Hannah McDonough, Horizon Assistant Editor
Class of 2024
I am so excited to continue working on the Horizon this year! Aside from writing and reporting, some of my favorite things to do include reading, listening to music, and watching Gilmore Girls.
![On Tuesday, March 5, otherwise known as Super Tuesday, voters cast their votes at polling stations such as the Austin Public Library. As a result of the 2024 presidential primaries, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden are the official party nominees, but many young people dont feel like either candidate represents them. Its just [between the] lesser of two evils, Lexy Hall 24 said. We really just havent had a good president in a while. We havent had someone who has been making good change because our country has become so extremist.](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_1270-1200x900.jpg)
![On Saturday, March 2, the color guard placed 23rd out of 40 color guards in their class at the Winter Guard International (WGI) competition at Glenn High School. The color guard performed their show entitled Attention Earthlings, a show centered around aliens. I’m honestly really proud of us, Ella Mills 24 said. Though, it was disappointing that we werent able to make it even though we were so close, but that just means that next time we [compete] we will be even better.](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3_2_24_colorguardWGI-1200x900.jpg)
![On Thursday, Jan. 25, NHS members gathered in Mr. Shaws room after school to make Valentines Day cards for children with rare or undiagnosed illnesses. After reading short profiles on each child, NHS members created cards tailored to the interests and hobbies of each child. The front of the cards [said] Happy Valentines Day,” Rai Makaraju ‘24 said. “One of [the kids] really likes sheep, so I got to draw baby sheep for them and [write] a little message.”](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/nhscards-e1706643953688-600x596-1.jpg)
![On Nov. 7, RRISD Proposition A was passed through a Voter Approved Tax Rate Election (VATRE). The proposition provides teachers and librarians with a 3% raise and other staff with a 2% raise. [Prop A] would come at little to no cost to taxpayers and could help staff get a raise, an anonymous faculty member said.](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_0055-1200x900.jpg)
![Alycia Chee 26 (right) poses for a picture with her taekwondo group. In August, Chee attended the Korea Open taekwondo competition in South Korea. It’s a larger scale competition, [and] there were Olympians there, Chee said. There were really good national teams, it was just a really cool experience, something you can’t find in the US. Photo courtesy of Alycia Chee](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Alycia_feature.jpg)
![Students gather around after their performance. Dancers from the Love of China School of Dance performed at the 2023 showcase on Saturday, April 8. [The recital] is just to show off the dances all the classes have been doing and learning the whole year, so its really fun to watch other classes, Hannah Au 26 said.](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/unnamed-6-900x675.jpg)
![Ms. Brooke Kobren, a Westwood alumni, returns as an IB and regular biology teacher. Ms. Kobren taught for four years prior to this school year after graduating from Westwood in 2015. The kids are absolutely fantastic, Ms. Kobren said. [I am looking forward to] just getting to know the kids and learning from them.](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/BrookeKobrenFeature-e1661795164218-900x640.jpg)
![The varsity winter guard team links their hands together as their captains lead them in a pep talk. The team placed ninth at the TCGC State Competition on Saturday, March 26 with their lullaby-themed show. “[Going to State] was new for all of us and it felt really good,” Joaquin Schere ‘25 said. “We got to State and thats what matters.” Photo courtesy of Westwood Color Guard.](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/3CBA3DCE-9448-4EE1-97F8-8B5B24B209F5.jpg)
![Neel Kotichintala 25, Pierce Williams ‘22, and Caroline Zhuang ‘23 play the marimba in the front. The percussion were in the front while everyone moved around behind them.“[Playing percussion] is really interesting because you kind of get a perspective that the winds don’t,” Williams said. “As percussionists, you’re much more concerned with the rhythm of the show, and you’re always trying to keep tempo. The winds kind of rely on you to keep the tempo while they do whatever else they do.](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/251CBB97-0414-4915-9B94-0B31C5CFAB11-900x600.jpeg)
