Can they be our Hiroez? Yes. They can. In April, three fabulous pairs from the class of 2027 campaigned with heart and grit to determine who would be the student body president and vice president for the 2026-2027 school year. After a long ten days of immersing themselves and their campaign within the Cate community, positions previously held by Barron Crayton ‘26 (president) and Jen Won ‘26 (vice president) have now been passed down to Kakeru Hirofuji ‘27 (president) and Ana

By Josie Song '28 As families made their way to Hitchcock Theatre, down each step would reveal peeks of colorful art pieces featured in the Spring Family Weekend Art Show. The Spring Family Weekend Art Show featured student work from the visual arts department, including ceramics, studio art, and photography, from all levels, from Studio Art 1 to Advanced Art. To the right of the art gallery entrance was the artwork created by the Studio Art 1 students, who were tasked with

By Tania Molina '26 Shannon Drew with a student in the ATC During the 2025-2026 school year, there had been so many electric scooters parked outside classrooms, crutches on chairs, and students recovering from major injuries became a familiar sight across Cate’s campus. What many students did not see, however, was the constant work being done behind the scenes at the Brittingham Family Athletic Training Center (ATC), where a reduced staff managed one of the busiest injury yea

By Kaia Coker '29 and Olivia Micheli '29 Leadership positions consume life at Cate. They represent responsibility and collaboration, but behind every role is a Cate student shaped by the challenge that comes with the position, ultimately leading to growth. As the school year ends, President Barron Crayton ‘26, Vice President Jen Won ‘26, and Head Prefects Josh Butler ‘26 and Oyin Opawumi ‘26 reflect on the experiences that came with these positions, as well as the lessons an

By Alpha Abulikemu '29 As spring family weekend commenced last month, the spring musical, the culmination of two trimesters' work, was performed for the Cate student body and visiting families. This year’s musical, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, was based on parts of the famous Russian epic War and Peace. The musical received great praise from members of the audience, with Eian Hernandez ‘29 and Barry Han ‘29 calling it “a marvelous work of art” and “living up

By Naomi Chen '26 Prom Night for the Cate Class of 2026 took place on Saturday, May 2nd, at the University Club of Santa Barbara, thanks to the generous planning of a parent-led committee and a prom committee composed of senior class students. Despite minor timing complaints, the night was widely considered successful, owing to the orchestration, food, and the energy on the dance floor. Most of the planning was done by a small group of parent volunteers, co-chaired by the mo

By Paloma Rudnicki '27 This year, Cate School made the historic decision to change the end-of-year schedule entirely. The legendary Finals Week that Cate Students have come to both love and dread has now been replaced with the somewhat anticlimactic Math Final on Friday, May 28. Students have been left in the lurch by the novel decision and are unsure of the reasoning behind the change. The most recent Finals Week structure featured a Monday off classes for review, and then f

By Serena Zhang ‘28 As the summer approaches and the school year comes to an end, the atmosphere on the Mesa is beginning to change. The final weeks of the year bring a mix of emotions: for seniors preparing for the next chapter in their lives, graduation marks the culmination of years of hard work, friendships, and memories; for the rest of the student body, graduation means saying goodbye to the teammates, mentors, and role models who have gradually become a crucial part of

By Jasper Shelmerdine '26 On April 16th, senior assassin kicked off for the class of 2026 as a way to bring everyone together through a light-hearted game involving goggles and water launchers. Organized by senators Jordan Ryan ‘26 and Lauren Hubbs ‘26, this high-pressure activity has turned everyday routines into calculated risks in the final stretch before graduation. At its core, the premise is that each senior is assigned a target, and they must eliminate their target by

By Jasper Shelmerdine '26 Although Cate students cannot choose trimester electives until their senior year, many campus members argue that introducing choice earlier would be both beneficial and feasible. In response, the Dean of Academics outlined the logistical reasons behind the current course timeline. While the class of 2027 had to submit their elective requests, with over 150 classes to choose from, by March 22nd for their final year, underclassmen are still required t

By Josie Song '28 As the spring season jumped into full swing this past March, with track, lacrosse, and swimming among other examples, it also marked the end of winter sports. With both women's and men’s soccer teams going on CIF runs, and a memorable boys basketball senior night crushing Thacher at home, there is much to recap over these last few cold months. Each team faced trials and tribulations this year, with many athletes facing injuries on the field, but that didn’t

By Maree Hawkins '28 With spring break ending, students returned to the Mesa and brought the heat with them. From Monday, March 16, through Friday, March 20, 2026, the National Weather Service forecasted a long-duration heat wave throughout Santa Barbara County. Temperatures were 20–35 degrees above normal, reaching the 90s in some areas and breaking daily and monthly records for March. For a community like Cate, built around an outdoor campus culture, the timing couldn't hav

By Paloma Rudnicki '27 Let us Karry your voice! Any Means Necessary. Can We Be Your HIROEZ? Slogans and buzzwords have been thrown around in conversation, plastered on posters all over campus, and flashed in fancy fonts across the screen in assembly, but the Cate student body presidential elections have officially commenced. Although the winners have been revealed, read this to get to know all the candidates who ran. Aydin Barry and Tori Kim Vote Karry! Not for Karry Tan ‘27,

By Alpha Abulikemu '29 The admissions team creates Cate’s student body, deciding, among thousands of students applying, who will be the next members of our school community. Deciding which students to admit is a complicated, often difficult process. Each application carries many parts, including essays, grades, test scores, and interviews. Every part of the process is necessary, Mr. Joe Cordero, the associate director of admissions, noted that the admissions team is looking

By Ava Moxley '29 Spring Family Weekend has arrived, and here are some of the places to visit with families. There’s something on this list for everybody! Downtown Santa Barbara: Downtown Santa Barbara is always bustling with life. Begin your day at Alessia Patisserie on Canon Perdido just off Santa Barbara Street. They offer a great selection of pastries, as well as a creative take on classic brunch and breakfast items. Afterward, pop into Jake & Jones and browse their curat

By Amelia Riepe '27 Hollywood’s biggest night for artistic achievement, better known as the Oscars, sparked everything from hushed debates over outfits in the Co-Lab to passionate, table-wide Booth discussions regarding steals and victories. With a grand champagne carpet entrance, this annual event in Los Angeles is full of grandeur and reserved for the best in the film industry. An Academy Award is recognition for excellence in cinematic achievement, determined by the Academ

By Jasper Shelmerdine '26 Cate’s annual Revisit Day, a significant milestone in the admissions process, was held on March 27th this year. Prospective students gained insight and built relationships through a combination of academic exposure, social interaction, and structured programming during this event, which Cate School admissions officers spend months planning. From a student's perspective, the day followed an intricate schedule, as highlighted in assembly by Associate

By Serena Zhang '28 Every Tuesday night, students representing all grades gather in the Johnson Library, taking their seats around the table as Senate comes to order. This year, as Cate explores the school theme of "How Does Power Work?”, those meetings demonstrate how students exercise power every day. As Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) representative Andrew Peng '26 states, “The mission of Senate is to bring Cate students a better experience, whether that be in acade

By Serena Zhang '28 and Evan Walters '28 As Cate enters the spring trimester and prepares for the closing of the school year, the prospect of applying for leadership positions for the 2026-2027 school year quickly becomes a topic of interest among students. Positions can range f rom Blue Ewe ambassador, student librarian, or Cate net master, to prefects, teaching assistant, and affinity heads, which all require a thorough selection process. Across interviews with juniors appl

By Eshaan Gupta '29 On March 21, the Cate community gathered on Kirby Quad to celebrate Holi, the Indian “Festival of Colors.” Organized by the Cate Desi Student Union (DSU), the event aimed to immerse the broader Cate community in South Asian cultural traditions. It brought students and staff together for an evening of vibrant festivities and cultural appreciation. DSU members played a key role in organizing the event, arranging traditional food such as samosas and mango las