Lead Op-ed Editor: Fatoumata Barry

Senior Profiles

Leave Your Mark

By Fatouma Barry

September 3, 2025 marks the start of a new school year, and for many seniors, including myself, it also marks the very beginning of a new and fresh chapter in our lives. With things like college applications, financial aid, prom, and the start of college for many in the fall, it’s a time of new and interesting experiences. It’s a kind of excitement and intensity that leaves you worried and nauseous but also electrified because there's so much more to know about-- well-- everything. No one understands this intensity yet excitement more than these four seniors at our very own Carteret High School, who we have gathered here today to answer some questions regarding this upcoming school year and their futures outside our school walls. Each has a unique character and coming from different backgrounds, which can give us a brief insight into the different characteristics of our Carteret seniors.

The first senior we sat down with was Kristie Pereira. When asked what her goals were for this year she states, “I hope to do well academically just to close off my high school career. I [also] hope to lock in for college applications and figure out where I am going and how I’ll get there.” These are sentiments shared by many seniors. "Getting there" is a daunting task.

Photo by Aisha Diallo

Photo by Ms. caldarola

Similarly, Skylynn Martines also states, “[My goal] For the school year [is] cutting down my procrastination. Getting my school work in on time.” When asked the question of what they’re interested in and where she planned on attending, Skylynn says,” I do want to go to college or trade school. Theres a lot of different options out there. But I’m leaning more towards trade school and becoming an ultrasound technician.” Contrastingly, Kristie stated, “I want to do high school history education. Where will I be attending? I've been looking at some schools but I'm not quite sure as to where I want to [go].” The last sentence is something I (a senior, myself) relate to the most. I’ve gotten so comfortable in being at this school that the fact that I’ll be leaving in a few months hasn’t properly hit me and I’m still stuck on where I’d like to go.

Confusion I believe is a huge part of high school. You’re always trying to find out where you can fit amongst the crowd and what you’re going to do. I understand that feeling better than anyone, as a good part of my high school experience was roaming around and trying to find my place; these days, I’m at a place where I’ve found my people and my crowd and I feel like clubs are such a huge part of that.

When we asked Daiancy Aquino (who’s quite known for being in everything) how many clubs she was in, she laughed stating, “I’m involved in pretty much everything aside from drama club.” We also asked her what club she was most proud of being in and she told us, “Definitely being president of NHS, being Officer for STEM, the drum major for the marching band, the leadership positions I have.” Most certainly, these are accomplishments worthy of pride.

Photo by Aisha Diallo

We asked a similar question to another student, Ikenna Edoh, about a club that he was very proud of, which was The Black Student Union Club. When asked what he was most proud of, he stated, “Last year we had only 16 members. We now have about 60 members which I’m really excited for.” It's not easy to build a small club up into a space in which students feel safe, accepted, and able to be heard. However, students like Ikenna are doing just that.

We also asked them how they managed all these clubs the way that they do, which is something that I myself am still trying to figure out. Daiancy states similarly, “I’m still trying to figure that out, but the things I do now I don’t do them just to them, I actually enjoy the thing I’m doing. I wouldn’t do them if I didn’t.”-- A sentiment I think we all can get behind. In school we’re sometimes put in classes that we don’t always enjoy, but with clubs I feel there's so much flexibility and you're allowed to do something you like, which is super important in my eyes.

While we are at the beginning of senior year there are so many things to look forward to as the year slowly comes to a close. I know that I’m particularly excited to see where I end up going, which at the moment is something I’m quite anxious about, but it's a journey I'm quite excited to see unravel. When asked about how her high school experience was, Kristie states, “Some people hate high school, which is okay, but I had a pretty great experience." On the contrary, when asked Ikenna had one interesting word to describe his experience: “Perplexed.” I found this a little funny because it’s not a word most high schoolers would think of when describing high school; however, he further continues, “[In regards to finding his high school experience perplexing,] in my high school career I’ve always tried to do something different. Senior year is about learning more about myself, seeing how far it’ll take me.” For Ikenna, and many of us a "perplexed" high school experience equates a layered and nuanced travel through these last four years.

High school truly is a strange world. There are so many things happening at once to different people, and sometimes it feels like we have no one. I know when I started going to Carteret, initially I felt so isolated because I was new to a town where everyone knew each other since they were practically in diapers. I was also someone at the time that didn't know how to put myself out there, so I was scared and so lonely. I thought I’d spend my high school career sitting at a lunch table all by myself and was pretty convinced I was the only one who felt I didn’t have a place or that the worries about my grades, friendships, and colleges were just strictly something only I worried about constantly. However, that's far from the truth. While our experiences will never be the same, our worries, happiness, hopes, and pride, as seniors of Carteret High School, fall slightly into the same category because at the end of the day (or the end of these four years), we're all part of the same community-- and that's something I find quite comforting.

Color Association

By Yuvraj Singh Multani

Photo by Ms. Caldarola

Have you ever seen a color and associated it with something? Think about it, and think about it hard. You may think of many things, such as different sports and different genres being specific colors, but one of the most common among them all is different school subjects being certain colors. I'm certain nearly all of us associate math with the color red.

Think about this: What color do you believe every subject is? I believe that math would be red, science would be green, language arts would be blue, and history would be orange. You may disagree; you may not. Regardless, we associate colors with things, and subjects happen to be one of them.

Let's take a statistical approach to this. According to a study conducted by Joe Hallock, people believe that blue is the best color. In contrast, I asked a couple of my friends, and the most popular answer from them was red. Out of the 6 friends I asked, 3 of them said their favorite color was red.

Despite the statistics showing what people believe, everyone is different. I'm sure many of you are outraged about the fact that blue is considered the “Defacto best color.” However, statistics are just numbers. I want to hear what you guys think, do you too believe that blue is the best? Or do you believe that another color reigns superior?

Now, moving on from all of this talk of favorite colors. I have to ask, what do you believe is the worst color? Many people get into arguments over this. I, too, am someone who fell victim to such thoughts. A common answer amongst people I asked was brown. However, I believe that orange is actually the worst color. Every color has something that makes it special; however, orange is just there. It has no purpose; it's just “oh hey I'm that one color.” You may disagree with this, but to me, you can argue with the wall. Orange is the worst.

Another very interesting thing about colors is their effect on moods. Red causes people to be quick and make hasty decisions, perhaps even inciting panic. In contrast, blue puts some people at ease. What makes me curious is what you think the color of each mood is? It reveals a lot about how someone thinks, and you may even find out some things about yourself.

Something that puts people deep in thought is the color of music genres. That's right, music genres. Think about it, do you also associate music with colors? It's like how I believe metal is absolutely red, while jazz would be yellow. Rock would be blue, and indie I could see being a shade of green. It's quite fascinating to think about: how deeply color influences us so deeply.

Photo by Ms. Caldarola

Now then, I've beaten around the bush long enough. I'm certain by now, you've had a multitude of examples of how color influences the human brain. From the association to emotional differences that colors may have on a person. Now why exactly do you think our brains associate colors with everything? According to an article I read, our brains associate colors with things through evolutionary responses, and personal experiences. Expanding on that, it could be based on what you see in the world around you, and how you view the world as well. The next time you're feeling a certain mood or listening to a particular song or thinking about a class subject, ask yourself this: What color represents it the best? What color represents you?

Does Social Media Affect Our Way of Life and Morals?

By Japjeep Kaur Multani

As society gets more advanced, so does our access to information and media. We have articles, books, audiobooks, and news channels at every corner. Not only that, as a nation, we have the freedom to express our own opinions through these forms of media. However, does the type of media we consume affect us? Does this affect the way we see certain things? Our opinions? Our values? Our political views?

Disinformation and Propaganda

Propaganda is one key factor that has helped shape many people's views. It is very effective in swaying people’s opinions, sometimes, you won’t even know you’re consuming it! Many scholars warn people away from propagandic information. Though, many people believe that propaganda by itself isn’t wrong. Many activists use propaganda to raise awareness and call for action for social justice. While propaganda does have good effects, like social progress, and health campaigning, when a dangerous ingredient is added to the recipe, it becomes dangerous. And that ingredient is disinformation.

From using false statistics, to spreading false lies about a certain person or group, misinformation runs deep into our media. Sometimes, we don’t even know disinformation is mixed in propaganda. With the rise of social media use, the spread of misinformation comes with it. As many groups start coming together, people start to seek affirmation within these like-minded groups, creating echo chambers for these spaces. As a result many traditional social institutions such as schools, churches, and community organizations, which people used to turn to to get credible and unbiased information, are now weakened.

Photo by Ms. Caldarola

Now, I won’t act like I’m not a victim of disinformation myself. I spend at least 7 hours on social media, it is impossible not to pick up on disinformation. And I can’t say you aren’t a victim either. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t limit ourselves to solutions. Always look up for credible resources, and watch out for any false propagandic buzzwords. And make sure to ALWAYS cite your sources.

Photo by Ms. Caldarola

Celebrity Worshiping and "It's Not That Deep."

We all have a popular figure we look up to. Whether it’s a musician, or an actor, there is always someone we admire. However, when does it become too much? When does this admiration become something we call parasocial? To the point where it starts showing negative effects?

While celebrity recognition should be normalized worldwide, celebrity idolization shouldn’t. You see, when a person idolizes a celebrity, generally they long for a similar life as that said celebrity. As a result, they start setting unrealistic expectations for themselves. This contributes to low self esteem, mental health issues, eating disorders, and other problems.

Another problem with celebrity idolization, that is commonly noticed, is the excusing of awful behaviors. I see this a lot in many different genres of music (especially in the K-pop industry, as a K-pop fan myself). Many people tend to defend a celebrity’s awful behavior, by coming up with poor, weak excuses. When news came out that one popular singer-songwriter and rapper (who I will not name) has been convicted of felony assault for attacking his then girlfriend, many of his fans, especially his female fans, quickly jumped to his side, with the defense “he’s just a violent man!” But eventually the fan base just stopped caring, with the defense, “it is not that deep.” The “it is not that deep” mindset (to serious topics) is a VERY dangerous mindset to have. It is ALWAYS that deep, and it will always be until the end of man.

And the phrase isn’t just to refer to celebrity drama, it also goes back to privilege. Many of the fortunate and privileged tend to use the popular phrase it is not that deep to dismiss social, racial, and gender issues that don’t concern them. As a result “it is not that deep” is used to deny the reality of systemic inequality. And if that isn’t the case, then the lack of empathy nowadays might play a key role in the phrase. The phrase suggests refusal to acknowledge the truths about society and how the systems of prejudice and discrimination make it harder for marginalized groups to live.

Now, I don’t say to feel sad that you’re privileged, I am very privileged myself. However, we should never deny the fact that we are privileged, and once im while recognizing the problems others have to face through racism, sexism, classism, and other forms of prejudice. In other words, just be grateful.

Conclusion

Now, I won’t say that I’m not a victim for all the things I’ve discussed. I am a victim of propaganda, I do have a celebrity that I worship, and there are some times where I catch myself saying, “it is not that deep” (not to serious issues). However these nine words can perfectly explain why I am doing my best to reach my message out to you and it summarizes my whole article perfectly: consume the media, don’t let the media consume you.

Smells Like Teen Apathy

By Rafaelle Martis

When you get to high school, you become open to new opportunities and activities that you weren’t able to get before. Yet, there's also a stereotype that teenagers are glued to their phones and don’t want to participate in anything. This raises the question, “Is school spirit dead?” Or can lack of teen spirit be mistaken for teen apathy?

With all this talk of school spirit, one may ask oneself, “What is the point of school spirit?” What better person to ask about school spirit than Mariah Muniz, the captain of Carteret’s cheerleading team – a symbol of school spirit? Upon our conversation, she explained that school itself is so draining, with all the tests and the stress of eventually applying to colleges, “Without school spirit, it’s just a bunch of kids going through their classes wishing they were home,” but the one time they are able to let out their passion and come together and share a commonality can bring more community; therefore, spreading love. When thinking of school spirit, I think of football games and cheerleaders; however, there is so much more you can do to participate in school spirit. Mariah Muniz stated that you can participate in school spirit by “Participating in spirit week, getting involved in clubs and sports, and coming up with fun ideas for the school. For example, this year some seniors came together wanting a senior sunrise, and with the support of the principals and help from the class moms, they made it happen, and it went perfectly. We made so many memories and felt closer to each other from that one day.” With that, I do believe that participating in school spirit is important, and no matter the size, it does make a difference within our school.

Anne Scott Blue Press Photography Team

However, despite all these reasons to participate in school spirit, many choose not to for various reasons. While the school offers a variety of activities for a wide range of interests, some of the school events are not suited for everyone. After talking to Micaila Lightener, she expresses, “I personally go to the games that I am able to with my friends, but sometimes it can feel boring or repetitive, so I choose not to go.” I personally understand that statement since some events that the school holds are not catered towards everyone, but one specific group. Even though it’s not the school's fault since it’s impossible to please everyone, it can be isolating at times. What you can do if you want to be a part of school activities, but you don’t associate yourself with any of the extracurriculars that the school offers, you can take it upon yourself and start a club that makes you feel comfortable. You never know, you could begin a club that could be that club that helps someone else feel supported throughout the school.

The first and only football game I’ve attended this season was the last home game, which also served as Senior Night. To my surprise, the stands were packed. As a viewer, I did feel the passion from the cheerleaders and the sentiment behind this game as they were celebrating their seniors. During this game, I asked the Carteret Bands Drum Major, Daiancy Aquino’s Mom, Katherine Aquino, what she felt when she saw her daughter directing the band, knowing that this is the last game, and that people were impressed with her performance. She expressed that, “It makes me satisfied that I know that she’s busy and the applause makes me feel like what she has worked for is worth it.” As someone who does not usually attend games and shows school spirit, it puts into perspective how school spirit affects not just the school as a whole, but also reaches certain individuals.

Even if I may not be attending every game and wearing Rambler blue whenever I get the chance, I hold respect towards school spirit and those that take part in uplifting the school, and will support them in minor ways like contributing to fundraising and being a part of other school associated activities. Next time, you’re feeling apathetic towards school, try immersing yourself in a club, activity, or event. You may be surprised at who else you see there. Better yet, you may be surprised to find yourself feeling some school spirit and pride.

Anne Scott Blue Press Photography Team

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