As the presidential election approached, many strong feelings bubbled to the surface– excitement, anxiety, rage, hopefulness, and hopelessness. As the public headed to the polls, these feelings loomed over thousands of cities and communities nationwide.

Every Halloween, one costume seems to rise above the rest in terms of popularity. In 2023, Barbie and Ken were the hot costumes with an estimated 1.8 million people dressing up as Barbie for Halloween. The popularity of this costume makes sense due to the release of Barbie in 2023, which took over the media and soon became the highest grossing film of the year. After the release of Stranger Things season four in 2022, the number of costume searches from the show spiked, at one point having over 135,000 searches in under a week. Clearly, Halloween costumes are heavily impacted by popular media. However, this raises the question, “What will the hot Halloween costume of 2024 be?” 

Four years ago, a pandemic that shocked the 21st century hit the world. I remember saying goodbye to my friends and going home blithely, unaware that it would be anything more than an extra two weeks of spring break. After an online graduation and an entire school year online, I found myself in the chaos of middle school.

Nutrition is crucial to a human’s life, especially a teenager’s. Teenagers are at a seminal point where they need vitamins and nutrients to grow. A majority of kids have been taught the best way to source those nutrients is from produce, grains, and animal products.

Leslie Margolis is a long-term substitute in the high school Humanities Department at Sequoyah School. She attended Clark University in Massachusetts and studied government and sociology, and received a master’s in social anthropology from the London School of Economics.

Over a five-day run beginning April 17, Sequoyah Theater put on an incredible production of Chicago, a 1920s musical about sex and murder in the Windy City. The musical was a showcase of the strongest features of Sequoyah’s Arts Department: hard work, talented performers, and an obsessive attention to detail that made the play run flawlessly.

TNR stands for “Trap, Neuter,  and Release/Return.” Pasadena Humane’s Trap-Neuter-Return-Monitor (TNRM) program traps feral cats who wander around neighborhoods, fixes them, and then releases them back outside. They release the cats because some aren’t socialized with humans and won’t thrive if they go to a shelter or a home.

You may have heard about something taking place amongst the senior Class of 2024 that to some might seem quite alarming: Senior Assassin. Despite the threatening name, it is a game between seniors as a way to have some fun (and competition) before they graduate. So, The Barefoot Times decided to interview a group of seniors about this perplexing competition. 

After countless years devoted to pursuing her passion, talking about and reading books, Dornel Cerro, Sequoyah’s beloved librarian, has decided to retire. In honor of the 20 years she's spent at our school, we at The Barefoot Times would like to honor her dedication and impact on Sequoyah by telling her story.

What role should the SAT play in college admissions? Should Supreme Court Justices have term limits? Should the 2026 World Cup be held in New Jersey? These are a few of the questions the Sequoyah High School’s debate team discussed at the Cal Invitational UC Berkeley Tournament, held at UC Berkeley’s campus over President’s Day weekend. 

Childhood cancer is one of the most prevalent causes of death in the United States. In order to tackle this ongoing issue, The Saint Baldrick’s Foundation was born. Now in 2024, more than $342 million has been raised across 31 countries. St. Baldrick’s has also had an impact closer to home, as it has become a Sequoyah tradition.

The Science Ambassadors launched the stewardship’s inaugural paper airplane competition in celebration of Albert Einstein's 145th birthday on March 14. The Barefoot Times talked to Emily Hodges ’24, Chair of Science Ambassadors, the day before the competition occurred.

Over the course of the school year, Sequoyah has enjoyed a plethora of affinity events and potlucks. On Tuesday, February 13, the arrival of Lunar New Year was honored with a potluck at Sequoyah’s high school.

Sequoyah recently welcomed a new addition to its lunchtime routine, causing competition for the beloved Student Store Committee, who usually sustains the student body with their large selection of differently flavored Pringles. Starting in mid-February, local business Mac N’ Cheese Rebel, run by Alfredo Gonzalez, has (literally) parked itself outside the school to serve eager students burgers, burritos, fries, and of course, their eponymous mac ‘n’ cheese.

In the subterranean recesses beneath the state of California lies a vital arterial network—an ancient reservoir that has long served as a crucial water source for the region. These underground aquifers, formed over millennia, maintain an equilibrium between the intake and output of said water.

Homer’s The Odyssey is the book all Sequoyans read, the “highlight” of ninth grade Humanities. Since this long poem, or epic, is so impactful, The Barefoot Times interviewed numerous Sequoyah students and teachers in order to answer the burning question: what does Sequoyah really think about The Odyssey? 

On April 12, Sequoyah hosts its annual prom, a celebration of students’ hard work and ability to plan afterparties. This year, The Barefoot Times met with some of the prom planners on the Big Events Committee to discuss expectations, planning, and logistics for the event. Anticipating to host more than 100 students, the prom planners are facing a barrage of logistical considerations, from food to security.

Sequoyah’s newest stewardship has hit the ground running. Co-chaired by Emily Hodges ’24 and Iliana Muller ’24 and facilitated by Physics teacher Kevin Delin, the Science Ambassadors were born in the hopes of creating a diverse, inclusive, and exciting community bonded over a shared love for science.

Teenagers are often depicted as living in a world of polar opposites. You’re in or you’re out, you’re cute or you’re smart, you’re creative or you’re academic–rarely do we find a portrayal of young adult life that is fluid or multifaceted.

During the 2022-2023 academic year, biology teacher Kate Schafer was the adviser for a 9th grade Social Innovation Program (SIP) group focused on Endangered Species and Habitats. The team’s goal was to have a garden somewhere on the Sequoyah high school campus filled with endangered plant species by the end of the year.