOR LAUREN PRICE SHARES HER EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDHOOD CANCER

BY KATE BULLOCH

or most eight-year-olds, the biggest concern that comes to mind on a daily basis is how well they will play in their soccer match or what snack they will devour when they arrive home from school. Up until the third grade, senior Lauren Price could attest to these same norms, until her life was forever changed.

After falling to the ground in her own front yard while playing a game of soccer, Price felt a sharp pain immediately shoot up her right leg. Due to her young age of eight years old, her parents found out that what they thought was a growing pain was osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that hospitalized Price, preventing her from starting the third grade. Fighting for her life with the scarce amount of only four percent of cancer funds being allocated for pediatric cancer, Price went through her difficult journey withstanding determination and positivity.

“[Finding out I was diagnosed] was very shocking,”

Price said. “It did not really hit me until years after that this was so huge at such a young age. Learning how to walk all over again and getting around was crazy but I had a really

great support system.”

Price had to quickly become accustomed to her new environment at Shands Hospital located in Gainesville, Florida. Learning to deal with this adversity took both strength and courage in order to undergo all her treatments, surgeries and navigate this new life she was suddenly living. While her family was unable to stop the life around them, Price found them to be one of the largest safety nets as they showed their continuous support from home in Tallahassee.

“My family was really good about

goodbyes.

“I was very athletic and I loved to play sports,” Price said. “I had to stop running because they were worried about my leg, so that was when I started getting limited more and more. I couldn’t go out and had to wear masks everywhere because of my immune system, so it came on slowly and I then realized that this is actually happening. Once I started having surgeries it became real.”

Experiencing this drastically lifechanging time at such a young age is something most people could never understand. One of Price’s largest motivations throughout this journey was her friend Grayson, a one-year-old boy who was being treated at Shands Hospital at the same time she was.

being supportive and doing the best they could to make me comfortable,” Price said. “My sister spent a lot of time in the hospital with me whenever she could and on my surgery days, my whole family and my grandmas would come and see me. It took a big toll on our family, but it brought us closer together and allowed us to see how we could depend on each other.”

While her family remained a constant in her life throughout this journey in fighting osteosarcoma, leaving behind some of her athletic abilities was one of the hardest

“We just had this connection because we were both going through something,” Price said. “I remember the first day I met him I told my mom that if I could trade places with him I would because I had gotten so much more experiences out of life and I didn’t want him to sacrifice that.”

Wanting to take this pain away from Grayson and all other sick children impacted her drive and desire to give back to the community that supported and uplifted her throughout her journey.

“I am so passionate about giving back,” Price said. “I knew immediately that I wanted to help and did not want anyone else to have to go through this. My mom knew I was so passionate about making a change so knew I would be interested in this [being involved in the FSU and UF Dance

EACH YEAR, 400,000 kids ARE DIAGNOSED WITH PEDIATRIC CANCER

OF CANCER FUNDS ALLOCATED FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER: 4%

I am so passionate about giving back. I knew immediately that I wanted to help and did not want anyone else to have to go through this.

“

*Information is found from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer and the American Childhood Cancer Organization

Marathon.”

While one of Price’s largest motivations was her environment and her passion to give back, another motivation was to live every day to the fullest for those who may not be able to. Marshall Fisher, a former Leon High School student, was fighting Osteosarcoma at the same time Price was. They spent time bonding and supporting each other in the hospital, and now Price hits milestones for both of them in honor and memory of her friend.

“Marshall has had the biggest impact on me and still has the biggest impact on me,” Price said. “I am now 17 and about to graduate and he never got to, so being able to see that life isn’t promised [is something I must remember every day]. It gets really hard sometimes because [I wonder] ‘why him and not me’, but I know there is a reason I work towards [making a difference] so more kids can turn 18 and graduate.”

This great impact left on Price is her encouragement to live every day to the fullest and to support and improve the lives of those around her.

“[I would tell someone going through what I went through that] everything will turn out ok,” Price said. “You will realize that it taught you a lot of stuff about life. It is really hard going through it, one of the worst things that can happen to you, especially at such a young age, but it teaches you so much about the world and how you should view it and every day.

SCAN THE QR CODE TO JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST PEDIATRIC CANCER GOLD

REPRESENTS THE RESILIENCY AND STRENGTH OF CHILDHOOD CANCER PATIENTS

It is a positive thing you gain from that [experience], that you can make so much more of your life.”

While Price continuously encourages others to act on life in this positive manner, she herself also radiates these same values within her community and family.

“Lauren never lets anything stop her and never lets anything hold her back,” senior Chari Beamer said. “As a person, Lauren is so kind and the sweetest person ever.”

In addition to Price’s peers, everyone around her within the Maclay community can see the great level of adversity she has faced. Rather than letting this negative experience define her, she has used this to make a difference and improve the lives of others.

“This kid has gusto and this kid is determined,” college counselor Daron Gallina said. “Maybe this was a part of her childhood and she still has to deal with it, but I think her strength and everything she has learned from it has put her in a position [where she can] use this to fight for other kids and other people that are going through what she went through.”

Price has spent the past ten years defying these odds and will continue to fight each day for “more than four”. Her story is the inspiration and light for kids just like her to live every day for a better tomorrow and a brighter future.

LAUREN HAS BEEN FIGHTING SINCE 2013

AND CONTINUES TO EVERYDAY

HOLDING EACH OTHER TIGHT Price and Grayson lay together in the Shands Hospital room while being treated in Gainesville. The two of them spent countless hours together, bonding and relying on one another for support. They still have this inseparable relationship to this day.

LIVE LIKE LAUREN. Price stands on stage, amazed at the $29,501 raised at the 2020 Florida State University Dance Marathon. As a miracle child ambassador, Price is in awe of this large number being donated to a cause so special and meaningful to her.

FAMILY SUPPORT. Price smiles for the camera while in the waiting room at Shands Hospital with the support of her father. They enjoy each other’s company to pass the time. Price shares how supportive and reliable her family was throughout her entire journey battling Osteosarcoma.

ORDER IN THE TEEN COURT

MACLAY STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN LEON COUNTY’S TEEN COURT

BY MEGHAN GOLETZ

Every Tuesday night starting at 5:30 pm, students of all ages fill the Leon County courtroom, eager to learn. For students looking to pursue a career in law, Teen Court gives them the opportunity to practice participating in a courtroom with real life scenarios. Teen Court is a real sentencing hearing for first time misdemeanor and felony juvenile offenders. To join as a Member of Teen Court, all a student has to do is fill out, complete and bring the Volunteer packet to their first night attending. Teen Court strives to maintain a professional atmosphere, therefore, when attending the courtroom, members must dress in business attire.

“The most challenging part for me is when I portray the teen attorney,” senior and second year member Grace Reichelderfer said. “After reviewing the case, the teen attorney gets a time slot of only 45 minutes to prepare their statement which can be very challenging to complete in that time frame.”

Everyone involved in the courtroom proceeding is a teenager except the judge, who is a bar-certified attorney or an actual judge. When first starting Teen Court, members are first initiated as observers in the courtroom. Once an observer attends Teen Court for a certain period of time, they then receive the opportunity to serve on the jury like Reichelderfer. Once a member of Teen Court is selected to be on a jury, they must maintain proper

courtroom decorum since they are now the most important people in the Teen Court process.

“I like Teen Court because it offers the members of the jury the opportunity to see juveniles turn their life around and do community service to help them stay out of trouble,” senior and first year Teen Court member Sara Grace Dodson said. “I want to be a corporate or criminal lawyer when I get older, and the way that we conduct Teen Court is the same way that you would conduct a real trial in a courtroom. It shows me what my future will be like.”

Teen Court is a program designed for teens who have committed real crimes, such as underaged drinking, assaults or even threats. By entering the Teen Courtroom, the defendant has already pleaded guilty, leaving it the

responsibility of the jury to decide their punishment. The jury is required to decide how many mandatory community service hours and nights of Jury Duty the defendant must serve within the given range based upon the crime that was committed. Aside from the required punishments, the jury can also impose additional sanctions that would benefit the defendant, such as: letters of apology, essays, or educational classes. By going to Teen Court, a defendant’s punishment is not directed through the judicial system, therefore the punishment will not go on the defendant’s record if they complete the sentence issued by the jury. Teen Court provides the defendant with a second chance in society and the opportunity to learn and

understand from their mistakes.

“When I first started doing Teen Court, it was during Covid, so our meetings were on Zoom,” Reichelderfer said. “This process of beginning online helped me feel more comfortable compared to others who start in the courtroom right away. I didn’t have to worry about dressing up and I was also able to read off of my script. In the real courtroom, you have to look at the jury members and memorize your script while being up on the stand.”

Even though Covid affected the way Teen Court was presented, it didn’t stop students from staying involved in the courtroom. By slowly working her way into the courtroom and practicing over Zoom, Riechelderfer’s confidence was boosted once she entered the real courtroom.

“I think this is a great exercise and opportunity for students to follow their passion,” history teacher Stephanie Amidon said. “It is a neat way for students to get hands-on experience by putting textbook concepts into real life. This is also a great way for everybody to understand the fundamentals of how our legal process works.”

Teen Court offers high school students in Leon County the opportunity to stay active in our community while learning more about politics. Teen Court is not only beneficial for the defendants in the courtroom, but also for the active student members on the jury.

Of those juveniles who are offered a non-judicial diversion program, the State Attorney has referred

Teen Court has over youth attending to serve as Jurors, Attorneys, Bailiffs, Clerks and Videographers 45% 35 to Teen Court.

*information is found from Leon County Teen Court.Gov

A & E A

NEW AND UPCOMING RELEASES

AMSTERDAM

DATE RELEASED: October 7, 2022

SUMMARY: The story is based on the Business Plot, a 1933 political conspiracy in the US, and follows three friends—a doctor, a nurse and a lawyer—who are caught in the mysterious murder of a retired US General. The three friends who witness a murder, become suspects themselves, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.

TAYLOR SWIFT: MIDNIGHT

DATE RELEASED: October 21, 2022

SUMMARY: After a long summer of various rumors that Taylor Swift would announce another re-recording, the singer surprised fans everywhere at the 2022 VMAs during her acceptance speech for Video of the Year with the announcement of her new album: “Midnight.” The tracklist contains 13 tracks that Swift described as “the stories of 13 sleepless nights” that have occured throughout her life.

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

RELEASE DATE: November 11, 2022

SUMMARY: Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.

STAFF

SUGGESTIONS

HALLOWEEN MOVIES

Staff Members share their top 3 Halloween movies of the season

EFREM’S TOP 3

Hubie Halloween

Barbarian Smile

ELIZABETH’S TOP 3

Hocus Pocus

Frankenweenie

The Night Before Christmas

Where

STARBUCKS

ANNA GRACE’S TOP 3

Halloweentown

Merrell’s STAR Rating

Taziaking people crazy for KAIROS

BY MERRELL WEBSTER

Interms of finding quick, affordable and convenient healthy food on the North Side of town, people’s choices are usually pretty scarce. Because of that, most people are forced to go all the way to the opposite side of town when they are craving healthy options, especially when mediterranean food comes to mind. However, many people do not know of the fairly recent healthy mediterranean inspired palette that has been added for Tallahassee’s greek food lovers. With its close proximity and affordable prices, Kairos offers numerous fresh and healthy options that leaves anyone who eats their food only craving more.

As you walk through the door of Kairos, your ears instantly hear the upbeat tunes circulating through the restaurant and your nose quickly meets the wonderful aroma of Greek food. With numerous choices to choose from, one noteworthy aspect is the delectable taste of their items. Their protein options certainly do not lack mouthwatering flavor and their dressings fall nothing short of perfect savory and salty spices. They give you the perfect combination of cold and hot foods that range from their fresh made marinades and toppings to their flavorful spicy chicken made daily. Within each mouthful, you get a taste of different tasty Greek

flavors that leave you wanting more and more after each bite.

When people are deciding where to eat, a big question that comes to mind is whether it’s convenient. Fortunately for people on the North side of Tallahassee and especially Maclay students, Kairos offers this convenience with not only their service but also their location. When you walk into Kairos, you do not see the typical counter where you order and wait for your food. Instead, customers are able to build their own meal and have it within seconds. Kairos has all of their meats, toppings and dressings available at the counter for each customer to choose as they please and take to tables around the restaurant.

Not only can people get their meals quickly, but they can also easily access the location. Until Kairos opened, there wasn’t another Mediterranean restaurant on the North side of town. Instead, if people wanted Greek inspired food, they had to drive at least 10 minutes to satisfy their cravings. However, with the new addition to Market Square, that is no longer the case. Specifically for Maclay students, Kairos is only about a minute drive from the school, ultimately cutting people’s driving time in half. This is a significant advantage when people are in a hurry and need a convenient place to eat within the matter of minutes.

Along with the convenience, Kairos offers affordable prices for the amount of food that they offer to every customer. With the choice between pitas, salads, bowls or platters, they all come with a choice of protein, rice, beans and unlimited amounts of toppings and dressings. Each choice ranges between 10 to 12 dollars, and

while that might seem pricey, it is a ton of food that people definitely get their money’s worth out of. Compared to other places, they usually charge customers more for adding toppings to their meals. At Kairos however, they give you up to six different choices for toppings and up to five choices between spreads and dressings. Whether that includes a variety of veggies or tzatziki dressing, Kairos offers fairly cheap prices for their large platters and bowls filled with delicious Greek options.

In the matter of quality food that is quick, cheap and healthy, Kairos checks every box. Its inviting food speaks for itself and exceeds any Mediterranean food expectations in terms of flavor and freshness. The next time you head to your typical food choices, Kairos is definitely a place to keep in mind because odds are, once you’ve had it, you are going to want more.

KAIROS KICKERS

KAIROS KICKERS

Kairos goes through 300 cucumbers a week making their signature tzatziki.

The restaurant was named after a consultant who said it meant “supreme moment” in Greek.

Kairos has 5 locations throughout South Carolina.

KAIROS GREEK FOOD RESTAURANT LIVES UP TO THE MEDITERRANEAN EXPECTATIONS

JUST ONE MORE EPISODE... JUST ONE MORE EPISODE...

BY VINE BUTLER

THE EFFECTS OF BINGE-WATCHING AND STREAMING SERVICES

Before the world of streaming services, such as Netflix and Disney Plus, there was cable television where viewers had to wait for weekly episodes to air.

However, most people nowadays, especially from the younger generations, are used to having all episodes of a television series already there. The idea of binge-watching, an alternative to traditional cable television, was sparked by the introduction of streaming services, where movies and episodes are available all the time. These streaming services are different from cable television because they usually release all the episodes of a series at once instead of every week like cable.

“I think it’s [streaming services] allowed some good things to happen,” senior Robert Wood said. “Like having multiple episodes of a season being released on one day instead of every week, but it’s also had some cons. People become less patient when things take actual time to load.”

According to NBC, streaming represented 34.8% of television consumers, exceeding both cable [34.4%] and broadcast [21.6%]. More people are turning to streaming services instead of cable, which has led to the bingewatching phenomenon.

“It’s [streaming services] a lot more readily available than something like recordings on cable or anything like that,” junior

Willie Wishnia said. “So I usually do watch a lot more than I would have before they were a big thing.”

When having all the episodes of a series out in one place, it can become easy to just keep going when an episode ends. The term “binge-watching” refers to watching episodes of a television series back to back for hours at a time or even until the show is finished. This can last hours, or even a full day at its most extreme. Some prefer having all episodes out at once, as opposed to the weekly release of cable television.

“Personally, I like having it all available,” Library Director and Film Club Sponsor David Low said. “I mean, I can see arguments for both because having ‘em spread out weekly kind of builds the anticipation, and you can, you know, have the quote unquote water cooler talks with your friends or coworkers or whatever about the show, and again, anticipate what might happen. But I feel like just me personally, watching on the couch, just like, oh, lets watch another episode right now.”

On the other hand, some find the traditional weekly release of episodes that come with cable to be preferable to binge-watching.

“There is a certain community that develops around watching a show on a weekly basis,” English teacher Lee Norment said. “Where you, you watch it and then, you know, you talk with your friends

about what’s gonna happen. Then you all watch it kinda at the same time, right. So it creates a totally different community.”

Many believe that the plus side of weekly episodes is the anticipation that builds when having to wait. Some find this preferable to immediately finding out what happens, which is the case when binge-watching.

“I remember when I watched “True Detective” when the first season of that came out on HBO,” Norment said. “I watched it as it was released and that show had a lot of, like, really crazy wild speculation about what was gonna happen in the next episodes.”

The culture of binge-watching has mostly had an effect on the younger generations. 90% of millennials and 87% of Gen Z have admitted to binge-watching. This is likely because the luxury of streaming services has been a part of their lives for longer than cable. When given the option between watching episodes back to back, versus waiting a week for a new episode to air, most teenagers and young adults would choose to watch back to back.

“I’d say I’m pretty good about closing it [shows/movies] whenever I feel like I need to,” junior Sarah Fernandez said. “But sometimes, you know, on weekends, I maybe watch a little too much.”

Especially with the COVID-19

pandemic, which led to many people being stuck at home with plenty of time on their hands, binge-watching has become a normal thing in the world of television. Binge-watching is a part of all generations now, and being on lockdown was likely the largest shift in how people watch television.

Though binge-watching has affected the whole world, its biggest impact lies within the younger generations, such as Millenials and Gen Z.

“We’re more impatient and we want more convenient things now,” freshman Brooke Butler said. “And, rather than the older generations, the older generations can wait and they can be patient, but we’re impatient.”

Even from the perspective of students, it is recognized that streaming services has had an effect on how Gen Z watches television. Most younger people, especially from Gen Z prefer watching shows on streaming platforms. But even millennials and older have admitted to bingewatching, whether it is their preferred method of watching television or not.

“For sure it has changed how people watch stuff and consume media,” Low said. “Whether that’s for the better or worse, I couldn’t tell you.”

37% of Netflix subscribers binge-watched series at work. 90% of millennials and members of Generation Z binge-watch.

between two and six episodes at once is considered binge-watching.

LIVING THE DREAM

SAWYER STONE’S NEW YORK FASHION WEEK JOURNEY

Lights, camera, action!

From getting buckets for his different basketball teams to runway walking at New York Fashion Week (NYFW), senior Sawyer Stone went through a unique experience in New York City to formally introduce himself to the competitive fashion industry.

“I’ve never really been into modeling or designer clothing or anything like that,” Stone said. “The whole thing kinda happened randomly.”

Ever since the start of his athletic career, Stone’s second home has always been the basketball court. Now that Stone is a senior and preparing for college, this unexpected emergence of high-level fashion into his life has given him another option to pursue for his future.

“I definitely would make a career out of this,” Stone said. “If I’m lucky enough to have the opportunity moving forward, I definitely want to do it. I want to learn more about it, since I don’t know much, but I’d love to do this.”

Stone’s new fashion journey began over the summer, as a modeling agent scouted him while on a family vacation in Savannah, Georgia. With the help of the agent’s business card and information, Stone was able to sign with an agency and ultimately get the green light to go to different castings during NYFW.

“In my first casting, I was definitely nervous,” Stone said. “When I first walked in, I realized how attractive and intimidating everyone was. I started to feel a bit self conscious, but then I

remembered I was there for a reason too.”

In an attempt to remain as humble as possible, Stone did not want to make a big deal out of the situation or brag to lots of different people. Because of this, only his close friends and family knew about the castings.

“I was really happy for him when he first told me about what he was doing,” senior Colin Mcallister said. “I’m all for seeing my friends win.”

Before NYFW, Stone couldn’t go into the event without any technique at all, so he arrived in New York City a week before to undergo the proper training in order to ensure the best

catwalk possible. For several days, he practiced the same walk and different poses repeatedly before he was ready to impress the judges.

“Going into New York, my walk was actually terrible,” Stone said. “If my walk was better, I would have gone to many more castings, including even a casting for Tommy Hilfiger. Apparently the judges over there are usually meaner to the new people in the industry, so their harsh critiques were definitely made known.”

While Stone was in the big city he stayed with his

grandmother, but ultimately spent a lot of his time by himself. He was able to learn how to navigate through the madness of New York while also staying on top of the school work that he was missing while away.

Despite this time spent in solitude, Stone was surrounded by several people during his castings but was always the youngest one. While he was 17, many of the other models were in their 20s and had prior modeling experience that he never had.

“They [the other models] were all super cool ,” Stone said. “I was able to really get along with people even though I was only 17. It was a very maturing experience hanging out with older people.”

After all of the castings, Sawyer wasn’t able to get picked up by one of the distributors, but by no means has his modeling journey come to an end.

“My agent is going to sign me up for the fashion week in Paris, which is in February I think, so that will be really cool,” Stone said. “In the meantime, I might go do some more test shoots in Atlanta if I’m around that area, and since it’ll be a minute before I get contacted again, I’m just going to keep doing my own thing here.”

With his experience in New York as a whole, Stone was able to grow as a person and an aspiring model. His journey was truly unique and shows that even those from smaller cities and communities can thrive in big time areas and industries.

SAWYER DAVIS

Design By Merrell Webster

We’re Back, Witches

HOCUS POCUS 2 IS NO WHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINIAL

BY MARY KATE KISE

adds to the humor and helps lighten the movie. The core trio of the Sanderson sisters does not disappoint and the actresses really embody their role throughout the film. Although the script seems to fail the witches, they clearly do their best to play up the jokes. The same charm and charisma of the first film is not matched by the sequel, but it does its best to compete. The witches are still delightful and their silly witch’s “costumes” still remain iconic, as

The plot of the movie follows main characters, Becca, who happens to be an aspiring witch, and Izzy who unlocks the witches on Halloween night as they follow Becca’s birthday tradition. Every year for Becca’s birthday, Izzy and Cassie, their former best friend, who is now too popular to engage with them, conduct a magical ritual

sequel to the first film.

Along with the similar plot, Hocus Pocus 2 lacks true character development from the first movie. While the Sanderson Sisters continue to add main sources of humor to the film, they’re not truly developed in a way that evolves or elevates their character to make it different from the first one. Going

their qualities in any significant way, compared to the first film. The attempt to soften the villains is not done well, and should not have been attempted. However, even though the characters are hollow, it does not take away from the fun, spooky and humorous aspects that the movie does entail.

There is no doubt that the

Overall, the movie is light and fun with the three witches adding to the main source of entertainment. Hocus Pocus 2 is worth the watch despite its lack of character development and similarity to the plot of the first film. This film still demonstrates the importance of sisterhood with a sweet and sentimental ending that keeps the sisters together forever, as well as the three best friends. Hocus Pocus 2 will become a Halloween classic and will continue to draw viewers back to the Sanderson sisters and their legacy with each watch. While Hocus Pocus 2 does not compare to the first, the spirit of Halloween is still very much alive throughout this charming sequel and comedic characters.

MARY

STAR RATING

KATE’S

Design By Merrell Webster

BY EFREM ROSENBERG

Given the surplus of outstanding horror movies over the past couple of months, it was no surprise that horror fans had lofty expectations going into “Halloween Ends” Oct. 14 release date. “Halloween Ends” was set to conclude the iconic “Halloween” series of films. Despite these high expectations, “Halloween Ends” fell short due to its fartoo ambitious plot, its lack of scary moments and its unlikable characters.

Except for the exceedingly rare exception, horror movies typically work best when they set out to accomplish horror and horror only. Unfortunately, David Gordon Green, the director of “Halloween Ends” attempted to take the risk and defy this. Green tried to make his newest film philosophically rich, trying to portray the contagious nature of evil, and this concept played far too large a role in the plot. New character Core Cunningham (Rohan Campbell) was the primary focus of this. After an incidental interaction with Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney), Cunningham becomes a symbol for this thematic element, and the whole concept gets discombobulated way too much, taking away from the parts of the film that could have been good (ie. the horror). This ambitious and failed plot is the primary reason that the film’s scare-factor was remarkably underwhelming.

Rightfully so, movie fans expected “Halloween Ends” to be the year’s main Halloween

scare. The trailer promised jumpscares galore and all kinds of Myers action; however, the film itself had a disappointing amount of both. It takes over an hour for Myer’s trademark killing-spree to begin, and rather than developing the story in a scary manner, the movie devotes its time to the love life of Cunningham and Allyson Nelson (Andi Matichak). When the suspense did start to build and the jumpscares came raining in, it felt as if the mediocre beginning to the movie took away their scariness. The scenes just felt forced and clunky. Consequently, the movie was not scary. Sure, Myers is a one of the more formidable villains in cinematic history, but even he couldn’t overcome the overwhelming feelings of mediocrity that had taken root in the viewers minds. For anyone looking for a true Halloween scare, “Smile” and “Barbarian” would be far better options.

Another important aspect of every good movie and another aspect that “Halloween Ends”

Curtis obviously wanted to give her all for what will probably be her last duel with Myers; however, her character in this film just wasn’t good. Additionally, Cunningham had an intriguing start to the film; however, as the plot progressed, he became almost obnoxious through his forced

relationship with Allyson.

The fan-favorite and the villain of the franchise, Myers, had a strong performance; however, he received a relatively tame amount of screen time due to the failed philosophical undertakings of the director. In the finale to one of the most popular film franchises of all time, Green somehow managed to fail at highlighting the two characters who mattered most.

Despite its high expectations, “Halloween Ends” was a catastrophic disaster. While most films excel at one aspect or another, the film’s failed plot, lack of a sufficient scare-factor and unlikeable characters bog down any positive aspects. Horror fans should avoid “Halloween Ends” at all costs.

EFREM’S STAR RATING

EVIL DOES DIE...

AND SO DID MY EYES

HORROR FANS SHOULD AVOID “HALLOWEEN ENDS” AT ALL COSTS

Design By Kate Bulloch

A HOMECOMING HURRAH

Ashomecoming celebrations around campus were winding down, the Maclay varsity football team faced off against the FAMU DRS Rattlers at Frank Shaw Field on Friday, Oct. 22 for the annual homecoming game. From kick-off to the final buzzer, the Marauders were in control of the game and brought home another homecoming victory. The final score of the night was Maclay 52, FAMU DRS 12.

The Marauders, who were 1-6 at the time, came out of the gates hot in the first quarter. Senior Michael Grant led the offense down the field to put up 21 points. The Marauder’s defense also held strong by giving up 0 points in the first quarter giving the Marauders a 21-0 lead.

“A win like that on any night, especially homecoming night, just bonds the team,” senior long snapper Peyton Naylor said. “This one is going to be a special one.”

In the second quarter the Marauders did not falter on offense or defense. The defense was able to halt the Rattlers for most of the second quarter until the last few minutes when they

were able to put up six points. The offense on the other hand kept the same momentum to put up another 14 points making the score 35-6 going into halftime. During halftime, the homecoming king and queen were announced.

The 2019 king Davidson Oberste and 2021 queen Turner Beshears passed each individual crown to the new 2022 king senior Sawyer Davis and 2022 queen senior Grace Reichelderfer. Once the king and queen were announced, the Marauders kicked off to start the second half.

“I see the excitement on the players’ faces and they needed this,” head coach Jason Cauley said. “This puts things in perspective for our guys to keep moving forward.”

Going into the third quarter Maclay’s offense was unstoppable by putting up another 14 points. The defense proved their capabilities by causing the Rattlers another scoreless quarter. The Macaly Marauders were up 49-6 going into the fourth quarter.

“The offensive line along with the special teams unit really helped us put up a lot of points,”

Naylor said. In the fourth quarter the Marauders special teams unit, led by Naylor and senior kicker Michael Smith, put up another three points to add to the blowout. The defense capped off their almost perfect night only giving up another six points to the Rattlers offense putting the final score at 52-12. This is the Marauders second victory of the year.

“We are going to continue to work hard in practice and we have to come out physical next game,” senior wide receiver Caleb Heuchan said.

After the 52-12 win, the Marauders look to take on Rock Bayou on Oct. 28 at 7:30 P.M. EST at Frank Shaw Field for senior night for the last home game of the 2022 season.

BY ZACH LOWE

PHOTO CREDS TALL TIMBER SPORTS AND MEGHAN GOLETZ

MACLAY DEFEATS FAMU DRS 52-12 ON HOMECOMING NIGHT

SENIOR ROYALTY. The senior Homecoming court smiles in center field during halftime after the ceremony. Pictured from left to right, Myriel Byfield, Carson Yealdhall, Lilly Phipps, Sawyer Davis, Grace Reichelderfer, Grayson Oberste and Oakley Deison make up the court nominees.

ON THE LINE. The offensive linemen for the Marauders set up for another play against the FAMU DRS Rattlers. Despite the lead, the Marauders must fight during every play to maintain the score.

ON THE RUN. Junior Grady Brown charges down the field toward the endzone in an offensive play against the FAMU DRS Rattlers. Senior Shane Croston runs infront of him to ensure his teammate runs as many yards as possible.

EXPLOSION FROM THE TUNNEL. Fired up about the Homecoming game, the varsity football team explodes out of the team tunnel on the way out to the field, ready to play. Seniors lead with the flag to ensure a successful game.

Design By Kate Bulloch

Theseason of fall has swung around and so has fall ball. After a four year break from competing in the Fall Ball League, Maclay head coach Drew Sherrod has finally brought it back for all potential Maclay baseball players to participate in.

The purpose of fall ball is to allow all Marauders an opportunity to showcase their talent in a series of baseball games throughout the fall season. So far, they have played against Lincoln, North Florida Christan and Franklin County twice. Competing in this league will help Maclay prepare for the official Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) season in the spring and be at their best throughout the regular season and playoffs.

“I think every fall ball game is pretty similar,” Sherrod said. “We are trying to get as many as our guys as possible equal playing time, equal at bats, equal opportunities and that is just how we are playing it. That’s the beauty of fall baseball.”

Fall ball allows the teams in the league to follow a different set of rules than the rules set by FHSAA for the regular season in the spring. This different set of rules allows for more players to be substituted on and either hit or play on the field. In each fall ball game, the Marauders have showcased experienced upperclassmen all the way down to less experienced players from the middle school. The most recent game was hosted at Maclay against Franklin County on Oct. 20. Maclay ended up losing 11-3, but they were able to provide valuable playing time for each player.

“Fall ball gives me something else to do besides school work,” junior Nathan Lillie said. “[We] get better as a whole and build with team bonding. All these other schools have [competed in fall ball] and we’ve obviously seen in the spring

FALL BALL FOR ALL

MACLAY MARAUDERS COMPETE IN FALL BALL GAMES

BY RJ HOSAY

MARAUDER LINEUP

that it’s definitely been an advantage.”

A few notable players from the game against Franklin County were junior Zachary Lowe, Lillie and sophomore Andrew Berenson. These three players were the only ones to have a hit and safely make it to first base or further. Berenson even hit a double in the bottom of the fourth. Besides these three notable players, the rest of the team was sent to first base through walks a plethora of times. When Maclay was on the field they struggled to catch certain fly balls and ground balls which allowed Franklin County’s 11 runs. However, they switched multiple players around into different positions and had multiple pitchers. Ultimately, Maclay is more focused on expanding players’ experience in the regular season in the spring than starting their best possible team for the Fall Ball League.

“We struggled but it’s only the fall,” Berenson said. “We still have a few months to prepare for the spring and that’s when we will really be ready.”

Maclay has not won a game yet in their Fall Ball League, and their final game is at home against Lincoln on Monday, Oct. 31 at 4:00 p.m.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Nathan Lillie

Colby Tadder

Zach Lowe

Zeke Podorski

Jayson Parker

Hayden Mcneill

Andrew Barenson

Landon Barineau

Bradford Ray

Ben Thompson

Noah Chavez

Jacob Elkins

Evan Starr

2B

OF C 1B 3B SS OF OF OF 3B SS 2B OF

THE RESPECT WE DESERVE

BY KATE BULLOCH

GIRLS’ SPORTS DESERVE MORE RECOGNITION THAN THEY RECEIVE

As I stand with my team waiting in the wings, ready to take the stage in the auditorium at UNF in Jacksonville, Florida, the nerves flow through everyone’s body. The team ahead of us hits its last eight count and everyone prepares to go on next. The announcer calls our name and we begin to walk on stage. Although each of us are excited and have smiles on our faces, there is one noticeable difference. Nearly every other seat in the crowd is empty, and of the scarce members in the audience, the majority are looking down at their phones, waiting for the latest college football score update.

Growing up, almost every person has spent at least one Saturday huddled in the living room with their family with the TV on full blast watching a college sport. Whether this is football, basketball, baseball or any other men’s sport, this is predominantly what we see fans raving over. While men’s high school and college sports are entertaining and suspenseful to watch, it is obvious that women athletes do not receive the same amount of recognition as men athletes. Women athletes put in equal amounts of training and playing time and are equally as successful compared to any

other male sport, therefore, women should not be getting any less recognition.

Dating back thousands of years ago, typical gender stereotypes revolved around boys dominating the field in nearly every sport. As years go on though, these roles begin to shift and females are constantly working to uphold and surpass the same standards and records as men. As females continue to challenge these records and grow more competitive, it calls for more recognition to be seen within female sports.

and seeing everyone in the audience pay no attention to my team and our hard work became degrading and frustrating. Female athletes devote just as many hours to training and perfecting their sport as male athletes do, so giving them the recognition and respect they deserve is vital.

I think we deserve more recognition because I think that girls’ sports have proven themselves over the years,” junior Molly Lamb said. “And with us beating the school record, it shows that we should be recognized more.

“Girls sports do [deserve more recognition] because they put in the same amount of effort and time,” senior Lilly Phipps said. “In our sports, we go just as far or farther than the boys. I think we are fun to watch and have a lot of team spirit.”

As of last year, I was a competitive dancer for 14 consecutive years at Tallahassee Dance Academy. I spent a minimum of 10 hours each and every week training and perfecting each step of my dances. Coming in for sevenhour practices on Saturdays and leaving with sore ankles and torn-up feet was both physically and emotionally draining. While this was such a strong passion of mine, staring out into the crowd

In addition to the immense amounts of time and practice women dedicate to their sports, their success rate is just as high as in men’s sports. While these high levels of success are proven in the realm of collegiate athletes,

our

community are very common and present. Sports teams such as competitive cheer, track and field, swim, volleyball and soccer hold school records, making history in monumental tournaments and competitions.

[After our fourth place victory at cheer states last year], I think we deserve more recognition because I think that girls’ sports have proven themselves over the years,” junior Molly Lamb said. “And with us beating the school record, it shows that we should be recognized more.”

Despite the claim that women’s sports do in fact receive the same amount of recognition, they do not. Women’s sports are constantly pushed to the side and are only appreciated in spite of men’s sports. Women put just as much time and effort into their sports as well as their high success rates, qualifying them for the high levels of respect and recognition they deserve.

DO YOU THINK GIRLS SPORTS TYPICALLY GO UNRECOGNIZED IN SOCIETY?

120 students surveyed

THE FUTURE OF COLLEGE SPORTS

NIL DEALS ARE AFFECTING THE COLLEGE SPORTS SCENE

Thecollege sports world was taken by storm back in 2019 when a new rule was passed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) allowing student-athletes to profit off of their name, image and likeness (NIL). Before 2019, student athletes were not allowed to make any kind of revenue off of participating in commercials, advertisements or social media made by corporations. Now that this rule has changed, smaller schools along with women’s sports have been gaining more recognition through NIL deals made with student athletes.

Since 2019, the NCAA has made leaps to better NIL agreements and help athletes know what they are truly worth, while also teaching them how to manage their future careers.

To this day, women’s sports have been a huge benefactor of the NIL agreement. Across the women’s sports world, hundreds of student athletes are gaining NIL deals left and right. In a study conducted by Opendorse, the company that manages NIL deals with women sports, especially

basketball, has brought in 16% of all NIL compensation in 2021.

“To the contrary, all evidence indicates that NIL has enhanced women’s sports and brought more attention to its best and most charismatic athletes,” College Basketball Analyst (ESPN) Jay Bilas said.

Thus, encouraging more female student athletes to make a name for themselves highlights women’s sports even more.

Along with the women’s sports world benefiting, the smaller universities have been benefiting as well. With smaller school athletes not getting recognized for what they do, NIL has been a game changer. These athletes can use social media or connections to obtain deals that put their name along with their school on the map. By doing this, the smaller universities could see a higher rate of student athletes looking into their program.

For example, Doug Edert, a player for the St. Peter’s men’s basketball team signed an endorsement with Buffalo

Wild Wings after his team’s historic run in the Final Four last year.

When NIL agreements first came into effect, athletes scrambled to find ways to get their name out and find companies willing to make deals. Athletes even resorted to making their own companies such as the Cavinder twins (Haley and Hanna). The twins have made deals with brands like Boost Mobile and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) along with making their own company called Baseline Team.

By making these deals and creating companies like the Cavinder twins did, athletes have been able to learn how to manage their own money and pay taxes.

With all the good things that NIL brings to the table, there is one thing that doesn’t benefit college sports, and that is the government getting involved.

Each state has their own laws about student athletes making deals and earning money. With these laws come different types of taxes that can be enforced on deals.

For example, if a player in Utah

makes a deal with a fast food chain and another athlete in Colorado makes the same deal with the same company, the one athlete in Utah might earn 1,000 dollars more than the athlete in Colorado.

To look at this from a better perspective, student athletes have to realize that even though taxes are being enforced, they are still getting their name out and are able to make money off of themselves which they previously couldn’t do.

In order to ensure that all NIL deals remain fair and that all athletes get an equal chance, capping NIL deals at a certain amount and pushing for the NCAA to determine the NIL Deal instead of the states would make the system more efficient. After all, the NCAA is the program running sports.

NIL deals have changed college sports for the better by improving all sports and their athletes. Although there are some downfalls, they are worth fixing to improve the life of student athletes around the nation.

BY ZACH LOWE

CRUSHED BY THE CRUSADERS

VARSITY GIRLS VOLLEYBALL LOSES TO PENSACOLA CATHOLIC IN DISTRICT FINALS, STILL ADVANCE TO REGIONALS

n Oct.18, the Maclay Lady Marauders varsity volleyball team traveled to Penscola to play a district game against the Pensacola Catholic Crusaders. This game was the district semifinal game and in most cases, it was a win or go home situation. With the

Lady Marauders losing the game 3-0, the Lady

Marauders thought their 2022 season had come to an end. However, they finished third overall in their district and received a bid. A bid allows them to advance to the regional quarterfinals even though they lost.

The Lady Marauders came into the second round of districts with confidence after their district quarterfinal win against Walton. The first set had begun and senior Olivia Greenberg spiked the ball down with authority. The teams were going back and forth throughout the set. Maclay then missed a few serves causing the Crusaders to be in the lead. With a close battle leading up until the end, the first set finished with a score of 25-18 and the Crusaders started with a 1-0 advantage.

“I feel like we played really well throughout the season,” junior Katelyn Eldred said. “We had a couple of tough losses, but we definitely fought through all of them and had a really good season.”

As the second set began, Pensacola Catholic’s spike attempt was blocked by junior Abbie Hartmann to gain a point for the Lady Marauders. Following the strong start, many errors made by the Lady Marauders had them trailing behind the Crusaders. As the Lady Marauders trailed, Eldred helped give the Lady

Marauders a fighting chance with her precise set ups. Although the Lady Marauders gained some momentum, they could only bring the score within 10 points and Pensacola Catholic gained another set victory with a score of 2515.

“I feel that I played really well, especially my blocking was very on point,” Hartmann said.

The Crusaders were just one set away from winning the second round of districts and advancing on to the district finals when the third set began. In desperation, the Maclay defense began to intensify. The Lady Marauders kept the score closer than the previous sets. With a true back and forth contest, the Crusaders still ended up taking their third victory of the game with a score of 25-19.

“I felt like they had a good season filled with ups and downs just

like any other season,” head coach Daijah Washington said. “They overcame a lot as a team and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Their record is now 1410 with one more chance to stay in the playoffs. They play Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville on Oct. 25.

RAUDER RECAP

VS. NFCHS VS. LIBERTY COUNTY VS. WAKULLA VS. BLOUNTSTOWN VS. FSUHS VS. MARIANNA VS. NFCHS VS. LINCOLN VS. JPII VS. MARIANNA VS. FSUHS VS. PERRY VS. VALDOSTA VS. LIBERTY COUNTY VS. WAKULLA VS. JPII VS. CLA VS. VALDOSTA VS. LINCOLN VS. CHILES VS. WALTON VS. PENSACOLA CATHOLIC

JACLYN SUMMERS

Design By Kate Bulloch

BY MEG HOWELL

Touchdown,

number one senior Caleb Heuchan!

FACING ADVERSITY TO BECOME A SHINING STAR

Flying into the end zone, there was no doubt that Heuchan would be Maclay’s main wide receiver this year. Changes to the Maclay football staff such as the new head coach Jason Cauley left fans wondering how the team would perform during the 202223 season. Heuchan excelled in the preseason game versus Wewahitchka, scoring two touchdowns. During the first regular season game versus Deerfield-Windsor, Heuchan also scored two touchdowns. He then contributed to Maclay’s domination against Brookwood by scoring one touchdown, and has continued to shine all season with many other touchdowns. Though Heuchan’s touchdowns had a positive impact on Maclay’s score during the DeerfieldWindsor matchup, Heuchan was disappointed with Maclay’s loss.

“We won our preseason game, and that was pretty big with our new coach,” Heuchan said. “He won his first game. The low is definitely just losing our first actual game in the season, especially to a team that was significantly worse than us.”

Despite the teams record, Heuchan has noticed a positive shift in the team culture this year.

“It’s been great,” Heuchan said. “ It’s the best it’s ever been. I think with the new coaching staff and just a bunch of new kids coming out to play, it’s a lot of good energy and it’s really fun.”

Heuchan has proved his capabilities as the main receiver on the field this year, but it took overcoming a tremendous, almost career-ending injury to persevere to the skill level he has now.

“I broke my back and it was super traumatic,” Heuchan said. “I thought I might not get to play again. I ended up healing quickly and I did end up playing again so that was great.”

Heuchan often reflects on his work ethic and his ability to regain his strength after his injury.

“[The injury] made me appreciate playing more because I know that at any time it could be taken away,” Heuchan said. “I guess gratitude plays a lot and working hard.”

Not only have Heuchan’s teammates pushed him to be the football player and person he is today, but Huechan’s family football history has been highly motivating. Heuchan’s sister, Juliana, was the kicker for Maclay. Huechan’s brother, Brecht, was a quarterback that still holds Maclay football records today.

“My brother was the quarterback, so I was always playing with him,” Heuchan said. “I would always play his receiver, and it’s been like that forever.”

In regards to the new head coach, Heuchan has earned his respect and proved himself to show tremendous leadership skills when it comes to mentoring the underclassman players.

“Caleb’s a joy to be around,” Cauley said. “I just love looking at him every day and seeing a smile on his face. It kind of makes me happy.”

Heuchan also possesses physical qualities that Cauley believes add to his talent.

“[Caleb] has the intangibles that you can’t teach or coach (his height, wingspan),” Cauley said. “He has a natural ability of knowing how to use his body in certain ways in the football game that gives him an advantage over other people.”

This will be Heuchan’s last year playing football and he is looking forward to leading the team to victory during the remainder of the season.

“[I am looking forward to] hanging out with the boys and trying to get as many wins as possible,” Heuchan said.

Although the season is coming to an end, Heuchan looks forward to finishing off his senior season strong with his teammates by his side.

CALEB HEUCHAN’S STORY

Design By Kate Bulloch