The student news site of Westwood High School.

Westwood Horizon

The student news site of Westwood High School.

Westwood Horizon

The student news site of Westwood High School.

Westwood Horizon

NEWS

A Westwood graduate and parent, Council Member Mackenzie Kelly completes most of her work from her office on Anderson Mill Road. She is currently hosting an art contest in order to showcase the talent of Austin area students.

Austin Council Member Mackenzie Kelly Holds “I Love District 6” Art Contest

Scott Seamon, Managing Editor February 27, 2024

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Austin Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, a Westwood graduate and parent, is hosting the "I Love District Six" art contest for 1st-12th grade students in the Austin area. Students...

Paintbrush in hand, Jennifer Rong ‘25 creates a flower design on a plate. Wrong created multiple pieces at the event. “I wanted to come to the fundraiser because it’s a really fun club and it’s a really good way to destress after a long week,” Rong said.

Ceramics Club Paints Pottery at Valentine’s Fundraiser

Caelyn Swendner, Heritage Assistant Editor February 26, 2024

After weeks of preparation, Ceramics Club hosted their first fundraiser in sponsor Ms. Cari Washburn’s room on Friday, Feb. 9. Selling various ceramic pieces like mugs, plates, bowls, and conversation...

Thousands of AT&T users lost network connection on Thursday, Feb. 22. The outage ended later that afternoon. The greatest difficulty was trying to figure out what was going on, Mikayla Smith 25 said. When I realized the problem was out of my hands, I found it difficult to notify my non-tech savvy parents.

AT&T Users Lose Connection

Hannah McDonough, Horizon Assistant Editor February 23, 2024

On Thursday, Feb. 22, AT&T users around the U.S. experienced a lack of cellular network, preventing them from receiving text messages and phone calls. Later that afternoon, the network was restored. AT&T...

Smiling, eighth grader Lia Ham sells Girl Scout cookies to a neighborhood family. Since 2016, Girl Scout cookie prices have risen by $3.

Girl Scout Cookies: Inflation’s Newest Target

Jia Chun, Reporter February 21, 2024

When January rolls around, the Girl Scout cookie craze begins. Packaged in bright colors, cookie flavors range from the popular Caramel deLites, cookies topped with caramel and coconut, to Lemonades,...

Among the aisles of HEB, Ishira Limaye 25 poses for a selfie. For an assignment in TAG AP Language, Mr. Chalks students went to the grocery store alone as a real-life application of topics discussed in their current reading, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare.

TAG AP Language Students Go Shopping

Prima Changwatchai, Community & World News Editor February 20, 2024

To fulfill an assignment from English teacher Mr. Scott Chalk due on Tuesday, Feb. 13, TAG AP Language students went grocery shopping without their parents. Students were instructed to buy at least...

Animated, AI/ML Club Vice President Aditya Madhan ‘24 leads a lesson on image classification as club members look on. Officers plan the lessons around club members previous knowledge and understanding. AI is definitely a complicated thing to teach, club President Raghav Aggarwal 24 said. I think the biggest thing is how were gonna make this complicated stuff easy to understand.”

Picture This: AI/ML Club Members Learn About Image Classification

Mayla Montgomery, Reporter February 18, 2024

On Friday, Feb. 9, members of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) Club gathered in sponsor Ms. Jennifer Howitt’s room for a lesson on image classification. Through a slideshow and presentation...

Arranged by style, the Fiber Arts Club stand displays plushies, coasters, keychains and other goods made for the sale. The first of its kind for the club, the sale allowed club members to showcase their love for craft while giving back to the community.

Wool You Be Mine: Fiber Arts Club Sells Valentine-themed Handcrafted Goods

Sophia Cortes and Katie Ring February 17, 2024
The culmination of months of hard work and cramped hands, the Westwood Fiber Arts Club opened their one-day sale in the atrium on Thursday, Feb. 8. Selling club member-made Valentine-themed crochet items such as keychains and plushies, the sale attracted attention from students and staff alike. 
Mechanical issues have led to recent crashes involving Boeing planes. As a result, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented inspection and maintenance requirements before the planes could be returned to service. The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning these aircraft to service, the FAA said in a press release on Wednesday, Jan. 17.

Failure to Fly

Lilah Schlanger, Reporter February 16, 2024

The recent deterioration of planes has caused unrest in many passengers and involved companies. On Friday, Jan. 5, the door plug fell off a Boeing 737 Max 9, resulting in a forced emergency landing, although...

The Westwood library features a variety of sections divided by literary genre. Some books, such as the ones found in the romance section, have been targeted by bills like House Bill 900 due to their often mature themes regarding sexuality and love.

Book Rating Laws Face Ongoing Debate

Gabriel Oliveira, Reporter February 16, 2024

Today, explicit books in school libraries are a hot-button issue for both students and parents. These allegedly inappropriate books have been the subject of many board meetings, resolutions, curriculum...

Smiling, Nathan Paddock 25 holds up a high-scoring homework assignment. The issue of grade inflation has persisted since the nationwide lockdown in 2020, increasing competition and leading to grades that may not reflect students academic abilities.

Grade Inflation Heightens Since Lockdown

Shivani Kondubhatla, A&E Editor February 14, 2024

When the world shut down during the pandemic, the education system took a weighty hit. Due to rolling school closures, harmful staff shortages, and the concern of absenteeism, schools had no choice but...

At an informational meeting, IB counselor Ms. Ann Castro tells assembled students about the process of signing up for ACC classes. These mandatory meetings were offered to students during lunch.

Austin Community College Offers Free Tuition and Summer Classes

Trinity Osmer, Reporter February 10, 2024

Austin Community College (ACC) recently proposed a new opportunity for students to explore their future college careers by granting free tuition to high school graduates. The college has created this plan,...

Forming a pyramid formation, the Cheer team conclude their performance. Some members held the sko wood symbol, amplifying school spirit.

Students Showcase Spirit at First Pep Rally of the Semester

Tianwen Gao and Vedanti Patil February 8, 2024

Among sounds of student cheers and drumlines, on Friday, Feb. 2, students were ushered into the fieldhouse gym during flex for the first pep rally of this semester. “I think it was a lot of fun...

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