TECH
AI AND MEME COINS
2029
CULTURE
TRENDS AND EVENTS
SPORTS
SALARY CAP, GOAT DEBATES, LOSING TEAMS, AND COLLEGE RECRUITING
THE IMPACT OF A.I.
A.I. is being integrated into our society: how will this affect the future of school and work?
MEME COINS
Meme coins are a different type of cryptocurrency and are associated with scams . . . are they?
JUBILEE
The year of forgiveness and hope
Learn what people have to say about Pufeer Jackets MEMES
Learn about the biggest memes of 2025 so far
Teams like the Dodgers and Real Madrid have taken over their sports because they have the most money. Can they be stopped?
JORDAN V. LEBRON (PODCAST)
Who’s the NBA’s GOAT? Tune in to this podcast on the Jordan v. James argument
Learn the in and outs of the athlete
2029
PHOTOGRAPHERS
GRANT DUNBAR
PARKER PURCELL
ROMAN STATIUKHA
MS. KNUTSON
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
SAMMY BARTLE
NOAH BRANZUELA
NOLAN BROWN
HUDSON DIRIENZO
GRANT DUNBAR
ELISEO FAJARDO
COLIN GOLDEN
HENRY HACKFORD
ELIOT MATTA
ANTHONY NORCINI
VINNIE RIZZO
ASHER SILVERSMITH
ROMAN STATIUKHA
IVY VON SELDENECK
FROM THE INSTRUCTOR
Greetings, readers!
In “Digital Publishing,” we start from the premise that media-making offers a powerful way to engage with people in and beyond our immediate surroundings. We examine the qualities of newsworthiness (proximity, timeliness, relevance, human interest, problem/solution, conflict/controversy). We study the structure of news articles. We research and interview members of our community, and we consider the perspectives that different readers might bring to our stories. We’re continually mindful that digital media is about more than words: visual features matter and are a core part of telling any story.
This trimester’s students have floored me with their willingness to go beyond their comfort zones. They’ve communicated with a range of interviewees and community members about a broad spectrum of topics, from advances in A.I. to the college sports recruiting process. And — because of snow days and special all-school events — they’ve done so in record time.
I hope you enjoy reading these articles as much as I enjoyed guiding students through the process of writing them!
With appreciation, Julie Knutson
TECH
The Impact of A.I.
BY ELIOT MATTA AND ANTHONY NORCINI
School is Changing
A.I. IS BECOMING A REALITY IN ACADEMICS IN THE NEAR FUTURE
School: the place we all know for our times spent learning, studying . . . and wishing for the day to be over. But recently, schools have been seeing a large shift in focus. This turning point has been sparked by generative A.I. As A.I. takes a more prominent role in society and our schools, many debate how A.I. can be harnessed for its educational benefits while also considering how students can harness it for cheating. One of these teachers is Mr. Kirker, a CEL teacher, entrepreneur, and A.I. expert. Mr. Kirker has fully embraced the school’s shift in A.I. and has revamped his high school CEL app development class into a class based on how A.I. works. He explains,
“I want to make sure that we understand when you open up ChatGPT, what’s at least at an elementary level is happening? And what strengths and weaknesses are there?”
With these questions, Mr. Kirker and his upper school CEL class will engage with what the future of education — and work — will look like.
AI and the Job Market
Many wonder what the future is for human work when soon, A.I. will do what many jobs are meant for. A.I. is predicted to consume the jobs of the computer science industry and technical support centers. The automation of work very well could be handy, but on the flipside, what work will humans do when all the hard work can be handled by universal tools like ChatGPT? Logically, the only way to truly harness the capability of generative A.I. is to use it as a tool rather than a crutch. Mr. Glassman, Director of the CEL (Center of Entrepreneurial Leadership), explains how job acceptance has changed:
"Ten years ago, computer science jobs were plentiful. Major technology companies were desperate for engineers. Now they are drawing back those jobs, as AI can substitute much of the work of an entry-level coder."
Once many jobs are taken by A.I., then eventually only the jobs that support or make new A.I. will exist. This will severely limit the future in creativity and originality, in which A.I. is trained off of our ideas recycling our ideas in an infinite loop. Jobs that may survive this initial purge are jobs with human interaction like insurance brokers, teachers, and artists (somewhat).
How will the students of today prepare for their cryptic, perhaps A.I.-filled future? Mr. Glassman draws what we should expect in the future of A.I integration,
“I think part of what we expect for a student at SCH is that they'll be able to differentiate between AI used in ways that make them more productive and concise and creative, versus AI that makes them lazier . . . our students will be able to make smart choices about when and where to use it.”
Students should embrace A.I. and use it as a productive resource to enhance their academic capabilities rather than relying on it for an instant answer. A.I. can truly be used to its fullest potential if we harness it with the right mindset
Students will have learn to use A.I. to their advantage
Teachers are learning to use A.I. to enhance their classes in creative ways as the technology advances in the future.
Meme coins
By: Asher Silversmith
Value of top 3 meme coins by monthly Google
Crypto coins are a new way to invest that is gaining popularity. However, a shady type of coin is emerging: meme coins. I will show the risks of investing in this new type of digital currency and answer the question: Are they scams?
Meme coins started as a joke and were not pump and dump* schemes. The first meme coins were popular but were never meant to be big. They were meant to be a joke, and people invested in them because they thought it would be funny. The first meme coins were, DOGECOIN (DOGE) and SHIBA INU (SHIB), created in late 2013. The coins did not cost much and people would buy many shares of them, but they would not do too well. They were not scams though. Now, many coins are promoted by influencers and most of the coins are sold by them when the value of the coin gets high.
Mr. Kirker, a CEL teacher at SCH says that the popularity of these new currencies is because of how easy they are to make. “Say I want to go on Ethereum and create a new cryptocurrency, but it's not worth anything unless somebody else buys it. So the game that they all play is they all try to, for novelty or for whatever reason, convince other people to purchase them.”
Anonymous people create meme coins which are usually minted quickly these people can control how many coins there are and can make the value go up or down, but it depends on people investing in the coin.
This is why meme coins and other cryptocurrencies are not worth much, but people will also invest in them because of this. People invest in low-value coins because they are easy to double and if you invest at the right time you can double your money. Even though there are so many coins and a lot of them have to be bought because they are so cheap with one penny you can be able to buy 100,000 coins for some of the cheap coins for example PEPE or SHIB. However, you still need other people to buy them to go up.
People usually invest in meme coins when they are first released and that is when the coin goes up in value the most, because of people promoting them. Still, they are usually rug pulls* and it is hard to make money from them because the majority of the coin is sold fast so the value goes down.
Asher Silversmith
NFTfromtheBoredApeYachtClubCollection(BAYC) iscurrentlyvaluedataround15Ethereumorabout $36,000. (Imagesourcedfromgoogle)
“If you can gamble on NFTs, you can gamble on cryptocurrencies, but I would not consider them investments.”
- Mr Kirker
NFTs are very similar to meme coins. The main difference is that NFTs are digital art and can have value even though someone can just take a picture of the NFT. When buying coins you own a percentage of the overall coin.
The similarity between NFT and cryptocurrency is that they're both built on blockchain technology, a specific type of arrangement of a centralized organization and audit. The difference is that with NFTs, there is actual ownership that the buyer gets. With an NFT, you own a digital asset, which is the artwork. However, when you buy a meme coin or any cryptocurrency, there's nothing tangible you get ownership of.
The difference between coins and stocks is that stocks are backed by companies and crypto is not. Investing in stocks is more reliable because large companies rely on their stock another example is the US dollar. The US dollar is backed by the government and everyone has them and believes in the currency.
Mr. Kirker explains, “Cryptocurrencies are not underpinned by any of that actual real-world value. The dollar is a made-up thing. The difference is that meme coins don't have the support of an entire multi-trillion government, so the US dollar, that's actually real.”
Meme coins are hard to predict unlike stocks which are easier to predict because people can pull money from meme coins randomly and the creator of the coin can just abandon the project whereas stocks are backed by companies and the dollar is backed by the government.
Meme coins are usually scams and are unpredictable only invest in them for fun not to make money, because most of the time you will lose money.
CULTURE
PUFFER JACKETS DOMINATE WINTER FASHION AT SCH
PHOTO BY: GRANT DUNBAR
YEAR OF HOPE: THE JUBILEE
The year when sins are forgiven and you are cleansed of your wrongdoings
QUICK HISTORY
One day 700 years ago, the leader of one of the biggest religions at the time—Roman Catholicism—decided to create a period of forgiveness where disputes are settled, arguments are put out, and sins are made up for.
Pope Boniface VII was the creator of the Jubilee, when he made the year long celebration he originally planned to host it every 50 years. After 100 years the new Pope, Pope Urban VI, decided to change the time to every 33 years, for that was the average human lifespan in 1400, it was also the age at which Jesus Christ died. It later changed again to every 25 years.
When asked about why prominent celebrations such as the Jubilee are important features to religions, SCH history teacher and 8th grade dean Edward Malandro says:
“The wait time between celebrations allows for growth and reflection making each milestone all the more significant. Spacing out jubilees or anniversaries prevents them from becoming routine, ensuring they remain special and meaningful when they do occur.”
The origination of the Jubilee also has deep roots in the Jewish religion and the practice of forgiveness and mercy.
PREPARATIONS IN ROME
This Jubilee Year, in order to give the best experience to pilgrims and tourists that are coming from over the world, Rome spent around 4 - 4.5 Billion Euros on the restoration of architecture and creation of new metros, bus stops, and landscaping.
Y
The National Catholic Register reports that 32 million pilgrims will visit Rome this Jubilee
ST.PETER'SBASILICAISITSELFAMAJORPILGRIMAGESITEFORROMANCATHOLICS.
Biggest memes of 2025
I know you've all been wondering, what is the most massive meme of the Big 25? Two major candidates for this position are “Tweaker” by Gelo and the Low Taper Fade meme. These two memes are unique in their way. Let's start by talking about the Low Taper Fade. It all started during a two-hour livestream session on Twitch with singer and songwriter, Ericdoa. During this livestream, Ericdoa said the soon-to-be-famous words, "Imagine if Ninja got a Low Taper Fade.” In this, he was referring to the streamer Ninja and the popular haircut, the Low Taper Fade. Before Ericdoa knew it, this meme would become one of the most massive memes at the time. The meme is so massive that most students learned about it, and we interviewed one of them, Henry Hackford. “The meme is just so massive,” Henry said. The word “massive” is also a big part of the Low Taper Fade meme. The word “massive” refers to the Ninja “dragging” the meme so it stays popular. The word “massive” is one of the reasons that people even still talk about the meme today. The Low Taper Fade meme is one of the reasons people connect and become friends, because it provides a sense of inclusion and curiosity to everyone who hears it and uses it in everyday life.
BY NOAH BRANZUELA AND SAM BARTLE
LIANGELO BALL WEARING HIS FATHER’S BRAND (BIG BALLER BRAND)
NINJA DRAGGING THE LOW TAPER FADE MEME
Now, the moment you've all been anticipating: which meme is bigger? We held a survey, and the results were nothing but entertaining. The final result showed that 62.5% of students thought the Low Taper Fade was bigger than the 37.5% of students who voted for LiAngelo Ball. This shows that more students think that the Low Taper Fade meme is bigger than Tweaker by LiAngelo Ball.
AT RIGHT: RESULTS OF THE SURVEY WE PUT OUT TO 8TH GRADE STUDENTS ASKING WHICH MEME IS MORE POPULAR
“I MIGHT SWERVE BEND THAT CORNER WOAH
WOAH”LIANGELO BALL
The other contender for the biggest meme of 2025 is the song “Tweaker” by LiAngelo Ball. This song quickly became one of the most enjoyed and popular songs after it was released. The song begins with the iconic words, “I might swerve bend that corner woah woah,” and although these words might not make a lot of sense, they sure are popular. Another reason “Tweaker” is popular is because of LiAngelo Ball's family, which consists of two all-star NBA players (who are his brothers) and his dad, who is a very popular public figure and is known for his “hot” takes. Like the Low Taper Fade meme, Tweaker is also very well known among middle schoolers. Ivy Von Seldeneck, a lover of music, said, “When I heard the ‘Woah Woah’, it just elevated my music experience.”
The Story Behind Puffers
One bitterly cold January day, we came to school without jackets. This prompted a debate about a wardrobe essential: The Puffer Jacket. We took this debate to our classmates and asked, “Which jacket has the best style and the most warmth?” We interviewed three people about their favorite Puffer Jackets from North Face, Canada Goose, and Polo.
“Puffer jackets make the winter feel like summer”
Parker “I like the puffer because not only does it keep you warm but its also very fashionable.”
Carter
“I like puffer jackets because it keeps me really warm during the winter”
David
Canada
SPORTS
How the Salary Cap Makes Sports Better
BY ELISEO FAJARDO
“The legend continues!” commentator Jose Mourihno exclaimed as Vinicius Jr. netted a late goal to seal Real Madrid’s record 15th Champions League title on June 1st, 2024. Opposing side Borussia Dortmund (BVB) looked overmatched throughout the game as they faced the greatest club in football history. They were dominated by a starting eleven that fielded Jude Bellingham, Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Dani Carvajal, among others. Los Blanco’s annual salary was almost double that of BVB at 270 million USD!
So how can that be fair? If one side has more finances to sign better talent, they should have a clear-cut advantage. Any of the players in Real Madrid's lineup would have been the best on a smaller club team.
The obvious solution to this dilemma is a rule that regulates the amount of money a team can spend.
Enter: the salary cap.
Images:
Top- Real Madrid has used their substantial resources to acquire the best players in the world, including Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, and Mbappe. The salary cap could prevent this.
Bottom- The Celtics have exploited the soft cap utilized in the NBA to sign Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to max contracts. The star power pushed them to an NBA Finals victory.
Image Sourcing: Houston Chronicle, SI, Boston Herald, Football España, Marca.com
The salary cap was first introduced in a limited form by the NBA in the 1984-5 season. It has since been used around the world, most successfully by the NFL. Other leagues include the NHL and a luxury tax in the NBA. In The Economics of Sports Michael Leeds states, “With an effective salary cap, each club has roughly the same economic power to attract players. This results in roughly equal playing talent in each team in the league, and in turn brings economic benefits to the league and to its individual teams.”
This is the main impact of the salary cap: the parity between teams. It ensures that a wealthy team like the Cowboys in the NFL could still miss the playoffs, like this year. The salary cap can fix all the inequalities in sports. The NFL is the richest, most interesting league in the world because it has the cap. Features like the salary cap and free agency make sure every team has equal spending power and ability to attract talent. Even if a team has a bad season, they can get higher draft picks to get the best players out of college to help them improve. One example is the Houston Texans, who after a 3-13-1 season drafted Will Anderson, CJ Stroud, and Tank Dell with draft picks and improved to 10-7. Andres Fajardo, lifetime sports fan, remarks “In the case of the NFL I'm a real fan of the salary cap and that has made it such that there is much more equality.. ” This shows the growing popularity of the cap among fans.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, reigning World Series Champions, are the best team in the MLB for a reason. They have the most star power. Why? Because they have the most money to sign them. Some of the best players they have signed recently include Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. They won the world series with incredible talent such as Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez. The 3 Japanese stars are pictured to the right.
“WELL, I THINK THEY SHOULD ALL HAVE SALARY CAPS. I THINK THE WORST CASE IN THE US IS THE MLB, WHERE YOU HAVE AN EXTREMELY WEALTHY CLUB SUCH AS THE YANKEES WHICH HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BUY ALL THE BEST PLAYERS VS. A SMALL MARKET TEAM SUCH AS ONE OF MY FAVORITE TEAMS, THE OAKLAND A’S.” -ANDRES FAJARDO
The Texans went from worst to first in the AFC South due to drafting CJ Stroud, Tank Dell and Will Anderson in the 2023 NFL Draft and made their first playoff appearance since 2019. In 2024, they added superstars Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon in free agency and won their division in consecutive years for only the 4th time in franchise history.
So, why doesn’t everyone have a salary cap? The MLB had a player’s strike when they tried to introduce the cap. Andres Fajardo quips, “I think the worst case in the US is the MLB, where you have an extremely wealthy club such as the Yankees which have a large amount of money to buy all the best players vs. a small market team such as one of my favorite teams, the Oakland A’s.”
Guess which teams made the last World Series? The two richest: the Dodgers and Yankees. They boast the most buying power, and consequently the most talent. If there was a salary cap, they would not be able to retain all of these players. The Dodgers in particular have been the most active club the past few offseason moves. They signed Shohei Ohtani, the best player in the league, to a 10 year, 700 million dollar contract. They also signed the two most coveted players out of the Japanese baseball leagues, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. They won the World Series with incredible talent such as Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Teoscar Hernandez and added even more this offseason such as Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.
The NBA has a modified version of the cap that several leagues employ, the soft cap. This allows teams to go over based on rules in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. This allows teams like the Bucks to pair superstars with mega deals such as Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokoumpo. The Celtics have the two highest paid players in the league, perennial All-Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. This cap is only partially helpful compared to the NFL’s hard cap.
So, every league should follow the NFL, right? The NFL makes it so the core of your team is star power but you have to find role players to fill other spots and enhance the core. It also makes it so that when a dynasty is born, it is a rare occurrence and is appreciated more. For example, when the Chiefs won back-to-back Super Bowls, it was impressive because they made their core better with role players like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Isiah Pacheco.
The Debatriots Present
According to Forbes, LeBron James earns more than $80 million a year from endorsements. That’s on top of his salary of $48.7 million. Scan this for the Podcast
Our podcast debates relevant topics across the world. The first of these exciting topics is this: who is the GOAT — or greatest player of all time — of basketball.
Biggest Losers
BY PARKER PURCELL AND VINNIE RIZZO
PHOTOS: CANVA STOCK IMAGES
How could the Buffalo Bills possibly lose four Super Bowls in a row?
THE BILLS 4 SUPER BOWL LOSSES FROM A DIE HARD FAN’S PERSPECTIVE.
Will the Bills Super Bowl loss streak end in 2026? In a Feb. 11, 2025 article, Fox News Sports predicted that the Bills will take the title next year.
How did the Buffalo Bills manage to lose 4 Super Bowls in a row?
From the years 1991 to 1994, the Bills lost 4 super bowls in a row. This was tragic for Bills fans, players and coaches.
We asked Upper School science teacher Lisa Queeno — a lifelong Bills fan — if losing four Super Bowls in a row affected her or any members of her family. Queeno explained, “I was too young, but my family was bummed. My parents would talk about the Jim Kelly era of the Buffalo Bills like it was their golden period.”
There could be multiple reasons why they lost. The mental aspect of the game plays a huge factor when you lose four Super Bowls in a row. Some players might have lost total confidence, and some players would've thought there was no way they would win.
This year, the Bills made it to the AFC Championship, rekindling the hopes of fans. However, they lost 32 to 29.
“WATCHING THE EAGLES DESTROY THE CHIEFS IN THE SUPER BOWL WAS VERY SATISFYING.”
- LISA QUEENO
On the loss Ms. Queeno commented, “I was frustrated and upset after our loss to the Chiefs. But, they outplayed us. Yes, Josh Allen is amazing, but I wasn't completely surprised that we lost because the rest of the team did not perform at their best (and to be honest, Josh made some mistakes in that game, too). The Chiefs are a great team and we need to be on our Agame if we want to beat them in the future.”
Queeno continued to note, “I hope to see Josh Allen perform at the same intensity, and I hope that our defense continues to improve. Our defense has been a weak point and I think other teams know it and capitalize on it when they have the ball. I also hope to see more varied offensive plays that utilize a variety of positions.”
PHOTO: CANVA STOCK
College Recruiting
WRITTEN BY: HENRY HACKFORD AND HUDSON DIRIENZO
In the highly competitive world of sports, athlete recruiting has transformed into a strategic battleground where talent, dedication, and vision collide, shaping the future of teams and athletes. Here are some ways a D1 Athlete and a competitive high school coach navigate the process.
We interviewed Texas A&M track and field commit, Stefon Dodoo. We also had the opportunity to interview SCH Boys Basketball coach Julian McFadden. During these conversations, we got their insights on the biggest factors of college sports. These topics include NIL, deciding where to go, motivation, and much more. When asked what the hardest part about deciding where to go for college, SCH senior Stefon Dodoo, an AAU national champion in track and field who committed to Texas A&M explained,
“Probably the coaches . . . I visited University of Florida, Texas A&M, Arizona State, and University of Tennessee, and all the coaches were very great to me. But I had to make one choice, and what fit me the best was the 800-meter group and the 800meter coach. And Coach Aaron, he's a coach. I'm going to Texas A&M. And, you know, he won the Olympics in 1988. And he's just a great role model for me. And I feel like for the next four years he'll be a great coach for me.” This is great information and very helpful for many.
“Music
for me is always a go, you know, I can't run good without music.”
Stefon Dodoo
-
Recently, a basketball coach and mentor for many, Mr. McFadden and his family received great news: his son Julian committed to Syracuse for football. When asked to explain NIL and how it has changed the college world for not only his son—but for all athletes —he noted, “ So name, image, and likeness, in my own words, is essentially: I can get paid for the ability that I was blessed with from the time that I was born. So Julian McFadden, my son, [is a] really good receiver; he’s now capable of earning money based on his own name.”
He continued to explain that college sports has even made its way into the gaming world with EA College Football. McFadden also reflected on his time as a high school and college athlete, stating, “A lot of those athletes were not getting paid for what was going on in the game, and the game was really popular. So there was a bunch of money circulating in college sports. Now that money is even bigger than before, and now they're giving the kids an opportunity to be able to tap into that money.”
During Mr. McFadden’s time here at SCH he has personally coached and mentored many great athletes that went on to play in college. When we asked him how as a coach can you help athletes get recognized by college coaches, he had this to say, “So I do a couple things. I email coaches pretty often. I’ll call people. I’ll text them. I try to tell [my athletes] to get their twitter kind of rolling.”
He continues to note the importance of teams outside of school, explaining, “You’ve got to be on the right AAU team. Because sometimes, some teams aren’t going to some of the bigger events that coaches are going to be at. I think a lot of it is kind of networking; putting yourself out there and talking to people. Especially sending emails on your own as a student-athlete. But for coaches, I think it’s just about having great relationships with people.”
In summary, to have the best chance to be recruited you should decide what situation fits you the best, which school can provide the best opportunities for you on and off the field, get film and social medias up and running as early as possible, and especially remember to keep on working and improving so you get better every single day.
“You know, always be on your best behavior . . . always always work 110% . . . keep working . . . just keep working.”
- Stefon Dodoo
COACH MCFADDEN (CENTER) CELEBRATES HIS 100TH VICTORY AS AN SCH COACH (PHOTO: SCH MARKETING)
BY THE STUDENTS OF 8B
BY MS. KNUTSON, PARKER PURCELL, AND CANVA STOCK
Learning Highlights
The Cubist Guitar project with Mrs. Callas during the second trimester was a great experience and chance for students to express their creativity and skill. In this activity kids got to help each other out and help with each other's project forming bonds and friendship. Using tools was a really big part of the project. As people were building and nailing the wood, they also learned about how different parts of the wood are heavy and light parts. The main point of this project was to show off your creativity and pay attention to the artist who created this style of art. - R.S.
PHOTOS
Learning how to manage money and what being out of college would be like was a great learning experience in Mr. Glassman’s “Money Matters” class. It was a brief look at what life would look like after our first year of college. We learned about how to calculate taxes, what homes we would live in, what we would be spending our money on, and most importantly what job we got. I personally chose to be a Finance Administrator in Montgomery County who attended Penn State for 4 years. - H.D.
One of my favorite learning experience was in 7th grade English at the end of the year when we did the play “The Stealer.” It was great because it brought the year to a close in a calm and fun way. - A.N.
FTC Robotics with mentors Mrs. Larkin and Mr. Kilbane offered a fun and engaging experience to everyone. Robotics educated its students with team building and creative strategy, and with the help of mentors we learned complex coding and building knowledge. The fun and exciting competition between other robotics teams in the local area gave a true challenge for those truly invested. - E.M.
2029
