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The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst

The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst

The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst

English teacher Michael Davis watches the Elf Christmas movie party at the Alamo with his wife Darci Davis. As they put on fun hats and took their seats, the Davis’s got to experience this wonderful Christmas memory. “We haven't gone every year but when we did it was amazing,” Davis said. “It was a whole experience with a fun party and of course the movie. My wife and I couldn't have had more fun.”

Unwrapping the holidays

Peyten Pruitt, Photo Editor
December 18, 2024
During flex time on December 11, 2024, gifts from the school's angel trees were collected. Students and teachers began to pile gifts together by the band doc, in order to load up a truck that would take the gifts to their destination. “I like that I can pick out items I would have enjoyed as a child,” sophomore Grace Heftie said. “I try to imagine little kids’ reactions to the gifts given to them. I know there's people not as fortunate as me, so I really enjoy trying to help people that might not have much for Christmas.”

Ungrey the holiday

Kyla Riveland, Staff Reporter
December 13, 2024
Smiling for the camera, sophomore Taylor Barcel makes videos for her many followers on TikTok. She started her account in 2022 and has posted on it twice every day. “I hope that I can reach a huge platform, hopefully, millions of followers, but that’s most likely not going to happen because I think like 1/30 wanna-be influencers fail,” Barcel said. “Either way I hope to keep posting no matter how many followers I get because I’m so passionate about it.”

Viral visions

Lainey Reynolds, News Director
December 11, 2024
Ziplining through the Costa Rican trees, sophomore Aubrey Kirk enjoys many tourist attractions on her six-day vacation. Along with the humid air, Kirk was amused by the many astonishing opportunities the country had to offer. “We found that there were more opportunities to look at wildlife than other places,” Kirk said. “My favorite part was definitely when we fed the monkeys on the beach.”

Feasting in paradise

Lillian Tinker, Features Editor
December 11, 2024
Holding up a microphone, senior Emma Morley sings with her band, "The Soggy Phillips.” After many rehearsals, she and her band performed at many different venues and got to sing and play together. “My favorite part is jamming out in rehearsal and being surrounded by so many fun people,” Morley said. “We genuinely just have so much fun in rehearsals and while there are sometimes hard conversations to be had, we still have so much fun performing and trying things with music that overpower any of the tough conversations we have.”

Melody in the making

Lainey Reynolds, News Director
November 26, 2024
Sitting in a chair for at least an hour, junior Montana Chronister gets her nails done by junior Emily Thai. Chronister continues to come back trusting that Thai exceeds her expectations with each appointment. “I get so many more compliments because they look so good every time,” Chronister said.

Neat nails

Kyla Riveland, Staff Reporter
November 26, 2024
In a hurry to finish the race, junior Nathan Biles cycles on the course representing Millard West’s mountain biking team. Biles built a sturdy bike from scratch, from his many rough drafts to finally experiencing his finished product on the courses. “Somehow this bike was faster than the one I normally race on,” Nathan Biles said. “It had impressive riding characteristics and performs 100 times better than imagined other than a bit too much flex.”

Fast and fearless

Lillian Tinker, Features Editor
October 31, 2024
Theater director Brooke Phillips earned the Inspirational Theatre Teacher of the Year Award, recognizing her dedication to her students and colleagues over the years. “Everything I do is for the students at our school,” Phillips said. “But any teacher will tell you the best part of our job is to know that we made some sort of difference.”

An inspiration to many

Jacob Larson, Sports Director
October 25, 2024
Smiling for the crowd, former student Kelcey Wetterberg dances for the Dallas Cowboys football team. Wetterberg went from being on the Millard West Dance Team to trying out and making the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders team, where she got to perform in front of thousands. “My favorite part of being a DCC was the impact we were able to make on young girls,” Wetterberg said. “The dancing and glamour was so much fun, but seeing little girl’s eyes light up when they see you in that uniform is something you’ll never forget.”

Cats to Cowboys

Lainey Reynolds, News Director
October 18, 2024
Hanging out on the field, junior Zachariah Skeikh pumps up the crowd during the game. He gets to join his fellow Cats as our football players take the field. “My favorite thing about it would be dancing or seeing the game up close,” junior Zachariah Skeikh said. “Also, hanging out with the cheerleaders and dance team is fun.”

The man behind the mask

Peyten Pruitt, Photo Editor
October 2, 2024
ELA students are taught new vocabulary and grammar terms. After a quick break outside, they are brought back into the classroom to learn new vocabulary and grammar terms. “I’ve done debate,” Gracheck said.” Public speaking, and Creative writing before. I’ve also taught English nine, ten, and eleven. I was ready for a new field and wanted to learn new techniques, sciences, and cultures.”

Change in profession

Caden Reynolds, Uproar Radio-Station Manager
October 1, 2024
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