SECOND SEMESTER SLUMP
By Lubianca Gaitan Senior, Editor-in-Chief
As the end of the year draws near, many students find themselves stuck in a second semester slump: a drop in motivation that makes even simple assignments feel exhausting Between heavier workloads, looming AP exams, college stress, and the temptation of summer break, staying focused becomes a real challenge
“I’m really worn out,” admits Jonathan Medrano, a junior “The workload is getting a little easier APs are coming around and it’s stressful Still, it’s okay because summer is near I think it’s the workload and extracurriculars and worrying about college applications”
Upperclassmen aren’t the only ones feeling the drag Underclassmen, too, struggle to stay engaged as the year winds down “I just feel like since it’s towards the end of the year, it’s hard to stay focused on your studies,” shares sophomore
Madison Mendoza “For people in sports, it’s hard to stay motivated to keep doing better Since everyone’s excited for summer, it’s hard to keep your head in the game”
For seniors, college acceptances can bring relief, but also a dangerous drop in effort “Burnt out Very Very burnt out,” confes-
-ses Ellison Tolentino, a senior “There are too many assignments and too many tests And now that I’ve already got into college and know what I’m going to do, I’ve lowered my standards about my grades”
Why Does the Slump Happen?
Psychologists say motivation dips when goals feel either too far away or already achieved Add in seasonal fatigue, academic pressure, and distractions (hello, sunshine!), and even the most disciplined students can falter
How to Fight Back
Break tasks into smaller steps
Cramming for APs? Study one unit at a time
Reward your progress
Finish an essay? Take a walk outside or enjoy a treat
Stay accountable
Study groups or checking in with teachers can help
Seniors: Avoid senioritis sabotage colleges can rescind offers for big grade drops
The second semester slump is real, but it doesn’t have to win Recognizing the struggle and adjusting your approach can make all the difference before the final stretch
PhotobyGoogleImages
Passion Play
By Elyza Lansang Senior, writer
On Tuesday, April 15th, Peer Ministry held a reenactment of the Passion of Christ What is the Passion of Christ and how does this help our faith? The Passion of Christ is filled with the sufferings and afflictions Christ endured for our sins on the last day of His life This period of suffering encompasses his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, His arrest with the kiss of betrayal from Judas, His cruel scourging at the PIllar, the spiky crown of thorns placed on His head, the
heaviness from the cross He carries to His Crucifixion and death Jesus suffered through these painful and excruciating events so that we may be saved The reenactment of the Passion of Christ is a prayerful time, where attendants are called to have an open mind and heart to the sufferings of Christ God may use the reannecantment of His sufferings to soften hearts and bring conversion and a closer love of God The Passion of Christ, in the words of Mr Avila, is the “perfect love story” It is unlike the tragic romances of Romeo and Juliet or Hazel Lancaster and Gus Waters in The Fault in Our Stars The Passion of Christ is centered on Jesus’ unconditional love for all of us that He would go through the beating, scourging, and crucifixion for all of us again and again so that we might live in Heaven with Him He carried the weight of our sins on the cross and He took the pain of those sins away to bring us His pure love and joy The crucifix not only reminds us of Jesus’ suffering, it is also the greatest symbol of love The reenactment of the Passion is to inspire in all of the individuals present God’s hope, love, joy, and mercy, that their souls may come closer to the Father
About the TikTok Ban
By Minh Lai Sophomore, Writer
Among the hottest stories of 2025 concerned the fate of TikTok, which, for the last few years, has been the most downloaded app worldwide according to reports by major news outlets. Data from statistacom alone determined that in 2024, Tiktok generated 8255 million downloads globally Alongside apps like Instagram, Facebook, and X, TikTok has been a source of information, online entertainment, video creation, internet-based communication, advertisement, commerce, and income for many content creators since its inception in 2016
That being said, the app has been a source of controversy for many years From disputes over its influence on young teens and their mental health to data privacy concerns, staunch critics both in the general public and the political arena have called either for TikTok’s divestment or
complete banning from domestic app marketplaces
In 2020, Donald Trump alleged that the app posed a cybersecurity risk due partially to it being owned by ByteDance Then the 45th President of the United States, Trump cited national security concerns as justification for two executive orders in August of the same year to permanently ban TikTok, saying that ByteDance could provide the Chinese government with American user data Just last year, the Biden Administration approved the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” compelling TikTok to divest executive ownership or cease all operations in the US
On April 15th, by the grace of God, Peer Ministry prayerfully executed a wonderful and awe-inspiring reenactment of the Passion of Our Lord Mr Johnson extended his congratulations to Peer Ministry, saying, “Incredible job today! You guys pulled it off once again It was a fantastic display of the school’s faith tradition and recreation of the passion of Our Savior” The efforts Peer Ministers put into the play did not go unnoticed as several people commented how beautiful it was It was clear that Peer Ministry had rehearsed for a long time as it was apparent to the audience through the clear execution of lines, the smooth movements of the actors and actresses, and the beauty behind the vocals and sounds of the band If you are interested in seeing a film inspired by the Passion of Christ, I would highly recommend the masterpiece, The Passion of the Christ, directed by Mel Gibson May the Lord bless you this Holy Week and be with you always
ByteDance was founded in 2012 by internet developers and has since acquired a wide array of popular apps In 2016, the success of Duoyin encouraged executives to develop TikTok for international audiences Its acquisition of musically in 2017, a popular song-based platform with over 200 million users at its peak, subsequently led to its merging with TikTok a year later In 2020, ByteDance created CapCut, a video-editing service with around 300 million active users globally as of 2024 Having operated in India through the communication platform “Helo,” and in Indonesia as well with its news aggregator app “Baca Berita,” the tech giant has been hailed as one of the most innovative and successful
companies in the world At the same time, many have cited ByteDance’s purported abuses of free speech laws and data collection as justification for TikTok’s removal from app stores Since 2019, reports of moderators suppressing content regarding Tibetan and Uyghur calls for autonomy have gained traction A Forbes article published in 2022 claimed that one of its employees had been spied on following the publication of a critical piece denouncing TikTok’s policies
Now, once again, the date set for TikTok’s ban has been extended to June 19th, and yet still the issue of its fate remains a partisan one, unlikely to remain otherwise by the time the deadline passes
PhotobyNDHSMedia
PhotobyNDHSMedia
Now in Theaters
By Lubianca Gaitan Senior, Editor-in-Chie
As many of you know, a lot of new movies have been released in theaters, and they do not disappoint Whether you’re into action, horror, or animated fun, here’s what’s new to watch and enjoy on the big screen:
Revenge of the Sith
Sinners
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Revenge of the Sith is back in theaters for a limited time This rerelease includes a special 4DX version, featuring motion seats and immersive effects that put you right in the middle of the action
From the battle of Coruscant to the fiery duel on Mustafar It opened on April 25 and earned over $25 million in its first weekend, proving that the force is still strong with fans
Thunderbolts
Marvel’s latest team up film hit theaters on May 2nd and has already made a splash with $76 million opening weekend Florence Pugh returns as Yelena Belova, leading a squad of antiheroes including Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Red Guardian (David Harbour) The film finally wraps up Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and many have said it brings back that feel of the OG MCU films
Lenny Kravitz
By Matthew Baculo Senior, Music writer
Hey Titans! This week’s music article, we will be talking about the one and only Lenny Kravitz! Lenny Kravitz is a rock ‘n’ roll artist that many would consider to be rock ‘n’ roll personified Let’s look at some of Lenny’s greatest hits and if any of them interest you, give them a listen!
Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993)
This song by Lenny Kravitz is his most listened song to on Spotify and is arguably what people call, his very own anthem With its energetic vocals and guitar riffs, Lenny creates a rock ‘n’ roll masterpeice! Fun fact: “Are You Gonna Go My Way” was a song written about Jesus Christ who Lenny considered to be “the ultimate rock star”
This southern Gothic horror film from director Ryan Coogler stars Michael B Jordan in dual roles as twin brothers confronting a supernatural evil in 1930s Mississippi With a haunting soundtrack by Ludwig Göransson and great reviews for its bold story, Sinners has become one of the top grossing films of the year, earning over $236 million worldwide One Letterboxd reviewer wrote, “The kind of movie that reminds you why you fell in love with movies in the first place”
Tech Talk
It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over (1991)
Lenny Kravitz’s “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over”, was heavily inspired by the Motown sounds he had listened to as a young boy This song is one of his most soulful tracks as he blends a mix of Motown and heartfelt lyrics
Fly Away (1998)
Then lastly let’s talk about “Fly Away”, Lenny Kravitz’s song about freedom and separating from the everyday world With the song’s distorted guitar and chorus, it creates a feel-good track and because of that, even won Lenny a grammy for “Best Male Rock Performance”, in 1999
So the next time you’re listening to music on your headphones or just vibing to some music, give Lenny Kravitz a try and vibe on to his music! Until next time Titans!
Final Destination: Bloodlines Final Destination: Bloodlines hits theaters on May 16th, 2025, bringing back the iconic horror franchise with a fresh story focused on college student Stefani Lewis, who returns home after seeing awful visions of her family’s death Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, the film features new characters and jaw dropping death scenes, including a record-breaking stunt where a 71-year-old woman was set on fire on screen OG fans will be excited to see Tony Todd come back as the mysterious William Bludworth in one of his final performances, making this new addition to the classics a must watch for horror lovers
By Sebastian Bou Harb Senior, Tech writer
What’s up Titans, and welcome back to this issue’s edition of Tech Talk We have an exciting and hot topic to talk about today Many of you know of the brand Nintendo, and have probably played on their consoles like the Wii and DS in your childhood However, we all know about the Switch, and with the new Switch 2 coming out, it's time to talk about it
Features - The Switch 2 boast some powerful features: HD resolution with 120fps in handheld mode, and outputs to a TV at 4k! A major upgrade from the previous switch The Switch 2 also has a bigger screen, and revamped Joy-Cons, which now connect seamlessly to the body through strong magnets Finally, they have a new ‘C’ button on the
right Joy-Con, which is now used for voice and video chat, but is only accessible with a Nintendo Online subscription
Games - With a new console comes new games, and the Switch 2 is bringing some exciting titles with it MarioKart World is the star of the show, introducing a new concept of open world racing as well as driving to the next track after you finish a race There is also a ne Donkey Kong Bananza game along with remakes of Switch games like the Zeldas
Price - Not everything is perfect with the Switch 2, in fact the price of the console as well as the new games could be turn-off for many people The Switch 2 starts at $450 with the new games being as high as $80! Despite the steep prices to come, I still think the Switch 2 will live up to the hype and continue to be the most desirable console on the market
Behind the Scenes
People Featured (from left to right going down): Madison Mendoza (10), Notre Dame Song Team, Xitllali Ortiz (9), Mr Garcia (Social Studies), Abigail Tullis (9), Sofia Navarro (9), Marycarmen Sanchez (9), Abigail Hernandez (9), Zoe Raykowski (9), Breaunna McAvoy (9), Summer Wilbur (9), William DeGennaro (9), Roman Nunez (10), Sydney Cramer (10), Alyssa Tinajero (9)