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

Community & World

As a result of the freezing temperatures on Monday, Jan. 15, several roads, houses, and trees in Austin were coated in ice. School was delayed for two hours the next day to prevent car crashes on the slippery road.

Freezing Temperatures Cause School Delay

Madison Kennedy, Reporter January 19, 2024

On Monday, Jan. 15, Austin temperatures dropped to a low of 15 F, with a high of 27 F in the afternoon. Snow fell lightly in some areas of Austin, such as the northwest region, causing the roads there...

Many students use books from the Westwood library in order to study in a cost-effective way. This spring, College Board is not only transitioning to a digital test, but they are also digitizing all of their practice materials and tests.

SAT to Go Fully Digital

Gabriel Oliveira, Reporter January 17, 2024

This spring, College Board will fully digitize the SAT. This means that, unless a student has an accommodation that requires them to take a paper test, all students - both internationally and within the...

Posing with a cookie and flyer, Sophie Liu 25 makes up half of Journey for Tomorrow, a HOSA project that aims to raise funds for Sanfilippo syndrome research. To encourage donations to their cause, Liu and her HOSA partner, Jenny Yun 25, created flyers, fundraisers, and social media accounts. [Funds are] going towards genetic research for gene therapy and enzyme replacement therapy so that there can be a cure for Sanfilippo, Liu said.

Journeying for a Brighter Tomorrow

Prima Changwatchai, Community & World News Editor January 15, 2024

Despite Sanfilippo syndrome’s high mortality rate and lack of a cure, when Sophie Liu ‘25 tried to discuss the genetic disorder with her peers, she realized that none of them actually knew what it...

To limit the potentially dangerous applications of AI, nations and organizations such as the U.S., the EU, and China have passed various AI acts. These laws restrict the uses of AI to align with national values.

Several Nations Pass Artificial Intelligence Acts

Sabareesh Dinakaran, Reporter January 5, 2024

With large companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta investing in the research of artificial intelligence in the last few years, the significant influence of these companies on the development and application...

Smiling with supplies for animals in need, Paw Plan officers Phylicia Ren 25 and Dawoon Jung 25 display some of the items collected. Paw Plan donated items to shelters based on necessity, and due to  Austin Pets Alive being over maximum capacity, they received the majority of donations raised.

Paw Plan Donates Supply Drive Items to Animals in Need

Chloe Oakley, Campus News Editor December 29, 2023

After three months of collecting supplies for animals in need, Paw Plan officers dropped off donations in a community supply drive to animal shelters Austin Pets Alive and the Central Texas Society...

Working together, Lahari Gadi 26 and author Aarya Kale 26 form the FlowAware team. The FlowAware project hopes to increase public knowledge of the underlooked medical aspects of the menstrual cycle.

Promoting Period Prowess: FlowAware Initiative Pushes For Teenage Menstrual Health

Aarya Kale, Reporter December 29, 2023

Intense bolts of pain, only subsiding to give way to a dull, continuous ache in the lower abdomen, all shadowed by the irritable and sluggish mindset to simply keep pushing through one’s day, is a common...

Following Texass ban on almost all abortions in 2022, 31-year-old Kate Cox filed an emergency lawsuit in an attempt to terminate her pregnancy. Coxs situation revealed the extent of Texas abortion laws amid the public fight against abortion bans in the state.

Kate Cox Case Tests Texas Abortion Laws

Maddy Yendle, Reporter December 27, 2023

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which meant that the option to have an abortions was left to the states to decide. This ruling led Texas to fully ban abortions after the first...

As the world advances in technology, social media has risen to be a staple part of the everyday lives of adolescents. Due to these advancements, social media has grown both as a supportive tool to bring teens together, and a potential source of harm, especially for adolescents.

Behind the Filter: A Closer Look at the Dangers of Social Media

Sophia Cortes, Dreamcatcher Staff December 18, 2023

Meta, formally called Facebook, was recently accused of promoting child sexual abuse material to predators on its social platforms and fostering unmoderated user groups devoted to selling and facilitating...

Smiling, endocrinologist Dr. Deepa Ponnusamy sits at her office desk. Ponnusamy is one of many medical professionals to start implementing remote visits for patients into her job following the pandemic. “[Remote visits are] huge, because it feels like people who live far away are able to afford care, [due to] a hybrid of [remote] visits and face-to-face visits,” Dr. Ponnusamy said. Photo courtesy of Dr. Deepa Ponnusamy

Teleworking: How a Physician Combats Inaccessibility

Bella Yi, Reporter December 9, 2023

The patient picks up the call from the McDonalds drive-through. “[He was] looking at the menu when I called,” Dr. Deepa Ponnusamy said.  As the patient’s endocrinologist, she is trying to...

In the library, students work on story drafts as part of a National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge. The library offered Flex sessions throughout November to motivate students to make consistent progress on their writing goals. “It can be hard to commit to writing a long story, but this program helps to keep me consistent and follow through with my writing and also gives me a goal to try and reach,” Maddy Yendle ‘26 said.

Library Hosts National Novel Writing Month Meetings

Trinity Osmer, Reporter November 23, 2023

On Oct. 23, the school library posted a National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) flex for anyone wanting to write a novel of their own. The librarians showed presentations of the novel writing process,...

Readers browse through the books available for purchase at the Texas Book Festival. After attending author panels, readers could purchase books from the authors they just listened to and get their new books signed.

Texas Book Festival Fosters Literary Camaraderie

Hannah McDonough and Katie Ring November 22, 2023

On Nov. 11 and 12, white tents and rows of chairs lined Congress Avenue and the Capitol grounds for the annual Texas Book Festival. The festival was first started to bring readers and authors together...

With the 2024 presidential election set for under a year from now, students have begun to consider the candidates. However, many have expressed dissatisfaction with all of the presidential options. I think [all the candidates] are untrustworthy, an anonymous student said. They dont address many real issues and difficulties America is currently facing. I think we need to elect a president who really cares about the people [who] support him and the republic.

Students Evaluate Presidential Election Candidates

Valeria Tijerina, Reporter November 15, 2023

As December approaches, the prospect of the next presidential election has come to the surface. Following the release of a list of candidates, Americans are anxious to vote, with Westwood students among...

Load More Stories

Comments (0)

Westwood Student Press intends for this comment area to foster welcoming, thought-provoking discussion. Comments are expected to adhere to our standards and to be respectful and constructive. As such, we do not permit the use of profanity, foul language, personal attacks, or the use of language that might be interpreted as libelous. Comments are reviewed and must be approved by a moderator to ensure that they meet these standards.
All Westwood Horizon Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest