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

The LGBTQ community in Florida has been affected by recent anti-LGBTQ bills that have caused some Pride events to get cancelled due to safety concerns.

Florida’s New Laws Affect the LGBTQ Community

Charly Obermiller May 31, 2023

Over the past few months, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed multiple bills that are seen as anti-LGBTQ, causing active Pride meets to be canceled and shut down. Bills include HB 1069, which prevents...

Seniors gather on the field beside the Westwood tennis courts to watch the sun set. For many seniors, this was one of the last opportunities to bond with the Class of 2023 before graduation.

Class of 2023 Bonds Before Graduation with Senior Sunset

Prakrit Sinha, Reporter May 28, 2023

On Thursday, May 18, students participated in the annual Senior Sunset event for the Class of 2023. This was one of the last events for the senior class to reunite before Graduation.  “Senior sunset...

Rows of desks signify the rigid structure of the American education system, which is supposedly outdated by 200 years. The main drawbacks of the current system are its inability to effectively teach relevant information.

Students Share Their Thoughts on the American Education System

Chloe Boyd, Dreamcatcher Editor-in-Chief May 27, 2023

In the 1950s, the United States Air Force was suffering major losses of up to 17 airmen in one day. The military claimed it was the pilots’ fault, but pilots instead blamed the aircraft. When it was...

Focused, Akhil Gharpurey 23 and Annette Ho 23 play casino games at Prom. In addition to music and dancing, the event offered other activities like a photobooth and games.

Students Experience a Magical Met Gala Themed Prom

Prakrit Sinha, Reporter May 26, 2023

On Saturday, May 13, Westwood held its annual Prom. Prom at the Oasis on Lake Travis was filled with music, food, and celebration.  “[Prom] was pretty good, the music had a wide variety and it was...

Conducting the Westwood Symphony Orchestra during their send-off concert to preview their trip to the Midwest Clinic in 2019, Mr. Anderson looks to cue soloist Laoise Matsumoto. Matsumoto was a student Mr. Anderson taught as a first-year teacher at Grisham Middle School.

Associate Orchestra Director Mr. Justin Anderson Reflects on His Time At Westwood

Catharine Li, Horizon Editor-in-Chief May 25, 2023

In the orchestra hall, a sense of history reverberates like music. Trophies adorn shelves, the magnitude of achievement imposing on a physical scale, yet rooted in a more symbolic, shared ambition to grow....

Talking about the effectiveness of his product, Jacob Erattuparambil ‘23 attempts to convince his audience that his project, an all natural energy drink, is effective. NAME’s team wanted to address the problem of teenage exhaustion while avoiding the harmful effects of caffeine, leading to them choosing to create an all natural energy drink as a viable alternative.

Senior Engineering Students Exhibit Final Project Presentations

Gayu Lakshmanan, Heritage Portraits Editor May 22, 2023

On Thursday, April 27 and Friday, May 5, Engineering Design and Development (EDD) students presented their Final Project Presentations (FPP), the culmination of a year long process of product design.  EDD...

Students delve into the importance of AP and IB curriculums, and whether they are necessary or not.

Students Evaluate the Effectiveness of AP and IB Classes

Chloe Oakley, Campus News Editor May 22, 2023

Apprehensive warning lights flash on students’ dashboards as May looms, when intense study schedules and late-night review cramming, already characteristic to Westwood students, grow in severity. The...

Sophomore Harshadha Chaganti’s Learnology Creates Opportunity for Youth

Prima Changwatchai, Community & World News Editor May 18, 2023

Welcome to Who? What! Warrior., a weekly Horizon podcast dedicated to telling student stories. Each episode focuses on a different student — and the unique pursuits they are engaged in, ranging from...

Stationed in Orlando, Florida, Disney World has been at the focal point of the lawsuit between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney.

Disney v. DeSantis: The Gray Between Government and Business

Zoejane Ostebo, Opinions Editor and Extras Editor May 18, 2023

In March of 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill called the Parental Rights in Education into law that forbade the instruction/discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten...

Students enter We Are Bloods mobile clinic to donate blood. The blood drive was hosted by the UNICEF club.

UNICEF Club Gives Back Through Annual Blood Drive

Lily Dooley, Multimedia Coordinator May 17, 2023

On Thursday, May 5, United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) Club hosted a blood drive, giving students the opportunity to donate blood. UNICEF Club does volunteer work geared toward helping...

Smiling with anticipation. Sarah Taparauskuas 23 signs the college banner on May 1. She plans to attend University of Georgia in the fall.

Committed: Class of 2023 Signs Annual Banner

Lena Boas, Extras Editor May 11, 2023

Seniors gathered in the atrium on Monday, May 1 to sign the 2023 college banner. For years, graduating students have participated in this tradition of signing their names beside the university they...

Yearbooks will be distributed on Friday, May 12 during both lunches. Courtesy of Heritage Staff

Yearbooks Will be Distributed in Atrium on Friday

Hannah McDonough, Horizon Assistant Editor May 9, 2023

On Friday, May 12, yearbooks will be distributed in the Atrium during both lunches. Yearbooks can also be picked up in D-1311 during school hours next week if you miss distribution on Friday. “I’m...

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