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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
Senior Sam Whittaker is incredibly invested in the Millard West hockey, and has become close with the team. With his being close, he has developed somewhat of a bond with the crew. “Over time, a very deep connection came with covering that team and again that’s what made the final game so hard for me to keep it together emotionally on stream,” Whittaker said. “It means more than the world I got to experience and grow as a person with that team for that amount of time.”

Sam’s story

Jacob Larson, Sports Director
April 21, 2025
Hao is also heavily involved in Forensics. “I truly think Gary is one of the hardest working competitors I have ever met,” Forensics coach Rachel Vanegen said. “Since his freshman year, Gary has dedicated hours of his time each week to practicing his events, researching and filing sources, and hosting peer coaching sessions to help his teammates improve. His work ethic and dedication to Forensics have paid off in the success he has seen so far in his high school career.”

The junior that could

Brooke Samson, Staff Reporter
April 21, 2025
Campaigning to fellow DECA members, junior Marwan Alkhaleel communicates why he should earn a spot on the leadership team. “I can’t wait to bring my ideas to the state level and hopefully make a difference,” Alkhaleel said. “I want nothing more than to make a lasting impact during the year I have with this team.”

From buttons to ballots

Natalie Fink, Managing Editor
April 17, 2025
Sitting at his table Sullivan Kuper writes his story and is determined to finish all he needs to do with it. With finishing edits and revising there were some long nights he had to push through. “It's very long, but it's very exciting. Sophomore Sullivan Kuper said, “I actually find it relaxing because my world is crazy enough so it's fun to go into a world that I made."

Behind the scenes

Peyten Pruitt, Photo Editor
March 7, 2025
Eying down the pins at the end of the lane, junior Anden Sutter, flings the ball out of his grip. Sutter placed first at the NSSA State Bowling Championship for the 2025 season. “It was a pretty crazy feeling to win the whole thing,” Sutter said. “Keeping my cool and staying relaxed even when playing challenging opponents really helped me succeed in the long run.”

Big time bowler

Corgan Perry, Staff Reporter
March 7, 2025
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
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