Student Life

Anything can be used to make a fashion statement. We usually think of clothes or jewelry as ways to self-express, but never think of the item sitting right next to us: water bottles. Meant to be purely functional objects, water bottles have become accessories bought solely for the look. Just like other fast-fashion trends, different water bottles have quickly taken off through social media and fun marketing tactics, then died overnight.

The water bottle market transformed with the S’well. From 2016-2019, the S’well moved the industry from plastic bottles like the Nalgene or Camelbak to stainless steel. The idea that a water bottle could have a fun pattern or color was novel and allowed for further personal expression, almost like jewelry. St. Andrew’s junior Anna Preston said that she used to have a S'well with “a pink mountain range on it and another one with a wooden pattern.” But after making over $100 million in 2016, according to CNBC, the S’well seemed to suddenly disappear, possibly due to dislike of the small mouth.

Coming off of the change to stainless steel, the Hydroflask took off in 2019 as the staple of the “VSCO girl” trend. Multiple scrunchies up the wrist, bucket hats, oversized t-shirts, shell necklaces, and a message to “save the environment” were included as well. The Hydroflask was marketed as an environmentally friendly model that could be an accessory, carried with a large handle on the top. Although somewhat persisting into 2025, the popularity of the Hydroflask slowed as the VSCO trend died, with Preston noting that it couldn’t get away from “the stigma surrounding it.” 

Headquartered in Austin, the Yeti has always had a special place in Texas and its trends. Although beginning as a cooler business in 2006, the Yeti company became popular in 2020 with its different tumblers. The Times Square Investment Journal noted that the Yeti hit record sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. The durability of the tumblers was particularly helpful during the lockdown, and its ability to keep liquids hot or cold for long periods of time turned Yeti bottles into household staples. Junior Audrey Whittlesey said that “just like all other evolving trends, water bottles go in and out of style all the time, but Yeti is timeless.”

In 2022, the Stanley became one of the most popular water bottles of all time. CNBC reported that Stanley made $402 million that year and $750 million in 2023. Its success was largely due to endorsements from influencers across social media platforms, as well as multiple partnerships with well-known brands. Stanley marketed towards women, partnering in 2024 with LoveShackFancy, a brand known for their ruffled dresses and skirts. However, a noticeable decline in Stanleys began soon after the collaboration. Junior Allison Jones noted that “my freshman year, I was seeing almost everybody with them. But they were too big, my Stanley never fit in my backpack pocket.”

After the decline in Stanleys, the Owala took off around 2024. It was marketed as a cheaper alternative to Stanley, along with a sleeker shape, leak proof straw, and fun colors. “The Owala is my favorite right now because it looks the prettiest and is the most aesthetic,” said junior LJ Emmett. The Owala is currently the number one best seller on the Amazon website, with most users praising its “sip or chug” lid that combines a straw and larger opening for different amounts of water. 

Many water bottles have had their moment over the years, but the Yeti Straw Mug seems to be the current favorite. Junior Taylor Simmons believes that this Yeti model is going to be the defining water bottle of 2025 “because of good marketing and how everyone wants it when they see it at school.” With a straw and large handle, the Straw Mug makes for a sleek and useful model. But how different is this bottle from any other trend? Along with clothes and other household items, personal water bottles feed into fast-fashion trends. Although it is essential for economic growth and the success of businesses, consumerism can come with environmental and social harms. When discussing her personal water bottle collection, Jones said, “there is no real reason for me to really have all of them, they all work the same.”

It is no mystery that the end of the school day is often the most tiring time for students.“I’m wiped out by the last block,” senior Sebastian Moreno said, staring at the clock. “Most people here during that last free period aren't going to get work done. Being able to leave gives us time to rest before practices or just reset.” 

Here at St. Andrew’s, if you didn’t know, seniors who have a free block at the end of the day are given a small but important privilege: the ability to check out early. It is a freedom that is a testament to the maturity and personal responsibility of the students and allows a break in the action packed day. The policy, introduced as part of the school’s effort to give more flexibility to upperclassmen, has shown glimpses into how evolving student trust and autonomy may shape the future of the campus.

The freedom of seniors to leave during their final free period is an example of beneficial practical privileges. As senior class sizes fluctuate and parking becomes more restricted, the policy helps manage traffic flow and reduce congestion on Southwest Parkway, enhancing safety and efficiency. Biology teacher Mr. Jeff Osborne has observed the effects: “This year is special, because our parking is such a mess,” he explained. “Seeing larger class sizes coming in, with seniors able to leave, makes the least possible impact on a by-grade basis.” Mr. Osborne remembers having similar privileges during his high school days. “When I was in school, we were allowed to leave early if we had no last period and no sports. Schools around the country have different policies about this,” he said. His view is straightforward and logical: “I like giving students control over their lives until they show that they shouldn't have it. We have a fairly responsible student body. I'm sure other schools have a much harder time."

The trust has proven to be well placed and respected. Seniors use the time for appointments, athletic prep, homework, out of school sports and other activities and commitments. For many students, this unstructured time allows them to experience important learning opportunities that build skills like time management, which is a vital skill to practice as we prepare to transition to college life and beyond. 

Senior Class Dean Mr. Jackson Fleming views early checkout privilege access as a deliberate step in each student’s progression towards independence. “The idea behind most high school experiences,” he said, “is that as you move through the ranks you’re maturing and growing. By senior year schools want to give more freedom to prepare them for the greater increase in freedom they will experience next year as college students.” He notes that it is not always easy to find the correct balance between social and academic time. “For younger students, there's an element of getting to know this community and building relationships, so we want you to be here for the duration of the day,” he said. “If you have a free period last, you should use it to get work done or socialize with friends." The goal, he argues, is to make campus a place where students want to be when it is not required that they are there. 

Extending monitored flexibility to other grades could help enhance learning rather than harm it. Studies found evidence that high schoolers’ “performance and attention drops later in the day” (National Institutes of Health, 2017). As Sebastian Moreno said, “By the time of the last block, I have already had three classes, and I’m exhausted.” For students or athletes who have heavy extracurricular loads, an early exit could be restorative for energy levels, reduce stress, and increase mental clarity when they continue to do school work later in the evening. 

Additionally, with the senior lot now filling up faster than it ever has, seniors are being forced farther back in the upper lot. The flexible checkout would help mitigate traffic jams and ease congestion at the 3:50-4:00 peak time. Osborne agrees: “Around our dismissal time is when roads really start to get crowded. If you could leave early it probably helps a little bit.” A measured release would also allow students to make choices about their time-choices that mirror the responsibility the school hopes to instill. “Having staggered leaving times might actually make the school work better,” Osborne said. “It’s the same reason we free up buses; we don’t want middle and high school on the same schedule.”

The format would reflect the school honor codes. Students are encouraged to demonstrate independence and prowess through large achievements but also every-day decisions. Allowing all students to check out when their “class” day is complete would reinforce the trust and if they were to abuse the system when it is not their free the pending new ID card system would catch it. 

For decades, St. Andrew’s has paired rigorous academics and a strong emphasis on character and community. Fleming highlights the value of togetherness: “We want Juniors and Seniors around these spaces interacting with younger students,” he said. “Every choice has drawbacks and positives. I think the positives of community and a supportive environment outweigh other concerns.” 

As the school grows and evolves, the balance of trust and structure remains central. As Mr. Fleming put it, “We’re not just preparing students to graduate– we’re preparing them to lead their own lives responsibly.” 

It’s early Saturday morning and St. Andrew’s students are sleeping in after a long week of school. However, some are awake early and putting on a uniform for work. Teenage jobs have often been a rite of passage for many high school students, as well as an opportunity for perspective and experience, and it’s no different for SAS.

Atop lifeguard stands, behind cash registers, or at the counter of a pharmacy, St. Andrew’s students have exchanged their weekends and afternoons for workshifts, aiming to build their resume and make extra money. After a summer of working their first jobs, these students have had time to reflect on their experiences, although some may have enjoyed their jobs more than others.

For senior Jude Kramer, working as a sous chef in Los Angeles wasn't exactly easy work. Between prep and service, Kramer had his hands full during the busy rushes at Farm Shop, a renowned restaurant in the area. Despite the long hours and tired hands, Kramer’s long shifts were “rough, but rewarding.” He says being thrown into the fire of responsibility and industry helped him mature, a common theme with high school students’ jobs. “I would recommend any hospitality job [to highschoolers],” Kramer said. “You learn how to provide without recognition.” One of the most common positions for a high school student is in the restaurant industry, and although it might not be in a well-known LA destination, the skills and appreciation developed there are consistent and important for a developing teenager.

While it lacks the chaos of a restaurant kitchen, lifeguarding is one of the most common and rewarding summer jobs for teenagers. Perched at the top of their stands, lifeguards take on the huge responsibility of the safety of swimmers. Learning how to handle these responsibilities has become influential in many student life guards. Part-time cuisine connoisseur senior Cooper Johnson worked as a lifeguard for two years, and talked about his experience. “You have to learn how to be decisive,” Johnson told me. “You have to be confident in everything you do.” Johnson says that learning how to handle that pressure helped him during the following school year as well. Learning how to look after others is not unique to the pool, however. Andrew Shoberg, an SAS senior, worked as a counselor at Camp Longhorn over the summer, and was tasked with supervising the campers. Shoberg learned to develop “more patience than I thought I had.” Patience, responsibility, and decisiveness are all vital skills that these students will carry as they continue school and pursue their careers.

The variety of jobs that St. Andrew’s students are vast. Under the fluorescent lights of Fresh Plus, senior James Barnhill worked the cash register over the summer. Like many other students getting their start, Barnhill reflected on how he was taught “to constantly be working, and people skills.” Grace Duraraj and Elle Bui, also both seniors, had similar experiences working at Tyler’s, a clothing store, and CVS respectively. “I learned how to interact professionally with all kinds of people,” Duraraj told me when asked what her biggest takeaway was. However, when I asked the same question to Ellie, she presented a recurring problem that many teens face in the workforce: “I could’ve done more. My managers thought I was fragile, they really underestimated me.” Despite an overwhelming amount of positive experiences from the working students I talked with, underqualified and poor management was an impactful negative factor in some of their jobs. 

As a result of their lack of experience, as well as their age, teenagers are often overstaffed and underutilized by their managers, or, conversely, overworked because of the lack of staff. These hiring habits are the result of an important trend within the job market. Teenagers have often served as a “canary in a coal mine” for the job market. They are the last ones to be hired if the job market is good enough, and the first ones to be fired as it falls. Alicia Sasser Modestino, an economist from Northeastern University, details the effect that the economy has on teenage jobs during an interview with the New York Times: “Now when we’re starting to see the labor market cool off a bit in general, we’re seeing it hit teenagers harder, and teenagers first.” The American market lost almost 40,000 jobs over the last 2 months, and that number is expected to stay stagnant or increase over the foreseeable future. As an effect, teenagers will find it increasingly harder to find employers willing to hire part-time, inexperienced workers. 5.5 million teenagers across the US work a part or fulltime job, but that number has greatly decreased over the last decade, with teenage unemployment rising by almost 1% yearly since 2017.  Working a job can be a vital and transformative experience for maturing teenagers. It allows for financial independence, the progression of important skills needed for future opportunities, as well as insight into perspectives outside of high school. However, as this rite of passage slowly falls out of reach for the youth, how will teenagers develop these abilities? 

Finding a summer job as a teenager will definitely not be impossible over the coming years, but it will almost certainly become harder. As employers begin taking down hiring signs and stop returning calls, excuses to stay still during summer will be easier to find. However, the essential traits developed in a job can be found in other environments. Volunteer programs, entrepreneurship, or passion projects can all help progress the work ethic that can be attained through working. Although it seems hard, highschoolers’ motivation towards improvement must remain resilient. Whether coupled with a paycheck or not, the skills built by working are vital for a developing student, and cannot slip through the cracks.

Today, high school students everywhere are reading a diverse selection of literature, including classics that have been read in school for decades, and newer series that are still coming out with new books. However, the influence of social media platforms, T.V. shows, and movies have all proven to have an effect on the overall way high schoolers get, and consume books as well as the actual types of books they are reading. 

  Recently, many online platforms such as Goodreads, Libby, and Tiktok have taken over the worlds of booklovers. Goodreads, a platform that allows for readers to find new book recommendations and rate books, is one common way teens are finding their next read. Sophomore Halle Williams at St. Andrew’s says that she likes to search for genres she is interested in on Goodreads, and then read the reviews of interesting looking books to try and get a feel for if she should read it. Williams also said that she most commonly goes on Libby, an online library app which allows readers to check out books for free like they would in a library, but online. Student Sana Deo who attends LASA highschool, and is part of the Teen Press Corp program at BookPeople, where teens read and review books marketed for teen audiences, says she will sometimes “Google search good books and then read the ones that seem the most interesting.”

However, one of the most influential platforms to find books online is Tiktok. An app in which creators post short videos on any subject, and a community named BookTok on the app has more recently gained popularity, where certain creators will share beloved books they recommend. The BookTok community, while large, often promotes a similar selection of series. Books like Powerless by Lauren Roberts and Caraval and the Once Upon a Broken Heart series by Stephanie Garber are both commonly praised by “BookTokers” and all fall into the romantasy category. Deo also states that she believes there has “been a huge spike in fantasy and romance books recently,” and "romantasy" is a term commonly used to blend the two genres together. She also notes that she thinks the bestselling young adult books are those that are popular among different social media sites, and that she would recommend those books to any teens looking for recommendations. These same books are also found on Barnes and Noble’s Teen and YA bestseller list, supporting the idea that BookTok has a substantial effect. 

Aside from social media, another source for book recommendations you may see through a screen are films. Upcoming T.V. shows and movies based on books have taken over. For example, the show for The Summer I Turned Pretty, originally a book series by Jenny Han, came out with its third and final season over the summer and the online excitement was seen in almost every corner of the internet. Keira Lyle, another sophomore at St. Andrew’s said she had recently read The Summer I Turned Pretty books, saying “I decided to read them all before I watch the show.” And Lyle wasn’t alone in this. In fact, the series experienced a large spike in sales after the premiere of the new season, as readers aimed to refresh their knowledge on the events that happened in the third and final book, and compare how the most recent season differed. 

At St. Andrew’s specifically, a recent survey in which 58 students responded, shows that 77.6% of St. Andrew’s responders like to read for fun. Furthermore, the survey found that students at SAS like to read a mix of young adult, and adult novels. In terms of genres, students are reading a large variety of books, from fantasy novels, to memoirs, there really is a diverse set of readers at St. Andrew’s. Many students mentioned the books they were reading in English, including Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Outside of the classroom, some books that students mentioned were: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, 1984 by George Orwell, and the Renegades series by Marissa Meyer. These St. Andrew’s students also mentioned getting book recommendations from their friends, family, and online resources such as the ones previously mentioned, as well as pinterest. 

Although there has been a decline in reading over the past many decades and the National Assessment of Educational Progress has found over 40% of teens are scoring below basic on standardized tests, teens today are still finding classics to read such as Agatha Christie novels and plays by William Shakespeare. The internet has also provided a new reach for teens. These sites allow for teens to access more titles, and certain resources like Libby, offer online books for free. The rise in popularity of books recommended through apps like Tiktok, including romantasy books, has allowed for this genre to experience a huge surge. Books like The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, Lightlark by Alex Aster, and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass are being chosen by young readers as their next read, even if some of these titles aren’t new and shiny, but instead have been published for years. Maybe the influence of online book sources will carry on, and maybe in future years we will see some bizarre types of literature that gain popularity within teenage readers. 

Have you ever wondered why it takes you so long to fall asleep? Or maybe why you feel so tired when you wake up in the morning? Think about it. You may be doing things that inadvertently are keeping you awake. There’s a lot of good research about how to get a better night’s sleep along with easy tips and tricks for you to do before going to bed. Experts have determined that some helpful things are avoiding screens, sticking to a sleep schedule, stretching before going to bed, eating a sleep inducing snack, or drinking some un-caffeinated tea before going to bed. To see if any of these work, I enlisted the help of some SAS students.

Avoid Screens and stressors

 Do you use your phone right up until you go to sleep? Are you constantly thinking about the things that have to get done the next day? Research shows that one of the best ways to get a good night's sleep is leaving your phone out of the room or turning it off 30 minutes to an hour before going to sleep, according to Mayoclinic. SAS sophomore Cooper Baehr said “I keep my phone downstairs when I go to sleep because it helps me enter my sleep mode and I’m not distracted when I’m trying to wind down for bed.” Something else could be writing down anything that needs to be done the following day on a piece of paper in order to get it out of your head and relieve stress, according to Healthline Journal. 

Stretching before bed

One thing that you can do to induce sleep is stretching about 30 minutes before going to bed. The stretching does not have to be anything complicated, just simple stretches to relax your muscles, according to Healthline Journal. Sophomore Anastasia Fazio tried a few different stretches before going to sleep in order to see how it would affect her night. When asked how it affected her night she said “It made me fall asleep easier and rest through the night better.” Fazio tried the knee to chest stretch, child's pose, and the supine twist, all of which are fairly easy stretches. These were quick stretches that she said “took about 45 seconds to a minute.” In the morning she remarked that she felt more well rested and awake.

Eat a sleep inducing snack

A third easy thing that you can do before going to sleep in order to achieve a better night's sleep is to eat a sleep inducing snack. Some good ones to try are cherries, almonds, bananas, oatmeal, kiwi, and nuts due to the serotonin in them which is a brain chemical that helps to regulate your sleep cycle, according to Healthline. To test this theory Marina Obregon de la Mora, a sophomore at SAS, ate a banana about an hour before going to sleep. “I usually wake up before my alarm but today I slept straight up to it,” she commented when asked how the banana affected her sleep. Obregon went to bed at a normal time the night before but said that she felt like she had rested better and she slept longer than usual.

Drink un-caffeinated tea

Another thing you can do to get a better night's rest is drinking un-caffeinated tea. Some good teas to try are herbal teas such as chamomile, hibiscus, peppermint, and rooibos. One of the students at SAS decided to try this sleep strategy. Halle Williams, a sophomore, drank a cup of chamomile tea about 1 hour before going to sleep. Its effects were evident in her description of her night: “I was planning to go to sleep around 10 but I felt more tired after drinking the tea.” While she said that it helped her fall asleep that night and that she felt like she got a better night's sleep she didn’t get as much sleep because she stated  “I had to get up at 6 the next morning even though I typically wake up at 7:45.”

If none of these things appeal to you there are some other things that you can do such as reading a book before going to bed, creating a restful environment by minimizing lights and sounds, and cutting off caffeine early according to Mayoclinic.  Exercise is also a good thing to do during the day in order to get a good night's rest, however exercising too late can negatively impact your sleep because exercising releases endorphins which can get your body excited and make it harder to wind down at night. Of course the easiest and best thing you can do is not to use your screens before going to sleep. You don’t need to leave them outside of your room, although doing that is definitely helpful, but making sure that you stop using your phone and computer 30 minutes to an hour before bed can make all the difference. Freshman Blythe Davis said “If I thought about it, I'm probably a little more awake because if I have my computer or phone out I have less time to wind down.”

The right activity can positively boost your mental health, mood, and sense of self, it's just a matter of finding the right one. Here are a few side hobbies that might do the trick:

Exercising:

Quick boost of energy, increased heart rate, sharper memory and thinking, yet I'm not talking about caffeine: I'm talking about exercise. Think of it like a shot of espresso for your body, but with calming side effects.

Exercising stimulates all kinds of changes in the brain such as neural growth, reduced inflammation, brain cell growth,  as well as a release of endorphins—the kind of chemicals that promote feelings of calmness and focus. Because our bodies and mind are so closely linked, when our bodies feel better, so do our minds. According to HelpGuide.org, exercise has tremendous effects on medical  conditions such as anxiety and depression—as it boosts our overall mood, relieves stress, and even helps us sleep better. And yes, I said sleep better. Even short bursts of exercise in the morning or afternoon, as well as relaxing exercises at night such as yoga can help improve our overall sleep quality.

Now, a less obvious benefit is a higher self-esteem. Devoting our time, mind, and body to small workout goals fosters a sense of accomplishment within us. Exercise can also serve as a distraction from the chaos going on in our lives—as it interrupts the flow of constant worries going through our head.

Ms. Elizabeth Doss, 9th grade Spanish 3 and English teacher at St. Andrew’s, shared her appreciation for exercise as she discussed her role as a pilates teacher at the YMCA. “It's fundamental to who I am,” she said. “Pilates helps me just keep going.” Doss said that the mixing and changing sequences of pilates, combined with the flow through exercises, helps her feel her thoughts and emotions more clearly. 

Ms. Doss has been teaching community pilates classes for seventeen years now and this is what she's taken away from it all: “I taught a lot of classes online during the pandemic, and I make videos, and people still use them, however being together, knowing people, and not expecting every class to be exactly the same has tremendous psychological and neurological benefits, and I try to incorporate all that into my classes here.” She believes that real-place interactions are so much more special than solo workouts.

It may seem time consuming or even difficult to start developing a habit of exercising, but there's truly no better way to kickstart your day than with a good sweat. Start with something small, and make it a ritual, not a chore. Use it to clear your head and switch gears, and sooner or later, you'll find peace in the routine you've built.

Journaling:

Journaling has tremendous effects on the human mind, as well as general well-being. Allowing yourself to dedicate a small amount of time each day to expressing your thoughts and feelings on paper is one of the best ways to regulate your emotions. Writing has the ability to activate our sensory, cognitive, decision making, and emotional regions of the brain, all of which allow our brains to stay mentally healthy, said a study in the National Library of Medicine.

According to WebMD, researchers found that participants with anxiety and other medical conditions reported increased well-being and fewer depressive symptoms after journaling for fifteen minutes, three times a week, over a twelve-week period. 

Senior Xander Jenkyn has been journaling since he was ten years old in a small leather journal that he keeps by the side of his bed. After Jenkyn  got a phone in the 4th grade, his parents decided that journaling would be a good way for him to take a break from technology, and little did he know, it would become an everyday routine. When I asked Jenkyn why he still journals, he said: “I just think it's a great way to process my emotions,” and he is completely right. 

Journaling allows us to move on and stop obsessively thinking about an event, and even approach it from a different angle. Jenkyn said: “I'll just give myself kind of a recap of what I did that day, like anything that interests me, or something I learned. But I always, at the end, set myself a goal for the future.” Journaling can be both a tool for reflecting on the past, but also envisioning what's to come.

Jenkyn plans on journaling for the rest of his life because he hopes that these journals can serve as memories he can look back on. “I've saved all these journals from when I was like fourteen, so maybe when I'm like thirty, I can look back on them and not forget these moments that were really hard sometimes, but also really special.” Journaling might not be for everyone, but I highly encourage you give it a shot. “Just try it, and if it's not for you, it's not for you,” said Jenkyn. Pick a time of day (either morning or night), get a piece of paper, and just write!

Playing a musical instrument:

Like Journaling, playing a musical instrument has traditionally been a therapeutic and reflective pastime. It activates various regions of our brian, enhances mood and self-esteem, reduces anxiety and depressive symptoms, and most importantly, it's a gateway to expressing and regulating our emotions. Feeling angry? Bang on the drums. Feeling Sad? Pour your heart into a soulful piano melody. Feeling Happy? Strum a guitar.

Dr. Rick Palese, the St. Andrew’s Fine Arts Department Chair and Band director, as well as the AP Music Theory, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Band teacher highly recommends this hobby. Dr. Palese began studying music and playing the drums in the 5th grade, ended up joining the high school band, and went on to continue his musical career in college. He can play a total of seventeen instruments!

There are a lot of things one can love about music, but for Dr. Palese it's the human connections that occur. “I really enjoy playing with other people,” he said. “I love performing for an audience because there's a relationship that happens. There's a vibe, a connection that's formed, especially when you've got an interested audience that wants to hear what you're doing and wants to be entertained. That to me, that's very rewarding.” One of the beauties about music is its ability to bring people together. “When you're playing music together with other people, you have to support one another, and I think that that just does so much for your well being,” said Dr. Palese. 

For some, those group environments are where our well-beings are truly benefited—in essence, where the magic happens. However, for others, this magic happens alone. Dr. Palese told me that he prefers playing with other people, however “sometimes I just like to play for myself to kind of order my mind. If I've had a rough day I'll just pick up a guitar, or I'll sit down at my drums, and it kind of just smooths me out. Nothing sets me straight the way the music does.” When playing alone, or even in groups, music has the ability to enter us into these zones of complete absorption—also known as a “flow state.” Dr. Palese told me that he experiences this more often than not. In this state, he said, “you kind of lose yourself. You lose sense of time, you lose sense of place, and you're just so immersed in something that you're doing that everything else just kind of melts away. I've experienced that many times, performing.”

Arts and Crafts:

Have you ever gotten completely obsessed with a creative project, only to lose interest and abandon it about a week later? I think that’s something everyone can relate to.  Were you aware, however, that engaging in these creative activities can positively boost your well-being?  “All forms of art can be beneficial in boosting mental health. Benefits include: increase in self-esteem, reduction in anxiety/stress, improving communication, and fostering creativity,” said Dr. Frank Clark, a psychiatrist with Prisma Health.

Engaging in arts and crafts can be extremely beneficial for your health, and even help you express yourself more clearly. They allow for people to express their emotions and feelings, especially when they feel like they can't or don't know how. Working towards some sort of creative goal can also benefit us as we work towards this sense of accomplishment. Developing a sense of mastery is important for human well being, and crafting gives just that—people can see their process and be proud of their creations.

Some common crafts include collaging, scrapbooking, crocheting, embroidering, painting, jewelry making, and many more. In more recent years, however, art and junk journaling have become increasingly popular on Tik Tok and other social media platforms. Senior Aneesa Ravula, however, was early to hop on the trend—taking inspiration from her mother, who used to do it back in high school. “She had a bunch of photos, concert stubs, movie tickets. And I think she also has a lot of recipes from my grandmother in it. So it's kind of like a multi-generational thing.” 

When I asked Ravula what her own journal looks like, this is what she told me: “I put photos, collages, paper, stickers, and then I like to write a little blurb about what everything is like. It’s kind of like a yearbook, and there's a caption for everything.”  Ravula views crafting as a way to go back to things she enjoys—almost like a break from her routine pastimes such as volleyball. “I think it really grounds and relaxes me and it's not a competition like the rest of my hobbies are.” 

The possibilities behind crafting are endless and there is no right or wrong way to do it. “Just start with paper, you can do so much with that,” said Ravula. “Get some scissors, some supplies, and then just see where it takes you.”

Baking:

Measuring, pouring, kneading, and mixing: the repetitive rhythms of baking. According to an article in Better Homes and Gardens, these deliberate motions and the  “creativity, coordination and reasoning” they require, are what make baking such a  soothing and relaxing pastime. The product, however, is even more rewarding.  Like arts and crafts, baking falls under the creative therapy category, as it lowers stress hormones, such as cortisol, positively impacting your sleep, blood pressure, and immune system.

Senior Millie Deane, an avid baker, shared with me her perspective on baking. “There's just so many opportunities in it, and it's a way you can explore and try different things to see what works out and what doesn't,” she said. Deane bakes around three times a week, usually after school or on the weekends. She loves its ability to take her mind off the stresses around her, and fill her time with something more relaxing—rather than thinking about all of the things that could be going wrong in life.

To Deane, the most exciting thing about baking is its unpredictability. While baking, we force ourselves to enter this sort of problem-solving mindset, which sometimes is the best exercise for our brains. Whether you're baking alone, or even with others, both experiences are beneficial. Deane's piece of advice is this: “I would say, start with just trying things out. Maybe you can look at recipes or watch videos, but I think the real fun is in figuring it out for yourself and making it more personal.”

Like Deane said, just start by trying. Whether you’re into baking, crafting, playing music, writing, exercising, or maybe something entirely different, what matters most is that you're doing something you enjoy. So get out there, try something new, and don't be afraid of failure; it's in those imperfect moments that we truly nurture our well-being.

If there’s one word to describe the 2025 school year at SAS, it’s new. New teachers, new spirit shops, and, oh yeah, a brand new $30 million athletic center that’s sure to serve students for generations to come. It’s been a year of change, excitement, and big reveals, ushering in a new era of school spirit and student life. Perhaps the biggest and most important of those reveals, however, was that of SAS’s foreign exchange program, with 2025 serving as its inaugural year. As Ms. Nezzer puts it “I’m just so excited that this has happened… we want our students to graduate being caring, compassionate, and curious global citizens.”

Ms. Alice Nezzer, who is Associate Head of School, first visited Momoyama Gakuin in October 2023 as part of a group from the Alumni Board at St. Stephen’s, her former high school, who have maintained an exchange program with Momoyama for over 50 years. After the pandemic, many schools had scaled back their international programs, leaving institutions like Momoyama seeking new partners abroad. “I knew at St. Andrew’s we were looking to expand our idea of being global citizens,” Ms. Nezzer recalled. Seeing the potential for connection, she approached Ms. Grubb about exploring the opportunity and, with approval, returned to Japan alongside Dr. Fletcher in November 2024. 

“Both times I visited, the students there kept saying, ‘This is the best thing I’ve ever done,’” Ms. Nezzer said. Those words were proof that these programs created life-changing experiences, and that St. Andrew’s needed to be a part of them.

How did she know St. Andrew’s would be a good fit? “They’re an Episcopal school in a non-Christian country,” she said. “ They also have some of the same foundational values that we have here.” As it turns out, the connection runs even deeper. Momoyama Gakuin’s name in English is also St. Andrew’s. It seemed maybe this was less discovering a partnership than a sister school half a world away.

With the program fully underway, the next question became how to select which students would represent SAS abroad. For the inaugural year, the process was fairly straightforward. While the initial plan was to send one boy and one girl, fewer girls applied than expected, so the school ultimately chose two boys instead.“We asked George Harrington and Max Herter to go,” Ms. Nezzer explained, noting that once SAS had identified their candidates, Momoyama Gakuin handled the formal application on their end. The same was true in reverse. SAS was informed that Misa Hara and Kippei Hamagishi would be the first students to come to Austin. What made this year especially significant was that, as Ms. Nezzer pointed out, “Misa might be the first female exchange student in this program, because Momoyama Gakuin has historically been an all boys school.”

To guide the program through its first year and the future, SAS turned to Mr. Joseph Schiller, who was hired as the first official Foreign Exchange Program Coordinator. Though talks of the exchange had unofficially begun the year prior, Mr. Schiller’s arrival gave the program a dedicated leader. “I’m the program coordinator, so the idea is that I’m facilitating the needs and the support for the Japanese students that are here… as well as coordinating the support and needs from other students that go to Japan,” he detailed. His role spans many fronts: teaching ESL to the visiting students, preparing SAS students with Japanese language classes before their departure, communicating with host families, and working with teachers to ensure exchange students are supported in their classes.

For Mr. Schiller, the position is also deeply personal. After spending a year in Japan teaching English right out of high school, he built a career around both education and cross-cultural communication. After teaching social studies for 18 years in Houston, he and his family decided it was the right time to relocate to Austin as his son was accepted to UT Austin for college. When he saw the opening at SAS, he applied, more in hope than expectation, thinking it would be a dream opportunity. “Dreams do come true,” he reflected. “I’m able to now leverage those years of teaching experience, teaching English in Japan, and language experience, to pull all of my skills together into this position.”

Behind the excitement of the exchange is a carefully executed process ensuring that students feel at home on both sides of the Pacific. At SAS, that begins with host families. For the inaugural year, Ms. Nezzer reached out to the school community, asking if families would be willing to open their homes. Moving forward, the expectation is that SAS families whose children study abroad will, in turn, host Japanese students the following year. She explained, “We’re not just sending them to someplace random. We’re sending them to a place that is going to take care of them.”

Remaining connected with the students abroad is also an important part of how SAS runs the program. Mr. Schiller regularly checks in with the students studying in Japan, updating them on what’s happening back in Austin, making them feel supported while overseas. The communication goes both ways, with Max and George frequently sharing stories and experiences from their time at Momoyama, helping build a bridge between the two campuses. Later this year, Ms. Nezzer and Ms. Grubb plan to travel to Japan to visit the students in person, strengthening the relationships with Momoyama’s faculty and ensuring that the partnership continues to grow on both sides.

Back in Austin, Mr. Schiller explained that when it came to helping the Japanese students get involved on campus, “we really never did anything that I would say specifically, there wasn’t a specific plan.” The goal, he said, was for the transition to feel as organic as possible, allowing the students’ SAS classmates to take the lead in welcoming them. “We hoped the student body would embrace them and give them that social experience that they should have.” Thankfully, that hope became reality. From clubs to councils and everything in between, SAS students made sure Misa and Kippei could truly call Austin home. Maybe that’s just a St. Andrew’s thing, or maybe it’s simply who our students are: open, curious, and always ready to make someone feel like they belong.

Despite sharing a name and Episcopal roots, the two schools’ look and feel are very different. Momoyama is nestled in the heart of Osaka, a sprawling multi-story campus where “kids are in class sizes of about 40 and go to school six days a week,” Ms. Nezzer told me. Unlike SAS’s open campus and block schedule, Japanese students spend nearly all day in the same classroom while teachers are the ones rotating in and out. Mr. Schiller noted that this contrast has been eye-opening for the Japanese exchange students. “They love this campus. They love this schedule because it gives them more of a real-world sense. No one just sits in a room all day.” The differences in structure are striking, but both schools share a commitment to nurturing one another's students and making them feel at home. 

At its core, the exchange program is more than a travel opportunity, it's a direct expression of St. Andrew’s mission of creating global citizens. Mr. Schiller echoed that sentiment, pointing to the way diversity already shapes our SAS community. “Look at our student body, look at how diverse it is… having a couple of students from Japan only adds to that experience.” By sending students abroad and welcoming them in from Osaka, SAS is not only strengthening academic ties, but living out their values, exhibiting that global citizenship begins right here on campus.

While the Japanese exchange program is just beginning, SAS leaders are already looking ahead. Ms. Nezzer and Ms. Grubb plan to visit another school in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with hopes of building shorter student exchanges and teacher to teacher collaborations before expanding to longer programs. "Two weeks is just a teeny sip, but for some kids, going for a year is hard, going for two weeks is a little bit easier,” Ms. Nezzer explained. The vision is to create a range of opportunities, from immersive year-long exchanges to shorter culture focused trips, all tied to the school’s mission of global citizenship. And, as Ms. Nezzer puts it, the goal is simple: to “keep opening doors so that every Highlander has the chance to step into the wider world.”

At St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, there is only one week out of the school year when you will see someone bringing a cooler to hold their school supplies, someone dressed as a cowboy, or even head to toe in heavy metal and rocker outfits. The reasoning behind these adventurous costumes is because of the school's longtime tradition, Spirit Week. 

Spirit Week is one of the most memorable times of the year. It is the perfect time to show school spirit by wearing the most thrilling outfits that fit the theme for each day. For example, last year the Student Senate picked Pajama Day, Anything but a Backpack, and Western Day. Every year, students and teachers go all out in order to gain points for their advisory house competitions, or just simply because they enjoy participating and having spirit for the school community. Spirit Week was started in order to hype up the student body for one of the most anticipated events, Homecoming. 

Homecoming has been celebrated in our community for many years, and each year there is a different Homecoming theme. Whether it is inspired by carnivals, beaches, or movies, like this year's theme La La Land, the Student-Senate has always done a great job of selecting entertaining themes. Every year the Student-Senate works hard to make Homecoming a memorable, and enjoyable event. Our Student-Senate and community want the week of Spirit Week and Homecoming to be something students look forward to. 

In a news article by ESPN, it states that Homecoming is a tradition that began at the University of Missouri in 1911. Believe it or not, Homecoming was typically only celebrated in colleges during the early 20th century. Chester Bewer was the creator and person behind the scenes in creating this flashy, fun tradition. High schools learned about this new tradition by the late 1920s-’30s and they picked up on it very quickly. When homecoming was welcomed into Texas it was around 1930, with Baylor University hosting one of the very first Homecoming dances in the state. With this new Texas tradition, some more traditional factors were included, one of them being mums. 

Mums, according to Texas Highways magazine are made from artificial flowers that contain sparkles and lots of decoration. Mums range in sizes, some being so long that they even reach all the way down to your feet. They are, however, different in many cities in Texas. The magazine states that in Houston they are normally bigger, and contain non-traditional colors like plum, cream, teal, and pink. However, In West Texas the mums are typically smaller, and contain feathers. Mums were not first created in Texas, they emerged from Missouri and spread across Southern American states. 

Ava Barnard, the Student Body President, shared an inside perspective on the preparations and celebrations for Spirit Week and Homecoming Day. Barnard explained that the Senate begins this “holiday” by gathering together in one of their meetings and just throwing out ideas to the other members of the Student Senate, and the adults in charge in order to see what will be approved. To make the student body more interactive with exciting topics for Homecoming, the Senate thought it would be fun to allow students to vote for the category that they wanted. This year the students chose the theme “La La Land”! Barnard said, “La La Land is my favorite movie of all time, so I was really happy that it was picked because I felt like I could definitely pick good decorations for it.” Decorations are what make the theme come to life, and bring joy to the idea of the dance. At St. Andrews, many people participate in Spirit Week festivities, while others do not. Either people forget, they might not know what to wear, or they just simply do not want to dress up. Barnard encourages all to participate in the exciting week of changing categories, because it’s “the one week where everyone is fully involved in the school community.” Being united as a whole is what makes these traditions so unique and special. She also explains that we “are all in it together,” and we get to “celebrate each other at the games.” 

The pep rallies, Spirit Week and inclusive activities are all parts of this beloved tradition that get people hyped for the big dance. Barnard said that the Senate each year tries to go bigger, and better. They want to make this night the most fun for us that it can be. There is so much hard work, volunteer work, and thought that goes into these events. That is why it is so important that we show up for each other. Barnard explained that “ Everything but a backpack day is always a good turn out,” and her favorite to dress up as is Western, because “I can wear my cowboy boots.” 

However, as fun as these are, “Themes get repetitive,” she said. Barnard explained that we have to do the same themes as the Middle, and Lower school which means they need to be appropriate for Kindergarten through twelfth graders. They need to meet in the middle and figure out which themes are kid friendly but also fun for eighteen year olds. She thinks that sharing these days is “really fun, I  just think we want a little diversity in ours.” Barnard later explains that if our high school community could have an Upper School-only theme, it would make the entire experience just a little more special. 

Spirit Week and Homecoming are some of the biggest festivities our school engages in. This dance is something many look forward to for months. Barnard wants the people who are less excited about the celebration to know that they should just “grab their friends and go and just try it,” even if they are not excited. She states that “ We can plan the dances, we can plan the football games and pep rallies, but it all comes down to the student body, and how much effort they’re willing to put in.” She  states how crucial it is that we bring the energy that it deserves. Without joy from the student body and staff there is slim to no reason why we should even have a Homecoming. 

Ultimately, Barnard says, “Dr. Fletcher is right. Showing up, and being present can change so much.” Being there this year is going to mean so much to those who worked to make this dance so fun. That’s why participation is key to the student body's joy. So everyone, this year throughout the daily themes of Spirit Week, and Homecoming night, and all the pep rallies, sports competitions, plus football games, remember Dr. Fletcher’s call to: Show up, and be present. Together, let’s make this the best and most exciting Homecoming and Spirit Week for everyone. 

This past Spring Break, students at St. Andrew’s had the privilege of travelling to Taiwan as a part of the SAS Experiential Learning (XL) program, led by Dr. Jennifer Hsiao, the Upper School Mandarin teacher,, and Mr. Blake Amos, director of Experiential Learning. From Taipei’s buzzing night markets to the peaceful temples of the countryside, this trip was an unforgettable adventure that offered more than just sightseeing. Students were exposed to the value of empathy, exploration and connection.

In the Mandarin program at SAS, Dr. Hsiao emphasizes full immersion, not just speaking, listening, and writing, but “learning by doing.” Every two weeks in class, students engage with cultural activities like calligraphy, tea ceremonies, and even martial arts. “In Taiwan, we got to live these lessons. We visited Buddhist temples as observers and participants,” Hsiao told me. “We made our own sky lanterns, drawing our hopes and the four SAS pillars onto glowing paper before letting them into the sky.” She remembers that the most meaningful experience in Taiwan was visiting a local school. SAS students interacted with Taiwanese students in real conversation, sharing stories and exchanging cultural experiences. “This was the highlight of the trip for many of us,” says Hsiao. Amos, another chaperone on the trip said, “Though we couldn't do a homestay this time, it's our top priority for the future.” 

Junior Crosby Averill captured the trip best: “Taiwan is really a community. You see people looking out for each other everywhere you go.” That sense of community is something they brought back with them. Hsiao and Amos designed the trip’s framework, but students shaped the heart of it. The goal isn't just to travel. It was to engage, create, reflect, and grow. This trip taught the group how to travel with intention. Hsiao’s vision is for students to develop curiosity and empathy, to wonder: How can I understand others better? How can I carry this experience into the rest of my life? The newly branded XL program at SAS is already planning trips for next year. Proposals include destinations that can’t yet be disclosed, but Amos promises, “Wherever we go, the goal is the same: to challenge us, explore, and come home a little more connected to the world.”