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Behind The Butterflies: The Science of Love
Behind The Butterflies: The Science of Love
Sloan Golson
Sloan Golson
March 12, 2025
March 12, 2025
Love: It’s everywhere. It’s in your favorite TV shows, your friend’s playlists, and even in the halls of high school. But your question of what exactly it is, never seems to have an answer. Scientists have spent centuries trying to unveil the secret, and according to Harvard Medical School, “Love may well be one of the most studied, but least understood, behaviors.” Basically, even the experts are still figuring it out. So how on earth can high schoolers tackle these emotions?
What we do know is that love is wired into our biology. Dr. Lisa Schwartz, an associate professor of psychiatry at McLean Hospital, explains that love is maintained by fundamental biological mechanisms. That means: Your brain is playing puppet master with your emotions. MRI scans, done for Harvard Medical studies, even show that when people are in love, the parts of the brain that are responsible for judgement turn off. As Schwartz puts it, “That’s the neutral basis for the ancient wisdom love is blind.” Love can make red flags turn into little decorations that don’t seem so bad.
Dr. Helen Fisher, an anthropologist at The Kinsey Institute, has broken down love into three main categories: lust (your hormones), attraction (dopamine and serotonin), and attachment (the rush of all those chemicals and fear of them going away). But love isn’t always a straight shot from one stage to the next. Leiszle Rae Lapping-Carr, PhD, in an article for Northwestern Medicine, points out, “Attachment can develop during a friendship, which could lead to a romantic relationship.” In other words, love doesn’t always happen in a neat, three-step process. Sometimes, it sneaks up on you, or let’s be real—drags you through a messy “situationship” first.
On the topic of messy situationships, St. Andrew’s high schoolers have plenty to say about love, relationships, and whatever happens in the ‘talking stage.’ Mrs. Heather Latreille, the school guidance counselor, notes that “teens can be influenced by unhealthy relationship portrayals in media, which may shape their real-life relationships in unrealistic ways.” Add in the stress of texting, social media, and the constant urge to analyze punctuation in a DM, and things get even more complicated. One St. Andrew’s junior put it bluntly; “Talking stages are the death of me. Before we started dating, I was always watching what I said and did. I was really scared.” Another St. Andrew’s senior said her emotions consisted of “"Excitement, fear of rejection, and nervousness that we wouldn’t be compatible,” perfectly summing up the stress the talking stage can add.
Once the “talking stage” evolves, relationships start to settle into something real. “At first, we were both trying to be the best versions of ourselves. Now, we’re more comfortable, like we’ve know each other forever,” shared one St. Andrew’s senior in a six month relationship. That transition from ‘butterflies’ to ‘best friend’ mode is a classic example of attachment in action. Another St. Andrew’s senior said, “It took a while for us to say ‘I love you,’ but it felt like a big moment when we did…To me, love means trust and knowing that someone will always be there for you, no matter what.”
Of course, balancing your love life and your other life has its own challenges. Ms. Latreille stresses the imports of keeping a sense of self. “It’s crucial to maintain your identity in relationships by balancing time for yourself, hobbies, and your friendships,” she said. One junior echoed this, “If somebody needs space, not like breaking-up space, but time with friends, give them that space. I think it’s really important to have balance.”
At the end of the day, love is super complicated, messy, and sometimes feels like it was invented just to keep people up at night. But it’s also pretty rewarding. As Ms. Latreille puts it, “Love is a complex and personal emotion that varies from person to person, and that’s part of its beauty.” And if there’s one piece of wisdom that seems to hold true for relationships of all kinds? “Effort is everything. Without it, no relationship can survive.”
So, whether you’re deep in a talking stage, happily committed, or just here for the neuroscience, one thing’s for sure: love keeps life interesting.
SAS Expands AP Offerings
SAS Expands AP Offerings
Caroline Simmons
Caroline Simmons
March 12, 2025
March 12, 2025
Year after year, students enrolled in AP classes anxiously await the month of May. They are not just looking forward to summer; they look to prove their abilities and what they have learned throughout the year on their AP exams. Stress and tension are high as students’ brains feel dead after the three hour long tests. But wait! Students get a thirty minute break before they take the next one! The pressure and anxiety might make students and everyone around them wonder: are APs worth it?
Advanced Placement classes (APs) have become more and more popular in the past decade. According to College Board Newsroom, the percentage of public high school graduates who took an AP exam went from 31.5% in 2013 to 34.7% in 2023. According to College Board, the organization that runs AP curriculum and exams, AP classes and exams “build skills and confidence” and “tap [students] creativity and problem-solving skills.” Teachers in AP classes are also able to “dig deeper into the subject,” granting students who are truly interested in the subject ample opportunities to expand their knowledge. For students who wish to stand out in the college admissions process, APs help students “rise to the top of the pile,” according to the Princeton Review. Additionally, College Board claims that 85% of selective colleges and universities say that AP experiences help students’ possible admission.
For the 2024-2025 school year, St. Andrew’s expanded their AP offerings. Now, 10th grade students are required to take AP World History, 11th grade students required to take AP English Language and Composition, and 12th grade students are required to take AP English Literature and Composition. Other than the required AP courses, SAS newly offers AP U.S. History to juniors and continues to offer AP courses in history, science, world languages, and math. According to the SAS college counseling team, the English courses at SAS are now called “AP” to “[indicate] to colleges how prepared they might be to tackle college-level coursework.”
In an interview with English department chair Dr. Amy Skinner, she said that she and other senior English teachers did not need to change much in their classes because they were “always challenging, high-level, writing and literature-based classes” that already equipped students to take the AP English Literature and Composition exam, even without specific preparation. “The struggle is finding a balance between creative assignments and projects with preparing students for the exam because when writing for the APm, there are sort of structures and formulas,” Dr. Skinner explained. However, Dr. Skinner understands that other subjects, like history, might not have the same freedoms she feels. Even though teachers, specifically history teachers, may have significant changes to their curriculum and teaching style, Dr. Skinner does believe that most AP classes sufficiently prepare students for college.
Even though AP classes have been added to the SAS curriculum, some experts question whether or not they are actually beneficial to students. Challenge Success, a nonprofit organization founded by Denise Pope, Ph.D., a senior lecturer at Stanford University, focuses on creating more authentic paths to success for students that are not overly focused on grades and test scores. In a 2013 report on AP programs “living up to [their] promise” published by Challenge Success, “findings aren’t black and white” but they suggest that students and their parents should think critically about their course selections. In an interview about the report with the Stanford News Service, Dr. Pope claimed “it’s really hard to establish causation” that AP students are more “successful” in college compared to non-AP students. This is because so many factors, ranging from students’ personalities and motivation to socio-economic backgrounds, affect performance in both AP classes and college. The report is also inconclusive as to whether or not AP offerings better the overall quality of schools. For example, in some schools with AP classes, especially bigger, public schools, “AP students are basically a school within a school” because all the “high-achievers” are separated into one environment, according to Dr. Pope. This does not allow students to learn from different people, resulting in giving supposedly better resources to fewer students. Dr. Pope argued this is where offering AP courses often goes wrong. Additionally, APs are supposed to level the playing field for students of different socio-economic backgrounds as the College Board creates and approves the curriculum of each class, but again, Dr. Pope claimed there were “no indications that this [was] leveling the playing field in those communities.” In the 2013 interview, even though Dr. Pope criticized the hype around APs, she did not think that students waste their time by taking APs. Instead, she believes that students should evaluate their priorities and what they wish to gain from their classes.
Even though AP classes are considered more rigorous, class rigor is often dependent on the specific class, teacher, and student. For example, St. Andrew’s senior Parker Hall believes that sometimes, AP classes at St. Andrew’s require less work than honors classes, like Honors U.S. History. Also, taking AP courses and ultimately getting college credit is something that can alleviate students’ stress in the long run, outweighing the in-the-moment stress. According to a Forbes article by Christopher Rims, the number one reason why students take AP classes is for college credit. In an interview with St. Andrew’s senior Nate Howard, he claimed he takes APs “for one incentive: to get out of classes.” This motive resonates with many students, as getting credit for AP exams can ultimately make college cheaper and shorter as students place out of prerequisite classes.
With so many variables to consider, it is nearly impossible to prove APs to be solely beneficial or solely detrimental to students’ academic experience, making it even more overwhelming to weigh the pros and cons of taking AP courses. The SAS college counselors not only recommend listening to advice from college counselors and teachers, but also to “challenge yourself, taking classes that excite you and leave as many doors open as possible.” And, no matter what class you are in, Dr. Skinner says to make sure you “try to engage with the class in whatever way you can!”
Advanced Placement classes (APs) have become more and more popular in the past decade. According to College Board Newsroom, the percentage of public high school graduates who took an AP exam went from 31.5% in 2013 to 34.7% in 2023. According to College Board, the organization that runs AP curriculum and exams, AP classes and exams “build skills and confidence” and “tap [students] creativity and problem-solving skills.” Teachers in AP classes are also able to “dig deeper into the subject,” granting students who are truly interested in the subject ample opportunities to expand their knowledge. For students who wish to stand out in the college admissions process, APs help students “rise to the top of the pile,” according to the Princeton Review. Additionally, College Board claims that 85% of selective colleges and universities say that AP experiences help students’ possible admission.
For the 2024-2025 school year, St. Andrew’s expanded their AP offerings. Now, 10th grade students are required to take AP World History, 11th grade students required to take AP English Language and Composition, and 12th grade students are required to take AP English Literature and Composition. Other than the required AP courses, SAS newly offers AP U.S. History to juniors and continues to offer AP courses in history, science, world languages, and math. According to the SAS college counseling team, the English courses at SAS are now called “AP” to “[indicate] to colleges how prepared they might be to tackle college-level coursework.”
In an interview with English department chair Dr. Amy Skinner, she said that she and other senior English teachers did not need to change much in their classes because they were “always challenging, high-level, writing and literature-based classes” that already equipped students to take the AP English Literature and Composition exam, even without specific preparation. “The struggle is finding a balance between creative assignments and projects with preparing students for the exam because when writing for the APm, there are sort of structures and formulas,” Dr. Skinner explained. However, Dr. Skinner understands that other subjects, like history, might not have the same freedoms she feels. Even though teachers, specifically history teachers, may have significant changes to their curriculum and teaching style, Dr. Skinner does believe that most AP classes sufficiently prepare students for college.
Even though AP classes have been added to the SAS curriculum, some experts question whether or not they are actually beneficial to students. Challenge Success, a nonprofit organization founded by Denise Pope, Ph.D., a senior lecturer at Stanford University, focuses on creating more authentic paths to success for students that are not overly focused on grades and test scores. In a 2013 report on AP programs “living up to [their] promise” published by Challenge Success, “findings aren’t black and white” but they suggest that students and their parents should think critically about their course selections. In an interview about the report with the Stanford News Service, Dr. Pope claimed “it’s really hard to establish causation” that AP students are more “successful” in college compared to non-AP students. This is because so many factors, ranging from students’ personalities and motivation to socio-economic backgrounds, affect performance in both AP classes and college. The report is also inconclusive as to whether or not AP offerings better the overall quality of schools. For example, in some schools with AP classes, especially bigger, public schools, “AP students are basically a school within a school” because all the “high-achievers” are separated into one environment, according to Dr. Pope. This does not allow students to learn from different people, resulting in giving supposedly better resources to fewer students. Dr. Pope argued this is where offering AP courses often goes wrong. Additionally, APs are supposed to level the playing field for students of different socio-economic backgrounds as the College Board creates and approves the curriculum of each class, but again, Dr. Pope claimed there were “no indications that this [was] leveling the playing field in those communities.” In the 2013 interview, even though Dr. Pope criticized the hype around APs, she did not think that students waste their time by taking APs. Instead, she believes that students should evaluate their priorities and what they wish to gain from their classes.
Even though AP classes are considered more rigorous, class rigor is often dependent on the specific class, teacher, and student. For example, St. Andrew’s senior Parker Hall believes that sometimes, AP classes at St. Andrew’s require less work than honors classes, like Honors U.S. History. Also, taking AP courses and ultimately getting college credit is something that can alleviate students’ stress in the long run, outweighing the in-the-moment stress. According to a Forbes article by Christopher Rims, the number one reason why students take AP classes is for college credit. In an interview with St. Andrew’s senior Nate Howard, he claimed he takes APs “for one incentive: to get out of classes.” This motive resonates with many students, as getting credit for AP exams can ultimately make college cheaper and shorter as students place out of prerequisite classes.
With so many variables to consider, it is nearly impossible to prove APs to be solely beneficial or solely detrimental to students’ academic experience, making it even more overwhelming to weigh the pros and cons of taking AP courses. The SAS college counselors not only recommend listening to advice from college counselors and teachers, but also to “challenge yourself, taking classes that excite you and leave as many doors open as possible.” And, no matter what class you are in, Dr. Skinner says to make sure you “try to engage with the class in whatever way you can!”
Photo Credit: Caroline Simmons
Ranking the Hottest Austin Workout Classes (Literally)
Grace Berry
Grace Berry
March 12, 2025
March 12, 2025
The fitness classes exercise boom is upon us. Whether you are looking for high intensity, cardio, building muscle, or just a good stretch, there is a class for you. All of these unique class styles have become more popular, but which ones are worth your money? From the sweat-inducing Yoga Sculpt at CorePower, to the slow resistance weight lifting at Solidcore, I tried four of the most popular workout classes to see which ones were worth the sweat.
Corepower
Corepower was the first class I tried to get my sweat on. I had high expectations because this one is a crowd favorite amongst St. Andrews students. I booked the 45 min yoga sculpt class, it seemed challenging yet short enough to start out at. One class is $33, which is on the higher end of the spectrum, but they have multiple pack options including: 5 classes for $159 and $265 for 10 classes. I booked it early in the morning at 6:30am, and to my surprise it was quite packed. In this studio-style room everyone brought their own yoga mat and sat down in the place of their choosing, then the class started. If you are a yoga-lover who wants to up the intensity, this is for you. The class consisted of traditional yoga poses and bursts of cardio with optional hand weights. It pushed both my flexibility and endurance, and for someone who is not that flexible, it took some getting used to. The studio room is also heated, so by the end of it I was dripping sweat ( I even started slipping on my own mat). The instructor was upbeat and played music that helped me tune out the struggle that was the workout, but when I was confused on some of the moves, they did not seem like much help. The class ended with a calm, stress relieving stretch including calming music and slow breathing, the perfect way to close out the body stressing exercise that I put myself through. Overall I would (and have) gone again, and I think it is worth the hefty price.
Overall Rating - 7/10
Vibes - 9/10
Exercise difficulty - 6/10
Price - 5/10
Solidcore
Solidcore was the one I was most scared of. It is a Pilaites-style class called Lagree, using an intimidating, yet intriguing machine called “Sweatlana”, which is pilates inspired for low impact, high impact workouts. If slow and controlled movements that cause muscle shakes and a crazy amount of soreness are your speed then this is for you. I booked the Signature50 full body , which was $36 for a single class. They also have memberships that include: 4 Classes/Month: $124.00/month, 8 Classes/Month: $229.00/month, 12 Classes/Month: $309.00/month, and Monthly Unlimited: $374.00/month (max 1 class per day). All of these you are committed to and auto-charged even if you don't attend the class, so it lands on the highest end of all of the classes. The studio was dark and had blue ambient lighting, with upbeat music that made it really enjoyable. The instructor talked almost the entire time, and helped everyone in the class with every movement, ensuring perfect form even for beginners. I broke a solid sweat in this class, and the studio was at a comfortable temperature the entire time. The reformer machine was also quite fun, and even when I struggled to use it, it produced some good laughs and made the workout really enjoyable. The next day I felt every muscle in my body ache and I could barely walk, which made sense with the amount of resistance used. Overall this was my favorite class out of the bunch, besides the high price point I recommend it for anyone wanting to try a low impact high resistance workout.
Overall rating - 9/10
Vibes - 10/10
Difficulty - 8/10
Price - 3/10
Hotworx
Hotworx, the newest class and most unique style out of all. It offers a different approach by combining infrared heat therapy and sauna with workouts such as yoga, cycling, and isometric strength training. But the catch is, it is taught by online instructors. Each class is led in a private sauna that can fit up to three people. I worked out solo in the sauna but I can tell it would be fun to do with friends. It is also open 24 hours a day, making it perfect for someone on a tight schedule, and good for those that prefer a more private experience. The workout I chose was hot pilates. It was moderately difficult, but I think with the wide variety there are so many different levels. I mostly did body weight workouts, engaging glutes, abs, and shoulders. I loved the class. It was only 30 minutes and left me with a refreshed feeling after stepping out into the cool air. The price point was the best part of all, the first workout is free, but then it is $59 per month for unlimited workouts. Overall I would recommend it for people that don't like traditional workout classes.
Overall - 6/10
Vibes - 4/10
Difficulty - 6/10
Price - 9/10
Train4thegame
Train4thegame is a favorite among athletes, as it blends functional science with intense conditioning to improve overall performance. This facility has earned national recognition for its elite rehab, sports performance, and general fitness programs. Whether you're a professional athlete or someone wanting to get extra movement in, this workout is designed to enhance agility, strength, and endurance. They have many different workout options, you can workout freely at their gym, use private instruction, or do a class. The prices vary per instructor and workout style, so it is discussed once your session is overI chose private instruction, which was perfect for the training I was looking for as a volleyball player looking to advance skills used for my gameplay. I walked into the gym to see people of all ages. There were seniors working out by themselves, and young kids taking a class. I did a mix of workouts with weight machines I have never used nor seen before, which was fun but there was definitely a learning curve. The hour-long workout definitely was specified to my goals, and the trainer paid lots of attention to my specific form. Overall this was great for someone who wants athletic training, but I would take a different route if you are just wanting a good workout.
Overall - 8/10
Vibes - 7/10
Difficulty - 8/10
Price - 7/10
Ranking:
Solidcore
Train4thegame
Corepower
Hotworx
Photo Credit: Solidcore
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