By Amelia Riepe' 27 With mid-trimester grades approaching, a severe heatwave, and Fall Family Weekend on the horizon, Cate students are already swamped. An unexpected, school-wide ant infestation raging through every dorm and faculty house on campus added yet another crisis to an already stressful week. B&G has been working all summer tirelessly to tackle these ants, but now it's beyond what's manageable. Whether you’ve seen them climbing in your room, outside of the co-lab,

By Karina Strofs' 27 Who is Clavicular? Braden Peters, a 20-year-old streamer who goes by Clavicular, is one of the most discussed people on social media this year. Peters grew up in New Jersey and moved to Miami last year, according to the Miami New Times. He has built his following by promoting “looksmaxxing,” which is the practice of going to extreme lengths to look more attractive. Looksmaxxing ranges from gym training and skincare to riskier things such as “bonesmashin

By Paloma Rudnicki' 27 Mocktail and a Martini, the fall play being performed at the 2026 Fall Family Weekend, is the first student-written one in Cate School history. Michelle Wu ‘27, in collaboration with Jin Sun ‘28 and Patrick Wykoff ‘27, wrote the 11-scene show between early May and Outings Week in September, when the process turned towards rehearsals. The trio, having participated in the fall plays for the past few years, wanted something new. “We wanted to try a whole p

By Serena Zhang' 28 In honor of Mark Metherell ‘87 and his dedication to Servons, the Mark Metherell ‘87 Memorial Service Challenge provides Cate students with funding and the opportunity to pursue service projects of their own design. Each year, recipients identify a need, develop a plan to address it, and put in their effort over the summer to turn those plans into action. This year’s projects brought Ati Zwieback ‘27, Alex Ke ‘27, Ryder Wei ‘27, and Sophie Cruz ‘27 to Indi

By Ayla Sichi' 28 While the roles of the president and vice president are no small tasks, Kakeru Hirofuji and Analise Gomez, also known by their campaign name “Hiroez,” were well prepared for their positions heading into the 2026-2027 school year. Their shared passion for their jobs, paired with a similar approach to managing their workload, has made it easier to adjust to the busy schedule. Meetings with Mrs. Hansen and Mr. Rodriguez, Ms. Lockett, Senate, keeping track of de

By Alpha Abulikemu' 29 Cate’s teachers, along with the students, are the soul of our school. They’re the ones responsible for guiding students in their learning and enforcing the rules that shape our community. This year, we welcome four new teachers, each with their own life experiences, teaching styles, and ideas. There is Ms. Vendler, who teaches English; Mr. Ricciardi, who teaches Japanese; Mr. Schofield, who teaches Math; and Mme. Maillard, who teaches French. Each of th

By Ayla Sichi' 28 This summer, the domestic box office boasted an unparalleled profit of $4.67 billion in ticket sales, surpassing 2013’s longstanding record. Thirteen years later, it's only natural to wonder why this sudden boom in ticket sales is taking place – is it a plethora of high-quality pictures, a new interest in film, a change in ticket prices, or possibly some new post-pandemic enthusiasm for an accessible social excursion? In terms of pictures offered this summe

By Maree Hawkins' 28 The passing of 11-time Grammy Award winner Dolly Parton left its mark on the Mesa, as students and faculty mourned the loss of a cultural icon The 11-time Grammy Award winner, Dolly Parton, passed away on August 25, 2026, in her home state of Tennessee. She grew up in a tiny, two-room log cabin in Locust Ridge, a rural community in the Great Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, Tennessee. There, she was the fourth of 12 children. People magazine describes h

By Andy Liu' 29 Supervised, “no big deal.” The disciplinary system at Cate has changed. Before, a detention might not have meant much; people didn’t care about the consequences of getting one, since it was just an hour of free time. In most schools, detentions were usually on Sundays or on Saturdays, when most students have evening commitments or activities. Detentions are used to deter minor misbehavior, reinforce school rules, and maintain discipline in the school commu

By Josie Song' 28 As the bustle of the beginning of the school year calms down and students start to establish a routine, Cate has implemented a new program called COAST @ Cate, which offers off-campus weekend opportunities for students beyond the regular activities organized by the Activities Committee. So far, students have participated in activities such as a trip to the Asian Market and Kin Bakeshop, volunteering and beach cleanups, a coffee tour, and outdoor trips to pla

By Josie Song' 28 As Cate springs into action in late August, students embark on an annual Outings Week trip to create everlasting memories and bonds with their peers. Typically, freshmen have the opportunity to grow alongside their entire grade at Pyles Boy Camp, while sophomores and juniors undertake their respective trips to Yosemite and Kern with pods composed of 8-12 people. This year, Outings Week was scheduled a week later than usual, from September 7th to the 13th. O

By Dex Hong' 28 Follow your friends up the stairs to Upper Booth. You’re glad to be out of your suit or dress and into comfortable clothes, but you still sweat in the hot air. Loud music blasts from above, the bass vibrations shaking each stair. When you reach the top of the staircase, walk through the colorful paper streamers and into the dark realm of Upper Booth, a familiar sight now transformed into a shadowy unknown. The lighting is sparse, just enough for you to watch y

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