Geneva Quarterly Vol. 11 Issue 3

MISSION STATEMENT

MISSION STATEMENT

Geneva Quarterly, a student-led publication of Rhetoric School, serves to provide Geneva and the surrounding community with relevant and accurate news, opinions and entertainment centered around our student culture. Our staff strives to instill boldness, creativity and excellence through our published work. We aim to discover truth laced into our community with integrity and to write all pieces from a biblical worldview to the glory of Jesus Christ.

CONCEPT

CONCEPT

Seniors Lindsay Lee and Hailey Kirchner drove out to Fredericksburg with their models, juniors Morgan Howard and Maddie Egbert. In the last few minutes of daylight, Howard and Egbert explored the open fields of a beautiful farm. Lee crafted a perfect moment of playfulness and life, encapsulating the free spirit of springtime.

THIS PUBLICATION IS FOR:

Geneva School of Boerne

113 Cascade Caverns Road

Boerne, Texas 78015 830.755.6101 genevaschooltx.org

SCHOOL INFO:

The Geneva School of Boerne exists to provide a classical education from a biblical worldview, to equip students for a lifetime of learning, service and leadership to the glory of Jesus Christ.

Rhetoric School Population: 196

Rhetoric Faculty: 31

COLOPHON:

All verbal and visual content is solicited and selected by the Quarterly staff. Approval is garnered from our adviser, Emily Rawls, and from our headmaster, Matt Donnowitz. All bylined writers are held accountable for their work.

CONTACT:

To purchase an advertisement, contact: erawls@genevaschooltx.org

For questions or comments, contact: erawls@genevaschooltx.org

AFFILIATIONS:

We are proud to announce our eight-year membership with the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, where we have won a silver Crown Award and six gold Crown Awards and received a Gold Medalist Rating. We are also members of the Texas Interscholastic Press Association, where we have received the highest rating of Distinguished Merit. In addition, we have been members of the National Scholastic Press Association the past several years and have been named a Pacemaker Award finalist. This is our fifth year to be members of the Quill & Scroll International Journalism Honor Society.

MAGAZINE SPECS:

Created in Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator and printed by Documation Printers in San Antonio, Texas

Font Families: Harmoia Sans, DIN Next, and Arno Pro

dear reader, dear reader,

We are so grateful to be able to present to you Volume 11 Issue 3. This is our last issue as executives. After this springtime edition, we are preparing to hand off the baton to next year’s leaders, just as it was handed off to us last year. This is a bittersweet moment because although we are not gone yet, we are releasing control of this magazine which has been a constant companion over the years, but we are also excited to train and work alongside next year’s leaders during our last quarter here. As for this issue, it seems appropriate that the theme is meadows. We embraced floral and earthy colors as we welcome springtime to Boerne. We had a lot of fun creating this issue, as we are exploring new creative techniques, and we really hit our stride with interdepartmental collaboration, which I think makes for an incredibly beautiful product. As spring is often a symbol of new life, we are so excited to see what our new leaders are capable of and are confident that they will bring a new life of their own to this amazing magazine. But for now, the four of us, along with our amazing staff, are proud to present: Volume 11 Issue 3

Graphic Jacob Goodman

the events and ideas that shape our reality. reality.

Gte YourBeautySl e e p

Implementing a healthysleeproutine

Today, some of us prioritize a healthy sleep schedule so that we can reap the rewards. However the rest of us, if I’m being honest, lack the time and organization to keep up with such a consistent plan. Many of us teenagers can be characterized by the not-sohealthy sleep schedule. This is likely due to our sports after school, homework, or desire to be on our phones. These things and many other factors get in the way of having a good sleep routine. So, I will be explaining what a healthy and not-so-healthy sleep schedule looks like, as wellas the advantages and disadvantages respectively, so that you can determine which one works for you.

In order to maintain a good sleep schedule, a teenager should be getting eight to ten hours of sleep on average.

Now, I know many of you just dropped your jaw because you know for a fact that you aren’t getting that much sleep. I am here to tell you that you are not alone. But if you truly want that much sleep, it’s all about time management. Maybe look into your routine and see what you need to get rid of, or maybe reorganize what you prioritize during the day so that it isn’t left for the night. Besides having eight to ten hours of rest, you also need good quality sleep. This means limiting your screen time before bed, making your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet, limiting caffeine before bed, not eating right before bed, and keeping up with exercise throughout the day. These habits honestly make or break a good night’s rest.

In contrast, if you binge-watch a show all night and wait ‘til the last minute to do homework, it doesn’t just affect your night’s rest. Studies show the lack of sleep can play a role in your emotions and make you more irritable the following day. Also, it can make you feel sluggish, drowsy, slow, etc. Not only that, but if you are constantly

getting a very small amount of sleep, it can possibly cause some serious medical issues.

Looking at all of this, I urge you to push yourself to aim for those eight to ten hours of sleep. Who knows, maybe you might see a drastic change in your energy level and overall mood.

Words

Abigail Bussey

Design

Ella Grace Owens

Photo

Abigail Bussey

TAKE IT FROM

TAKE IT FROM ME ME

Geneva grandparents share their most valued life lessons

While we teenagers might imagine we know it all at times, there’s plenty life has yet to teach us. As we stumble to make our way, one of the greatest blessings is having people who have gone before us, those that are so gracious as to share the most precious lessons they have gleaned over the course of their lives. Luckily, we are blessed to have a community laced with such individuals, some of whom have been so kind as to impart their wisdom for our very own magazine.

Mrs. Denk

To begin, Mrs. Rosemary Denk, grandmother to sophomore Ella Grace Owens, has shared a story entitled “The Leaky Clay Pot” and the impacts it has made on her personal life.

As the story goes, there once was an elderly Chinese lady who carried a stick on her shoulder with a clay pot on each end. Every day, she carried her pots to a stream to collect water for her family. Soon enough, however, she spotted a leak in one of the pots through which water had been escaping each day as she made her way back from the river. The discovery disheartened her, until she noticed one spring day that beautiful flowers had begun to bloom along the edge of the road. Where her leaky pots originally disappointed her, she now saw the blessings left behind for many to enjoy!

Mrs. Denk said she first heard this from her Bible class teacher years ago as she struggled to find her footing as a single mother. At times, she was plagued by feelings of inadequacy and guilt for the mistakes she had made. After thinking about the parable, however, Mrs. Denk found if she set aside time to notice, it was evident the Lord had crafted beauty from what she perceived to be flaws and mistakes. To conclude her sentiments, Denk said, “May you always look for the blessings you leave behind for others as you travel through life. God bless you, friend.”

Mrs. Yohe

Next Mrs. Margaret Yohe, grandmother to Emma and Quinn Malkowski, shares a particular life-defining experience: a pilgrimage she had made to Medjugorje, Croatia, where many had reported encounters with the Blessed Mother, Mary. During her time there, she was able to be in community with many of the locals, as they welcomed her and other pilgrims into their homes and kindly provided for them. Every day, she and her fellow pilgrims would venture to one of two miraculous sites: the Hill of Apparitions, where the first encounter with Mary was reported, and Mount Krizevac, a mountain upon which civilians had hoisted material to erect a cross amidst a drought; it became a site of prayer and sure enough, the rains came and the crops began to grow. Along the climb to Mount Krizevac’s precipice, the Stations of the Cross were placed, welcoming masses of people to prayer.

That is perhaps what struck Mrs. Yohe most: the overwhelming prayerfulness that pervaded the town.

“They had Masses running all throughout the day in different languages, and the churches were always packed,” Yohe said.

As she spent time at the different sites, she noticed miraculous things: a crown of thorns illuminated the lengths of the cross at Krizevac, and on the Hill of Apparitions, a Eucharistic Host appeared in the center of the Sun so that one didn’t burn their eyes by looking at it.

“It was a whole spiritual experience, but I came home from that just so in love with the Lord and so in need of a way to express thanksgiving to Him,” Yohe said. To attend to these feelings of overwhelming gratitude, she began to turn her life over to various sorts of prayer and devotion.

Finally, Mrs. Yohe expressed that the trip ultimately taught her to continue seeking the Lord and to pray; pray with the heart. She hopes her testimony will inspire you to do the same as you grow in your faith and love of the Lord!

“May you always look for the blessing you leave behind for others as you travel through life”

“May you always look for the blessing you leave behind for others as you travel through life”

Words Emma Malkowski

Design Ella Grace Owens Photo

WHAT IN

CARNATION?

A guide to help you identify wildflowers this spring

1. Black Eyed Susan: This bright and sun-like wildflower can be found right here in the United States. It has a dark colored center cone that is encompassed by very long and delicate yellow petals.

2. Blazing Star: Can’t you tell this is a beautiful wildflower just from its name? It even blooms during the best part of the year: summer! This flower is unique because it blossoms from top to bottom. The stalk of the flower is arrayed with pink and purple feathery grass-like leaves.

3. Blanket Flower: This tough flower can almost withstand anything. It can go through excessive heat, cold temperatures, or a drought and still survive. By looking at this plant, you will notice that its color changes when it gets closer to the center. The petals start as a cheerful bright yellow and then fade into a serious red color.

4. California Poppy: This joyful flower has four big petals that boast a bold orangey-yellow color. If you look at it with the right perspective, you will observe that it is bell shaped.

5. Joe-Pye Weed: This plant attracts butterflies and other insects towards itself. The top is illuminated by a purple hue with fine white hairs. From the stem you will observe huge leaves form from the base of this wildflower.

6. New England Aster: This jaw-dropping flower can reach a height of six feet tall. Additionally, it ranges in colors, including various shades of pink and purple. Its center is a bushy circular shape with a dark color that is mixed with brown and yellow.

7. Purple Coneflower: You can find these specific flowers in North America. These flowers can grow up to five feet tall and still maintain a sturdy stem. They also have a purple-brown hue to its dome-like center that is surrounded by drooping lavender petals.

8. Shasta Daisy: These dainty wildflowers have a yellow core encircled by white petals. They thrive mostly in North America and can grow up to three feet tall.

9. Namaqualand Daisies (not pictured): This wildflower grows in South Africa. It can vary in color, appearing in white, orange, purple, and yellow. During the month of August, they really show themselves off and flourish.

10. Lupine (not pictured): These flowers’ seeds are actually toxic to many animals if too many are consumed. Besides that unfortunate fact, these flowers are so beautiful. They can produce all sorts of bright and cheerful colors and they look very similar to a bluebonnet.

Words

Abigail Bussey

Design

Hailey Kirchner

Graphic

Jacob Goodman

In ancient times, it was a common belief that the Earth was flat. For some reason, however, some people today still hold that belief, despite the fact we have been to space, sailed around the world, and can perform experiments to prove the Earth’s curvature.

The modern day Flat Earth Society was modeled after Samuel Rowbotham’s works from the 1880s. The International Flat Earth Society was formally founded in 1956 by Samuel Shenton with the intention that it would “man the guns against oppression of thought and the Globularist lies of a new age. Standing with reason we offer a home to those wayward thinkers that march bravely on with REASON and TRUTH in recognizing the TRUE shape of the Earth - Flat.” Amongst this belief are those that hold the idea that Australia is not real, the moon landing was fake, and weather balloons purchased by society were “tampered with.”

While the Flat Earth Society’s influence is limited to their website and podcast, it has surprisingly attracted many followers and raised funds to “prove” its theory. In one such experiment, a daredevil by the name of “Mad Mike Hughes” gathered funds from the Flat Earth Society to build a homemade rocket that launched out of the Californian desert, which reached heights of 5,000 feet. Unfortunately, the rocket malfunctioned and Hughes’ parachute did not deploy, inhibiting him from reporting his findings.

In another experiment involving a light with two holes cut into styrofoam sheets at the same height, the Flat Earth Society hoped to demonstrate that a light

THEENDS

OF THEWORLD

The comical evolutio

shone through the first hole would appear on a camera behind the second hole, indicating the light, set at the same height as the holes, traveled straight across the surface of the Flat Earth. If the light needed to be raised to a different height than the holes, however, it would indicate a curvature, debunking the Flat Earth theory. The results of the experiment were not posted on the Flat Earth Society’s website.

One does not need to perform so many experiments to prove the Earth is round. For instance, with a flat Earth, the centeer of gravity would be in the center of the earth. Everything would be pulled

to this center, which means the further you got away from the center the more the force of gravity you would feel. It would be near impossible to reach the ends of the earth; trees would grow diagonally; air pressure would vary, as most air gets pulled through the middle of the Earth, forming a high pressure zone; the oceans would move to the center of the Earth, forming a massive ocean. Finally, there would be no time zones or seasons because of the way they understand the Sun orbits the Earth. It’s been a commonly accepted theory the Flat Earth Society leaders are con men manipulating people for money. So if you ever meet a Flat Earther, feel pity, not superiority.

PAINT THE SKY PINK

A sunset inspired photo story from Lindsay Lee

Design Ella Grace Owens

Photo Lindsay Lee

With the weather getting warmer, nothing sounds better on a hot day than an ice cold drink. Starbucks has a large menu of ‘refreshers’ that represent the vibe of spring and summer versus the coffee drinks of winter and fall. The real question is, what refresher takes the prize for best tasting and most refreshing? We critiqued sixStarbucks refreshers and ranked them against each other to discover which is the ultimate Starbucks refresher.

Coming in at last place we have the Strawberry Açaí Refresher. We had high expectations for this drink, as it is the counterpart to the Pink Drink, one of the most popular items at Starbucks. We tasted the original Strawberry Açaí refresher, however, we were surprised by the artificial lemon flavor that was overwhelming. The flavors that were supposed to be dominant were strawberry and passion fruit. This drink was the opposite of refreshing, leaving a disturbing aftertaste of washed out lemon candy. It was sweet, but not in a fruit sort of way. It is equivalent to a bitter and rotten tasting lemonade. Overall, we would not order this again.

The Mango Dragon Fruit Refresher was slightly better than the Strawberry Açaí. It was not bold in either flavor or sweetness, but rather a surprisingly mellow beverage. We could taste both the mango and dragonfruit, but it was watery and carried a similar aftertaste to the Strawberry Açaí, just not as artificial tasting. Not bad overall, just not the best. The bits of dragon fruit were delicious!

Next up, the Dragon Drink has all the same ingredients as the Mango Dragon Fruit Refresher, the only difference is the added coconut milk! It sort of overshadows the mango, but it adds a sweetness that rounds out the drink. We described it as a sort of ‘chilled out summer day’ but nothing special compared to the top 3. The drink is delightful, but if you are not a fan of dragon fruit, we do not recommend the Mango Dragon Fruit or this one.

The next 3 drinks were so close to tying, but in 3rd place came the Pineapple Passion Fruit Refresher. This packs a lot more flavor than both the dragon fruit drinks and is accurately described by Starbucks as an ‘island escape’. Both the pineapple and passion fruit blend well to create an amazing summer drink that is definitely refreshing and sweet without being sickening. This drink definitely packs a punch that was not expected!

The iconic Pink Drink almost stole 1st place, but we decided that, in our opinion, it has to come in 2nd. This drink combines strawberry, passion fruit, and coconut milk to create a balanced sweetness that isn’t exactly refreshing, but very light and smooth. We would say that this is definitely a spring drink because the strawberry is so flavorful and just brings a springtime joy to this drink.

it’s time to hit refresh it’s time to hit refresh

A comprehensive Starbucks refresher review

And the winner for best Starbucks Refresher goes to… the Paradise Drink! This is THE summer drink that perfectly combines coconut with pineapple to make something so delicious and smooth, and yet manages to hold all the flavor that delights the taste buds. It is very refreshing and exciting to drink! The element of the coconut milk makes this better than its Pineapple Passion Fruit counterpart. We agreed that the Paradise Drink was sort of a mix between 2nd and 3rd place. We decided that the flavor pushed it to first place, making it the ultimate ‘go-to’ Starbucks Refresher!

Words

Sopris Oglesby + Ella Grace Owens Design

Ella Grace Owens Photo Abigail Bussey

Photo Lindsay Lee

the heart of our

ARTISTIC ACCOM PLISH MENTS

Asking Mrs. Lester about herself and the strong program she has built

There are several teachers that are true Geneva veterans; they have been here longer than many of us have been around. They’ve stayed at Geneva for a number of years, seeing kids grow up, graduate, and head out into the world. One veteran teacher that I haven’t seen receive a ton of recognition is Mrs. Lester, our very own Rhetoric School art teacher. If you’re like me, who has always been in a musical fine art, you haven’t had much to do with the art program and know pretty little about it and Mrs. Lester. I’m here to give her some welldeserved publicity!

Mrs. Lester came to Geneva in 2008 to teach all art classes for Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric, as well as the first yearbook class. Previously, the yearbook had been created by volunteer moms, but Mrs. Lester and the freshmen and sophomores (9th and 10th grades were all that existed at the time) founded our school’s journalism program. And of course, this small start eventually led to Geneva’s many awardwinning yearbooks and magazines. And it began with Mrs. Lester!

Before Geneva, she grew up in Kerrville, and then lived her early adult life in Houston as a stay-at-home mom. She had a painting studio at her house and painted by commission for a while, while also participating in a few art shows here and there. Once her children moved away, she taught in a middle school in Houston and at Ingram Middle School in the Hill Country. Eventually, Mrs. Gombert told her about Geneva, and Mrs. Lester was very excited to take the job.

I asked her for her favorite artists, and she narrowed the long list down to Michelangelo and Vincent Van Gogh. She prefers classically trained artists (which most modernday artists are not), so in general she favors older artists and older paintings over contemporary ones. She has a particular dislike for Bob Ross!

Chances are that you have heard about the annual scholastic western art competition for the San Antonio Rodeo. Mrs. Lester’s art students have been participating in this competition since 2015. While they have only participated for eight years, Geneva’s students have won sixteen scholarships at this art show! The show has been a blessing for the program and really showcased the program’s success.

It has been good to get to know Mrs. Lester a little better through this interview, and I hope that you have learned something new about our successful art teacher as well!

Upon reading the title of this story, one might expect to find a mere hot chocolate recipe. As you will soon learn, however, behind this recipe exist years of sentimentality and lore. We’ve interviewed the Wards of Geneva to gain some insight into what makes this hot chocolate so special.

1. Lore: What is the backstory of this beverage?

According to Mrs. Ward, the recipe originated from a Frontier Ranch Young Life camp. Her daughter, Miranda, brought the recipe home, where it was reduced to a fraction of its massive camp size to yield a smaller number of servings. Yet this recipe had not seen the last of Young Life, as Mr. Ward described cooking up and sharing some hot chocolate with his own Young Life group.

Through the years, Mrs. Ward has shown this same generosity at every holiday season. Continue reading to see the tags for these events’ hot chocolate gift bags, designed by her own hand.

Yet many of us who are reading this story as Geneva veterans appreciate this delicious recipe not for these holiday season appearances, but for the joy it brought to our third grade Latin class.

Words Hailey Kirchner Design

Ella Dillinger Graphic

Hailey Kirchner

Behind the Ward family’s renowned hot chocolate recipe

Mrs. Ward would bring this treat as a prize to the winners of the annual Latin Bee competition, thus attaching to it an air of nostalgia.

This nostalgia was recently rekindled in the Senior Thesis class, when Mr. Ward brought hot chocolate as a cold day pick-me-up. The treat was not only delicious, but marked a full circle moment from our Grammar School Latin class days.

2. Flavor: What is the hype all about?

This is not your run-of-the-mill Swiss Miss sawdust. Having experienced this beverage myself, I would describe the flavor as rich and smooth, while simultaneously made flavorsome by notes of spicy cinnamon. Senior Thesis class attendee and Ward Hot Chocolate recipient, Claire Coultress, affectionately describes the flavor as “a decadent trip to flavortown”.

3. Recipe: What we’ve all been waiting for.

Finally, I present to you the much anticipated recipe. This information was nearly withheld from our staff by Mr. Ward for fear of betraying family trust, but was gladly released by Mrs. Ward thanks to our persistent interviewers. Without further ado, here is the original recipe card, along with a timeline of the original event gift tags provided by Mrs. Ward.

We’re in a

We’re in a

Pickle…

Pickle…

Only one teacher-student duo can be victorious

This year we had a new competition introduced to the boardwalk: The Ultimate Teacher Showdown. Four teachers were chosen to pick a student to assist them in an epic contest. However, they were not made aware of what the games would be prior to the event. The four teams were Mr. Johnson and Kayla Strizu (junior), Mrs. Greenlees and Cammy Curtis (senior), Mr. Odom and William Pickle (sophomore), and Mr. Naiser and Teagan Fikes (sophomore).

“This year we had a new competition introduced to the boardwalk: The Ultimate Teacher Showdown.”

During lunch on a Thursday, the contestants were instructed to meet at the Rhetoric basketball court and were greeted by two pickleball nets and Claire Coultress, holding a notepad. The first round of the showdown would be trivia, followed by pickleball to

determine the victor. Claire drew up some random trivia questions to test the team’s general knowledge. The questions were very interesting, inquiring facts from a variety of themes such as American Idol, nutrition, and even the book Twilight. After many rounds of quizzing, team Johnson reigned supreme with Kayla being named Trivia queen! Her prize for winning trivia was to pick which team to challenge in pickleball. So, team Johnson chose team Odom to face off in a game to 7 points. Team Greenlees and team Naiser battled on court 2. Mr. Ward served as our excellent referee and made sure everything was fair. These games were full of competitiveness and lots of spirited fun.

After two intense matches filled with epic plays from both teams and lots of laughter, teams Odom and Naiser claimed victory and advanced to the final round of the showdown.

“Teams Odom and Naiser claimed victory and advanced to the final round of the showdown.”

This was anybody’s game… Mr. Odom is very knowledgeable about all things sports and with his speedy sidekick William, they could win it all. On the other hand, Mr. Naiser’s athletic abilities cannot be doubted, especially by anyone who has watched him play ultimate frisbee during study hall. With Teagan by his side, tennis star and registered giant, team Naiser had great potential as well.

“The score went back and forth, each team taking turns advancing the lead.”

Instead of a quick game to 7, the first team to 11 points would be named champion. The score went back and forth, each team taking turns advancing the lead. Shots were fired, tough calls were made, but in the end only one team could take the name of Showdown Champion. With their agility, quick thinking,

and insane height advantage, Mr. Naiser and Teagan pulled ahead for the epic win.

The grand prize was gifted by Claire Coultress; she brought both of them their coffee of choice during her off period.

The Ultimate Teacher Showdown proved to be a great new tradition, one that will go down in the history books and will hopefully be a new annual event.

Words

Sopris Oglesby Design

Ella Dillinger Photos

Kate Travis

You might have noticed some furry four legged creatures roaming campus, or maybe you even spotted them climbing in the trees. It seems that we have a colony of cats living amongst us. These cats even have a whole family lineage.

As some may know by now, our very own Mr. Newcom happily invites the cats into his classroom and enjoys their company every day. He feeds them each morning when they come around. He even came up to school every day over Christmas break to make sure they were fed. He is planning on taking his two most common visitors home soon. They are two spunky calicos who love Mr. Newcom. They journey to his classroom most days to hang out with him around the classroom and definitely make themselves at home in his very welcoming environment.

A couple of years ago, my older brother, Jack Taylor, caught one of these cats and took it home. My family named her Socrates after the boardwalk where she was found. She has given birth to two litters of kittens while living with us, and who knows? Maybe some of her kittens are the ones wandering the boardwalk right now. From her first litter we gave two of the kittens to senior Lilly Kaiser, and we kept the other.

Teacher’s Pets

Meet the boardwalk cats!

Her second litter was born a little farther out in our backyard, where we could not bring them in. We saw them once or twice coming up for food, but after that they must have journeyed off and found a different loving home. Socrates is now neutered and will not be having any more kittens. She is a very sweet cat and well-loved by my whole family. Not to mention, she is also the only cat allowed inside the house.

Next time you see these friendly critters strolling around campus, be nice to them. They are just gentle cats who want some love and mean no harm.

Dr. Covington’s experiences in Europe and Africa

Once again, I would like to welcome you back to the Quarterly’s teacher storytime section! To recap, we heard stories from Mr. Poole and Mrs. Greenlees. Many of you may not know this, but Dr. Covington went to school all the way in Scotland. So, for quarter three, I wanted to ask him more about his experiences there. Stay tuned for some of Dr. Covington’s travel adventures from his time overseas.

Dr. Covington:

I went to university in St. Andrews, Scotland in the fall of 2012. My wife and I found out we were pregnant nine weeks before we moved and had to cross the ocean. So the first question we got from our families was, “Are you still moving halfway across the world?” We said yes. So I went there to go to school. I started with a oneyear master’s program and then transitioned to doctoral PhD work. Our daughter was born the first year we were there.

“And so, within this one year, I got to travel across the world.”

It was a wonderful place for us as a young family to start. There is a really strong community around the school. There were people from all over the world who would all come just to study there. It was like a full-time job. Everybody had left their normal life and their family to come study at this place together. And so, that’s a really sweet community to step into. We have found lifelong friends that were made there: a lot of people that we still connect with even weekly today.

I think one of the coolest things is studying in that international setting. I got to travel and give papers at conferences in Belgium, Austria,

Durham, and Oxford. Then, we traveled to South Africa and I talked to a professor who was studying Ephesians. And so within this one year, I got to travel across the world. That was one of the most impactful things– you get to study in this place with a worldwide perspective, hearing and learning from people all across the world who have dedicated their lives to reading and studying.

But while we were in South Africa, we got to go to a cheetah reserve. Cheetahs have been my favorite animals since I was a kid, and I got to go into an enclosure and actually pet a cheetah while we were there. It was like this life-time bucket list moment of “I get to actually pet a cheetah in South Africa.” It wasn’t related to the program, but it was a really cool experience.

I think another one of the cool things we got to experience was just the little cultural parts of Scotland– even just small parts of Christmas. They have a traditional dessert called mince pie. I had never had one before, but now it’s the taste of Christmas. There are also dishes like haggis, a traditional Scottish food that we really like. So whenever people visit, we get to introduce them to haggis. We would tell them, “Don’t ask what it is and just eat it”. Traditionally, it is the little bits of meat that are leftover and all combined and boiled in a sheep’s stomach and then served. It is like how people ask what a hot dog is, but sometimes you don’t really want to know.

Words

Ella Dillinger Design

Ella Dillinger Photo Submission

Graphic Hailey Kirchner

shine through their

Tag along for a full day in the life with some of our senior athletes

Words Lindsay Lee

Design

Caroline Pickle

Graphic Hailey Kirchner

MALACHI STRIZU:

7:30 am: Wake up and set a 10 minute nap timer

7:40 am: Take a shower, get dressed, and complete my morning routine

8:00 am: Grab a waffle and head out the door

8:30-12:25: Get through morning classes while drinking copious amounts of water

12:30 pm: Go grab lunch and hang with the pals

1:15-3:50 pm: Spend off periods watching TV with KP, Stephen, Nick and Griffin, then finish classes

4:00-6:00 pm: Grind out some long awaited Basketball practice with DJ Christian on aux

6:00 pm: Drive home blasting my newfound favorite songs

6:30-7:30 pm: Tear up what mom cooked up and procrastinate

7:30-11:30 pm: Take a shower, do homework and play a variety of online games or watch a movie I have never seen before

11:30 pm: Hit the hay

HAYLE HEINEN:

7:15 am: Wake up

7:20 am: Get ready for the day and put on my VERY stylish uniform

7:45 am: Make my last minute lunch

7:50 am: Leave my house on time to get to school by 8:15

8:15 am: Arrive at school (sit in parking lot until 8:26 exactly)

8:30-9:25 am: Struggle to stay awake in Lit

9:30-10:30 am: THESIS! Yay!

10:30-2:15: Head to Olivia’s house and spend the whole time eating all her food and taking a nap on her couch

2:15 pm: We sprint to class bc we overslept…again

2:15-3:00 pm: Art with Mrs. Lester

3:05-3:50 pm: Anatomy with my FAVORITE teacher ever!!

4:00-5:30 pm: Soccer with my favorite people

5:45 pm: Take my sisters home and play some very, very loud music in the car

6:15 pm: Arrive at home and eat dinner

7:00 pm: Procrastinate

8-9 pm: Procrastinate some more

9:30 pm: Finally do my homework

10:00 pm: Reward myself with Netflix

10:30 pm: Good night!

E S A N

F I K E S:

5:43 am: Wake up two minutes before my alarm for 5:45, clean my white chompers and devour my monkey ancestors’ favorite fruit

6:10 am: Somehow end up at Planet Fitness, fully waking up as I walk across a freezing parking lot

7:45 am: Admire the pump, pick up my 8ft little brother, and decide I should probably eat

8:27 am: Arrive to calculus NOT LATE

9:25 am: Dread AP stats later with Grant while we distract Mr. Ward and Dr. Siller from doing work in thesis

10:35 am: Love AP stats because it’s easier than I remember

11:35 am: Try to recall the books we have been reading or wars we have talked about in history/literature

12:30-2:00 pm: Either eat alone at my house watching Netflix or if I’m LUCKY,get lunch with Geneva’s one and only leprechaun, Keaton Shindler

2:15-4:10 pm: Enjoy the most immaculate, awkward positioned nap on my couch,waking up just in time to make it to soccer practice late (I’m the captain)

4:10-6:00 pm: Flip between hating (running or losing) and loving (not running or winning) soccer practice and practicing my impression of Coach Victor’s Nigerian accent

6:30 pm: Shower, munching time, and homework (which I never have/do)

9:00 pm: Watch Shrek 3 till I fall asleep

Words

William Pickle Design

Caroline Pickle

Graphic

Jacob Goodman

Is This Just Fantasy?

Explaining fantasy football and how it has taken hold at Geneva

Football. An age old tradition that has become a staple in the US today. From college football to the pro league, the sheer amount of media coverage football gets in America is unparalleled. The NFL specifically grosses approximately 18.6 billion dollars per year. With 32 teams across the states, there’s always someone to root for, whether you are a casual viewer or a diehard (and heartbroken) Dallas Cowboys fan. While a large part of the population that regularly tunes into the NFL can be considered casual fans, there is a miniscule group of die hard NFL fans that aren’t satisfied with 17 weeks of professional football.

Introducing: Fantasy Football. Born in 1962 in a New York hotel room, Fantasy Football is, quite literally, a fantasy spin-off of the NFL. Instead of just picking a team to root for, Fantasy Football goes a step further by allowing participants to “draft” players from all over the league onto their Fantasy Football team. Basically, you pick players for your team who rack up points, allowing you to compete against other Fantasy Football teams. Leagues created between friend groups, coworkers and even families allow you to show off your NFL knowledge among your community and friends. This tradition opens up an extra gateway to football watching. Having drafted players from all over for your team, it propels you to watch random games you might not have ever even turned on in the first place.

Every September, shortly after Labor Day, a draft is held to kick off the new Fantasy Football season. This draft consists of all the participants in your league gathering together and picking what players you want on your team for the season. While you can “auto-draft” and let a computer pick your team, the players you choose for your squad are the most important factors of the entire Fantasy Football season, so many take special care when making their drafts.

On our boardwalk, you may have heard some chatter over this football tradition. In fact, sophomore football players hold an annual Fantasy Football league to compete for the crown among themselves.

“It helps bond us together and grow our relationships with each other,” said participant Joshua Patteson.

Yet the relationships Joshua describes are not the only consequence of the Fantasy Football season. Our sophomore league players are sure to include a hand-picked punishment for whoever comes in last place.

While Fantasy only lasts during the NFL season, it still allows groups of friends to participate in a hobby they all are passionate about yearround. Though you might not religiously watch the Cowboys every Sunday, I encourage you to start your own Fantasy Football league next football season and partake in all the fun it has to offer.

Words

Suzi Nilsson

Design

Emrey Taylor

Graphic

Malyn Arnold

Learning the Game of Life

Learning the Game of Life

Words Harper Deimund Design Caroline Pickle Graphic Jacob Goodman

Interviewing seniors about the wisdom they have gained from playing sports

Being a student-athlete teaches many life lessons, physically and mentally. Sports have long lasting impacts on students’ lives that help to develop and mature their character. Whether it’s a physical improvement, like endurance, resilience and fitness, or rather a mental one, like teamwork, discipline and sportsmanship, these are all valuable life lessons going far beyond high school. I asked three seniors what their sport has taught them throughout their years at Geneva.

First, Alexandria Bussey shares her experience in swimming.

“I have participated as part of the Geneva swim team for all 4 years of high school. It has been a joy to be part of. But, I will be completely honest, it is not the easiest thing in the world. Swimming has taught me perseverance. Whether that’s getting through a hard set, running out of freezing, cold water to get my towel, or swimming my heart out for the last 30 seconds of a race. Surprisingly, your race only lasts about two minutes at most. Though this seems like a small amount of time, for some reason, during a race 15 seconds can seem like an eternity getting down the pool. I think swimming has taught me that some of the hardest and most difficult times of your life will feel like it is moving in slow motion; yet as soon as the hard stuff is over, time flies. Swimming has taught me to persevere because every second of life counts.” Bussey said.

Our second senior, Suzi Nilsson, shares her experience with basketball.

“Basketball has taught me so much. The lessons were not only discipline and hard work, but also working with a team, communication and caring for others. I learned to always encourage and believe in the people around me. One reason I love being on the basketball team is the opportunity for the older players to pour into the younger ones. I have learned so much from those relationships on both sides of being younger and older. They have taught me to put others before yourself, especially when it’s a team you love. I have grown some of the best relationships from basketball and I’m so grateful for it.” Nilsson said.

Lastly, senior Sofia Griffey shares her experience with soccer.

“There is something super special about going through the highs and lows of a season together!”

“Soccer has taught me a ton over the years. Teamwork is a big one, along with learning to communicate, trust my teammates and work together towards a common goal. Perseverance is huge too; whether it’s a tough game or a challenging practice, pushing through makes you much stronger in the end. Also, soccer has taught me about leadership. Whether you’re the captain or not, there are opportunities to step up and lead even after a tough loss. Leadership by example is the most valuable thing I’ve learned through soccer. My favorite takeaway is the sense of camaraderie we have on the soccer team. The friendships I have built by being on this team are so special and I love how we’re able to bond with people from different grades on a level that is deeper than just going to the same school or having the same classes. There is something super special about going through the highs and lows of a season together!” Griffey said.

Design

Hailey Kirchner

Graphics

Hailey Kirchner

Ask any student athlete, the struggles of morning practice are real. Morning practice can be fun but very exhausting, as it can complicate not only a student’s sleep schedule, but their academics as well. Waking up at 5:30 or earlier is no easy task. It requires going to sleep earlier than normal, and it eliminates the option to pack your bags in the morning. Packing all of your necessities, cosmetics, and uniforms is difficult as well, especially if you forget something, as this can throw your entire day off. Another difficult aspect of morning practice is showering. There is no better shower than the one you have at home. Community showers can be gross, and the warm water supply and good soap is limited. You either have to use the soaps at school or take the effort to pack your own in your bag. If you do take a shower after practice and wash your hair, you have two options: wet hair or half-wet hair. Ultimately, the greatest difficulty of morning practice is time. For girls, there are three steps: get dressed, do your hair, and do your makeup. All of these are extremely time consuming.

Even if morning practices can be demanding, they can also be beneficial. Students from soccer and basketball share their favorite things about morning practice. “It gets my day going, it makes me feel more productive because I got up early and got a workout in, plus I will always love getting to be with my teammates in the morning. Starting off the day with them is the best

RISING TO THE OCCASION

Looking into the pros and cons of early morning practices

because they can always uplift my mood,” said senior soccer player Hayle Heinen. She continued, “One of my favorite things is knowing that the girls around me are dedicated enough to get up in the early mornings and do the tough stuff, knowing that we all could have ‘accidentally’ slept in. It encourages me because we are all in it together and we are all dedicated to bettering ourselves and each other. That is by far my favorite thing!”

Freshman Gaby Medrano shares her favorite things about her morning practices for basketball. “I’m a morning person, so it is easy for me to get up and get ready for practice. It’s a great way to start my day energized. And the upperclassmen give so much energy and are so supportive on the hard mornings,” said Medrano.

As a student athlete, it’s important to find joy in your sport even through the tough mornings. Sophomore William Pickle finds joy in his morning practice for soccer because he gets to go home earlier after school. Morning practice can be challenging, but it is encouraging to see athletes find joy in their practices despite the struggle.

Harper Deimund + Ella Grace Owens Design

Caroline Pickle Photo Harper Deimund

FUEL YOUR FIGHT FUEL YOUR FIGHT

Which foods best prepare athletes for their competitions?

The pre-game meal or snack is sacred to many athletes. It becomes somewhat of a pre-game ritual and can determine sports performance. Athletes need the proper vitamins and minerals to play their best game. The food also gives them energy while they are exerting themselves. Many people have certain foods they need to have before every match because of the superstition that they will not play well without it. Here at Geneva, we have many athletes with different diets and some questionable pre-game snacks.

Junior Grace Detterick is a two sport athlete, and her pre-event meals differ from sport to sport. For cross country, she always eats peanut butter toast and strawberries to fuel her for the races. The night before meets, the cross country team had pasta parties to load up on carbs. Her snack before basketball is much different, consisting of a chocolate and strawberry-lemon popsicle from Buc-ee’s. Senior Emily Coultress, however, would only have Voodoo chips, a push pop and a Redbull before her volleyball games. It also became a tradition for her and some of her teammates to get On The Grind before every game. Junior Malyn Arnold has a Redbull and a banana for the potassium before swim meets. The healthiest of all, senior Walker Cone, eats whatever his mom makes.

The best foods for pre-competition are high in protein and carbohydrates. You want to avoid high-fat foods like bacon, cheese, some steak varieties or anything made with butter or cream. Also, avoid food that is high in fiber such as broccoli, beans, and grains. If you eat a whole meal, you want to have it 3-4 hours before the event. You also want to make sure to get electrolytes before the game to stay hydrated. The meal should include a proper balance of carbs and protein, ideally maintaining lowfat content. Some good meats are chicken, turkey, and lean beef. The carbs that are good to eat are pastas, rice, and fruit. Smoothies are also great because you can get all the nutrients you need in a yummy drink.

Geneva athletes have a wide variety of pre-game snacks, from pasta and fruit to an energy drink and a popsicle. While you should stick to whatever works best for you, these are some foods to improve your performance on the court, field, or pool.

Words Suzi Nilsson Design

Caroline Pickle Graphic Jacob Goodman

Photo Lindsay Lee

the great fun and profound beauty in

Measure Your Words

Measure Your Words

How words can say more than you think

Words. We use them every single day, but have you ever stopped to think about how much weight they carry? Sometimes we seem to forget the depth and meaning of our words. For example, “I love you” was once used to express only strong feelings of affection towards someone, but now we use it flippantly. Many people will say “I love coffee” or “I love sports,” but can “love” really be used to explain how we feel about these things, or does it mean something more?

Even the things we say in our day-today lives carry substantial meaning. What you say to a peer has the power to lift them up or tear them down. In Grammar School, we were told to “measure our words,” but what does this truly mean?

On the other hand, think of a time when someone said something that made your day. I hope thinking about the kind things people have said just made you smile. Thankfully, it is not just the hurtful words that stick with us, but also the good ones.

All of this goes to show just how much what you say can impact the people around you. Now, at Geneva, the smaller class sizes lead to the formation of cliques among different friend groups. This makes it difficult to feel included in certain situations. As a result, your words can have an even greater impact on others than you might think. Just reaching out to someone who seems on the outs not only will make their day, but it can also earn you a new friend. Even a simple “Hey, how are you doing?” on the boardwalk can bring a smile to someone’s face.

So, to every person who goes through life passively, I encourage you to look around you. Compliment someone you do not know too well. Ask them how their day was. Remember the impact your words can have. And to those who carry the weight of others’ words on their shoulders, I encourage you to keep moving forward. You are loved, even if it’s hard to feel it. As a final reminder, do not forget that while words can hurt, they can also heal.

Here are some dos and don’ts when it comes to arranging:

DO: DON’T:

Start with a greenery base

Keep your stems long

Keep the hand you’re holding the flowers with loose

Place flowers at a 40-45 degree angle into vase

Put flowers in standing straight up Put like items next to each other Cluster flowers (leave room for greenery between them!)

Tie your bouquet too tight or leave your stems too short

Words Lindsay Lee Design Emrey Taylor Photo Lindsay Lee

How to Build a Bouquet

Our tips for composing a flower bouquet for spring

Two years ago I worked at a flower shop setting up weddings and learned a lot through observation about fun ways to arrange bouquets. Recently, videos about making flower arrangements have been gaining traction on TikTok, so we thought it best to share some tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the years.

First off, making an arrangement of your own can be super cheap and easy. It is usually cheaper than buying an arrangement from the store and only takes about 10 minutes. HEB has some GREAT sets of flowers of the same kind to buy and make your own bouquet. They usually run $2-$4 per set, but with 5 of these sets you can make 2 big arrangements for only $10-$20!

Step one is to visit HEB and select which flowers you want in your bouquet. I suggest getting one batch of greenery and one small flower such as Baby’s Breath. Next, select your medium sized flowers. I would suggest either tulips or peonies. Lastly, select your bigger flowers such as lilies or carnations.

Step two is to decide whether you want the arrangement in a vase or wrapped as a handheld bouquet. For this you’ll need to find either a big vase or two medium sized vases (if you purchased 5-6 bunches, they will not all fit in a small vase), or if you plan on wrapping it, find some brown paper.

Step three (if you’re using a vase) is to pick the flowers you will be using and cut them to size. You want the actual flower to be a couple inches away from the rim of the glass, as you don’t want too much stem showing. Remember, you can always make them shorter, but you can’t make them longer once you’ve cut them.

Step four is where you have creative freedom. If you are using a vase, add water and flower food first, then place the flowers out so there are not the same flowers next to each other. You want to space out your flowers and don’t be afraid to use greenery. Same rules apply if you are making a bouquet with paper. The only difference is you will be arranging the bouquet in one hand. Use one hand to hold all of the flowers and use the other hand to place the flowers where you would like.

Step five applies to folding the paper for the bouquet. First, you will need a rectangular sheet(s) of paper, roughly 28 by 20 inches. Then lay it out so that the longer side is horizontal. Then take one of the bottom corners and fold it so the corner is sticking out past the top long side, then roll the bouquet into the paper and secure with tape. You can use as many layers of paper as you need. Finally, tie it off with a bow!

Candle with Care

Ranking Bath and Body Works’ best (and worst) candles

We know nobody asked for a comprehensive Bath and Body Works candle review, but we are going to give you one anyway. As we walked into Bath and Body Works, the cacophony of sweet synthetic scents slapped us across the face like an angry toddler. We came with the singular goal of smelling every candle Bath and Body Works has to offer. Unfortunately, we couldn’t include all the candles (though we did smell ALL of them), so here are the ones that stood out.

Candy Emporium: Mix of watermelon gum and cotton candy. Would only burn it to get rid of it. 2/10

Hot Pink Cocoa: A post-holiday sale item, and it shows…or should I say smells. I have no words other than barf. 0/10

Sugared Snickerdoodle: Nutty and not good. 2/10

Pistachio and Toasted Vanilla: Sugared snickerdoodle but worse. A pure insult to humanity. -1000/10

Hanukkah: An outright offense to the holiday. 1/10

Winter: Men could appreciate this smell, “Like warming up your nose hairs by the fire” -Ella Dillinger. 6/10

Eucalyptus and Spearmint: Fresh! Real!

Awakens your senses! Makes you feel like you’re in a jungle spa. 1000/10…FABULOUS

Fresh Lilac: Smells like the Amalfi coast (disclaimer: we’ve never been there). Floral but not perfumey. 10/10

Peppermint Sugar Cookie: Too sweet. Brain cell killer. Not as bad as some holiday candles. 3/10

Spiced Pumpkin and Patchouli: What even is patchouli?? This candle is the very essence of cheugy fall girl. 3/10

Midnight Blue Citrus: Could be fresher, but not offensive. Like strolling through a slightly synthetic orange orchard. 7/10

Mahogany Teakwood: THAT IS GOOD. Someone’s northeast beach house clothesline. 9/10

Japanese Cherry Blossom: Cherry and floral, not too much of either. Jacob’s favorite, not that it matters :) Nice. 7/10

Pure wonder: Discount wonder. Not up to Mr. Naiser’s wonder snuff. Like looking at a blurry picture of an overly photoshopped mountain range. 4/10

Hummingbird Tea Cake: Since when have we been baking hummingbirds? This candle reeks of its cruelty. I would like to curl up and die like

the hummingbird in this candle. 1/10

Sedona Sandstone: Not too bad, but a little too much. Patchouli again, what the heck? 5/10

Blue Icelandic Waters: Smells like our slowly melting glaciers but in a good way! While the polar bears might hate this scent, we sure enjoyed it. 10/10

Endless Weekend: Not offensive. Just smells fake, as endless weekends are. Makes me depressed to think about. 5/10

Palo Santo: Kind of woody. It’s the musk for me. 7/10

Love: Oh boy were we scared for this one. Not too bad!! Strawberry citrus forward. Don’t understand the name though, as I’m not quite in love. 6/10

Dark amber and Oud: Oooou..d. We like this one. We may not know what oud is, but it sure smells scrumdiddilyumptious. 8/10

Leather and Brandy: It’s giving Texan cowboy… maybe we like cowboys. Lightly caresses you with fresh western fragrances. 9/10

White Tea and Sage: Mmm, this one…smells like a romantic laundromat and WE LOVE IT. Laundromat date?? 10/10

Wild Rose and Suede: Gives leather, but highend purse leather. This is no crusty boot leather. 8/10

Fresh Amalfi Coast: Well this is awkward…we said a different candle smelled like the Amalfi Coast. No matter, THIS candle makes me want to jump into those crystal blue waves. 10/10

Almond Croissant: Who in their right mind would burn this for any reason other than pest control? Skip the exterminator and just buy this candle. 0/10

Wild Berry Jam Donut: Pungent. Torturous

even. More like a “radioactive donut.” Dangerous stuff. 1/10

Amethyst Dreams: Nice!! Do rocks dream?? (Shower thoughts). We say let the rocks dream! 8/10

Blue Orchard Skies: Not that bad, but too sweet. Essence of Koolaid man. We’ll pass. 4/10

Flower Child: Does not smell like flowers. What does child smell like?? We cannot comment on that. 4/10

Spring Clothesline: Smells just as manufactured as the Shien clothes that hang on this hypothetical clothesline. 3/10

Palo Santo and Sage: Like the crushed dreams of a wannabe cowboy. Very sad, we feel for him. 5/10

Patchouli and Rosewood: Like a restaurant patio scent somewhere fresh. Need we say anything about patchouli? 7/10

Champagne Toast: Another classic. Not awful, but as fake as the mom that burns this somewhere in California’s Beverly Hills. 4/10

Rose Water and Ivy: Smells like your stylish and classy grandma. Don’t you just love it when she pinches your cheeks? 8/10

Island Margherita: For the record, we are under 21. Say, what even is a margherita?? If we knew, however, this would be it. Sobriety is key, kids. 4/10

While this candle-sniffing expedition had many side effects, such as the detriment of our brain cells and fume-induced migraines, we hope that this information will be a help on your next Bath and Body Works shopping spree.

Words

Ella Dillinger + Emma Malkowski Design

Ella Dillinger Photo Lindsay Lee

theProcessPore-fecting

Across the globe, there are only two types of people; the ones who couldn’t care less about skincare, and the ones who cannot go to sleep at night without applying their fancy skincare serums. Let’s dive into the madness and see who decides to spend hundreds of dollars on skincare products that may or may not actually help their skin, and others who don’t do half as much.

To start off at the bottom of the spectrum are people like my twin brother William and most teenage boys who don’t even think to wash their face. Next up are those who use dawn soap because they saw it on TikTok and thought it would be a “good idea”. If you are reading this and are one of those individuals, this should be your sign to quickly hop off that trend. Then there are the normal civilians who have a typical skincare routine that consists of a cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen (can’t forget the sunscreen) and possibly a serum for their specific skin concerns.

Pertaining to Geneva, the question is raised: which student has the most desirable skincare routine around our campus? Well, I interviewed a few students that I thought were major candidates for the bougiest skin care across our Rhetoric School.

First up, Senior Olivia Morgan has a skincare routine that works like clockwork. First, she uses the Purpose Cleanser with her electric face brush. Next, she uses the classic Cerave daily night moisturizer. After, she goes in with her Boissance under eye moisturizer, and finally, she uses the Ordinary 2% Salicylic Acid acne treatment serum.

Our other candidate, Sophomore Mary Simpson, begins her luxurious, time consuming nighttime routine by washing her face with a fancy, top secret cleanser she gets from Neiman Marcus. Then, she uses some type of exfoliator from Neimans or the prestigious Bazaar exfoliating enzyme mask that she uses only about 3 times a week; she also then follows up with an under eye brightening mask from Tula. Finally, she goes in with one of her moisturizers from her ever expanding collection. After admiring Mary, our prize winner’s luxurious skin routine, I encourage you to also spice up your own routine by taking some inspiration from the one and only Mary Simpson.

Words

matcha madness matcha madness

A tasty spin on a classic dessert

This twist on a classic Italian tiramisu is perfect for spring. My strawberry matcha tiramisu is rich and creamy while also being light and refreshing; plus, the matcha gives it a unique flavor, and the strawberries make it so refreshing.

Tiramisu may seem like a fancy restaurant dessert, but it’s actually fairly simple to make. Traditional tiramisu uses ladyfingers, coffee, mascarpone cream, eggs, and vanilla. Here, we’re going to substitute the coffee for matcha and add strawberry puree to the cream mixture.

INGREDIENTS

-1 package lady fingers (they’re usually in the cookie aisle!)

-4 eggs, separated

-1 ¼ cup sugar, divided

-16 ounces mascarpone, cold from the fridge

-1 cup matcha tea

-8 oz strawberries

-Lemon juice

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Matcha powder for dusting

METHOD

1. First, make the matcha tea by combining a cup of hot water with a teaspoon of matcha powder and whisk until there are no more clumps.

2. Next, macarate the strawberries. All that means is cutting up the strawberries and letting them sit in 2 tbsp lemon juice and ¼ cup sugar until they become soft and jammy. Then mash the mixture until you have your desired consistency.

3. Now for the cream– separate the eggs, placing the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer, fit with the whisk attachment and put the egg yolks in a separate bowl. You’ll use them later.

things to fix...

6. Add the mascarpone, strawberry puree, vanilla extract and mix well.

7. Use a rubber spatula to add half of the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites, gently folding to combine. Add the second half of the egg yolk mixture to the egg whites and fold until homogenous. Be sure to not over mix, as this can cause the egg whites to deflate.

8. Quickly dip the lady fingers in the matcha tea on both sides (they will fall apart if you soak them any longer) and place them in a single layer in your desired pan. This recipe works well in a 10 inch round or a 9 x 13 pan.

1.) there is A LOT of white space... is there a design element u could add?

4. Beat the egg whites with the whisk attachment and slowly stream in a 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, beating on high speed until stiff (about 3 minutes). Transfer the egg white mixture into a large bowl, using a rubber spatula to get everything out so that the bowl is mostly clean.

2.) midline should be .5

9. Smooth about half of the mascarpone mixture on top of the lady fingers. Repeat another layer of lady fingers dipped in matcha. Top with the second half of the mascarpone.

5. Add the egg yolks to the stand mixer bowl with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Beat on high speed with the whisk attachment until fluffy and pale yellow in color (about 3 minutes).

10. Dust with matcha and top with some more cut strawberries. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving! Enjoy!

“This twist on a classic Italian tiramisu is perfect for spring.”

Breaking down this year’s best films

Movies are back! 2023 brought back the excitement of movies that has been missing since before the pandemic. In fact, a revival of going with friends to the movie theater has come about–especially in Gen Z. It seems like we’re finally getting excited about movies again. So much so, movie theater attendance in 2023 has almost doubled since 2021. So, let’s take a look at the movies that brought us back.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” hit theaters in the spring, attracting audiences of all ages. Audiences loved this fun adventure movie, and so did the internet. The song “Peaches” performed by Jack Black was a huge hit, and middle aged dads everywhere were singing it non-stop for a month or so.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” was highly anticipated by Marvel fans. This tearjerker was well received, with many claiming it as one of the best Marvel movies yet.

Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” kicked off the summer and was an extremely hot topic; as remakes always are. It received mixed

reviews from Disney fans but did well with an overall rating of 7.2/10. The talented actors Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King were both the talk of June.

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” was a sequel beloved by fans and praised for its stunning animation and character design. It currently has 57 wins and 138 award nominations, so it’s safe to say this movie was well received.

“Asteroid City”, directed by Wes Anderson, has a star-studded cast and was eagerly anticipated by many film fans. Many people on social media made their own videos in the style of Wes Anderson after the trailer was released. However, some people were disappointed by this film, with many complaining of the focus on style over substance. The film drew many to the theater but sits at a 6.5/10 rating.

“Sound of Freedom” highly impacted those who saw it. The movie had difficult subject matter but is described as a powerful story and compelling watch.

And now, the biggest movie news of the year–Barbenheimer. The two biggest movies of the summer, and arguably the year, were both released on July 21. Theaters were sold out weeks in advance, as many moviegoers saw both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” on the same day. Both movies were huge successes. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” earned $82.5 million on opening weekend in the United States. Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” was the highest grossing film of the year and opened at a staggering $162 million domestically. I believe Barbenheimer rekindled the excitement of the movies for Gen Z and helped pave the way for the box office successes to follow.

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” was a huge hit. A prequel to The Hunger Games franchise, this action-packed and fast paced book adaptation had its fair share of critiques but was overall beloved by fans.

And lastly, “Wonka,” starring Timothée Chalamet, received mixed reviews, although most viewers can agree that it was a strange movie. However, Gen Z seems to have loved it and can’t get the catchy songs out of their heads.

With spring break around the corner, everyone is getting excited about where to spend their weeklong break. However, there are only two options: the mountains or the beach. After asking Geneva students where they would prefer to go, around eighteen percent said the mountains, thirty-one percent said both, and, of course, the beach is the most popular vacation, with fifty-one percent saying it is their favorite.

In true Mrs. Ward fashion, she has provided a Sticky Note of Wisdom for our readers to ponder:

This quarter, Alex Havranek is our “best dressed” student. With her preppy old money aesthetic, dazzling gold jewelry and boardwalk-chic sneakers, she is sure to catch the eye.

Apple vs. Apple Android: a debate that has been around since before I was born. Seventeen years later, people still argue about it. But in reality, both have their respective pros and cons. If you’re curious as to what those are, look no further.

iPhone:

Pros:

1) Consistent user experience.

2) Strong security features.

3) Seamless integration with other Apple devices and services.

Cons:

1) Limited customization.

2) Higher price point.

3) Dependency on Apple ecosystem.

Android:

Pros:

1) Customization options.

2) Wide variety of models.

3) Flexibility with file management and thirdparty apps.

Cons:

1) Fragmentation in user experience and updates.

2) Security vulnerabilities due to open nature.

3) Potential performance and compatibility issues.

In the end, however, Apple users will always believe that Android users are just trying to be different, while Android users will always believe that if Apple users just opened their eyes, they would see the superior choice. So, it’s safe to say this argument isn’t ending anytime soon.

Words

1.) Bloom - The Paper Kites

2.) Blood Moon - Josiah and the Bonnevilles

3.) Ends of the Earth - Lord Huron

4.) Left Off - Wild Rivers

5.) Halfway Up - The Brook & The Bluff

6.) Falling Behind - Laufey

7.) Go in Light - Marcus Mumford

8.) Would That I - Hozier

9.) New Perpective - Noah Kahan

10.) Springtime Red Tulips - Bo Staloch

The musical inspiration behind Issue Three

Graphic Hailey Kirchner

WORDS • MR. DONNOWITZ

Dear Students!

As I’m preparing for this year’s Europe Trip with the 11th Grade Class, I want to give all of you upcoming travelers some advice, based on my own experiences, that might make your upcoming trips more enriching. While travel advice may vary based on where you’re going and who’s with you, I think these are some pretty universal principles to help you best experience your visit.

1) Plan Everything. Especially when you’re traveling internationally, you want to plan out everywhere you will visit and everything you will see. You don’t want to miss anything or leave anything up to chance! Write out each day’s schedule and know how you’re getting from one place to the next.

2) Don’t Overplan. Obviously when you’re traveling internationally, you need to know how you’re getting there and how you’re getting home, but don’t overbook yourself. You want to leave room for the unexpected and the impromptu. Some of the most memorable travel experiences are the ones we didn’t plan. Feeling refreshed, not exhausted

3) Try to See and Do Everything. When you travel somewhere you’ve never been, you should try to see and do everything you can. You don’t want to miss anything. Lean into your inner tourist, just ditch the fanny pack.

4) Don’t Try to See and Do Everything. Recognize that you won’t be able to see and do it all, so don’t even try. Better to choose a few things and enjoy them without being exhausted or rushed to see or do the next thing. Lean out of your inner tourist, get lost and wander down some unexpected roads, and enjoy the experience.

5) Take Photos of Everything. When you’re on your trip, you should take photos of everything, so you don’t forget anything. You will look back on those photos for a lifetime. You can also post each place you visit on your accounts so others can travel along with you.

RETURNING • EST. 2007

6) Don’t Go Crazy With Photos. Go against expectations and don’t worry about trying to capture everything on your phone. Enjoy the places you’ll be in and the experiences you’ll have while there. Rather than taking a photo, find a souvenir or write in a journal. If you’re traveling to a place where you’ll be spending time outdoors, take time to make a memory by doing the following while standing in one place with your eyes closed: 1) Listen to everything; focus in on each sound one-by-one; 2) Take in the scents; 3) If you are near water, drink it; 4) If you are near a tree, touch it, or pick some dirt and rub it in your hands; 5) Open your eyes and ponder what you behold, giving thanks to God who created and sustains all things. In other words, don’t waste your trip by living through your phone’s lens and screen; just be present while you’re there, in whatever way it looks like in the moment.

Well, I suppose travel advice does depend on quite a few different factors. So, enjoy your upcoming travels in any way you can, and may they be blessed.

Blessings,

Mr. Donnowitz

DR. ROSHEGER’S OBSCURE LATIN PHRASE OF THE QUARTER: “Potestatem obscuri lateris nescitis! Non sit vis vobiscum!”

You do not know the power of the dark side! May the force not be with you!

Horn-O’Brien (editor)

Jacob Goodman (editor) Mazzy

Sopris Og lesby

Emma Malkows ki

(editor)

William Pickle Will Crews

Hailey Kirchner (design + concept)

Claire Coultress (content + managing)

Lindsay Lee (photography) Suzi Nilsson (marketing)

Ella Dillinger (editor)

Ella Grace Owens

Caroline Pickle Emrey Taylor

Malyn Arnold

Abigail Bussey

Harper Deimund