Hello, my Wonderful Wordies! In continuation of the wonderful Sofie Wilson’s legacy, I provide you all with fun flippancies to add to your lexicon.

Try to think of the last time you read a book for fun. If you can, good for you! If you can’t, you’re not alone.

“Astrology!” “Star signs!” “Horoscopes!” As soon as these words are uttered, visceral and intense reactions often appear from the people you would least expect. This topic has somehow become a trigger for people to share their passionate, sometimes fiery, opinions, both in favor of and against this form of divination. 

Wizards, dwarves, elves, and dragons; an evil force seeking to disrupt the peace; a heroic figure to rise and fight against it; a long journey with plenty of action, adventure, and romance; magic. 

There’s nothing quite like getting lost in a really good book—imagining the characters, the world, and all the little details exactly how the author wrote them. But when that same book gets turned into a movie, things can get complicated. Some adaptations perfectly capture the essence of the book, while others change so much that fans barely recognize the story. Whether it has to do with changes to the plot, the removal of characters, or a completely different tone, readers often have strong opinions about how their favorite stories are adapted for the big screen.

During the summer of 2024, matcha became a major trend and quickly turned into many people’s favorite drink. From iced matcha lattes to matcha-flavored desserts, it seemed like everyone was trying it–or at least posting about it. But as popular as it became, there were also people who wondered what all the hype was about. One of the most common complaints about matcha was that it tastes like grass.

Los Angeles is often thought of as the City of Dreams, a gorgeous utopia home to some of the best landmarks, celebrities, and history. On the surface it’s great…wait no, it’s not. Los Angeles’s streets are some of the most congested on the planet, overrun with buses, vans, and a whole lot of cars.

When I first heard about the LA fires, it was around 7:00 p.m. I can vividly recall stepping onto my front porch, only to see vibrant hues of orange and yellow and steadily rising smoke in the distance. At that moment, I thought: The fires are coming toward my house. My house might be burned down. I need to evacuate.

Journaling can be beneficial; writing down one’s ideas and thoughts can be great for mental health and overall well-being. It can help one map out thoughts for projects, including school work. But are there scenarios where journaling can hurt Sequoyah students? What do Sequoyah students think when journaling is required within a class?

Nyuol Lueth Tong Matiok is a new addition to the Sequoyah faculty. He teaches Humanities to 9th graders and two upper-level English courses, Migrant Literature and SAS The Truth of Fiction and the Fiction of Truth.

Every year, as May inevitably rolls around, blessing Sequoyah’s campus with copious dustings of pollen and a posse of burnt-out teenagers, relief is close at hand. If you happen to be a sophomore, you’re about to embark upon an adventure that’s been described as “unforgettable” by past travelers: Sequoyah’s 10-day trip to urban and rural Costa Rica.

Arty P ’27 only had two ideas for his 2024 Halloween costume. He was either going to dress up as a pimp or as the “Hawk Tuah” girl. His mother, who works with sexual abuse victims, talked him out of dressing as a pimp. At 10:30 am on October 31st, Arty was asked to go to Assistant Head of School and High School Director Marc Alongi’s office to talk about his outfit.

At last year’s Sequoyah prom, everyone wore a dress or suit and tie, except for Humanities Teacher Craig Schuetze. He dressed as a flower and wore his dog’s sunflower hat around his neck. Schuetze is the founder of the Sequoyah Fashion Club.

“Hellish.” “Never-ending.” “The worst year of my life.” “So, so, so bad.” “I want to go home.” The quotes above have been overheard recently on Sequoyah’s campus, and they are not describing the general election, but instead, the third year of students’ high school careers.

Because The Barefoot Times is largely run by, written for, and tailored to high school students, it becomes increasingly necessary to produce a review on a topic that should interest any and all students: office supplies.

If there’s one thing Los Angeles is known for (besides Hollywood), it must be its traffic. Like many other metropolitan areas, L.A. has a robust transportation system—buses, subways, and trains—but Angelenos consistently favor car culture and freeways over public options.

By the time teenagers turn 15, most of us can’t wait to drive. At the very least, we wonder what driving is like. As we all know, before we take our permit test, we need to study. Studying for your permit has become a pretty controversial topic among teens. In this article, we will hear from Sequoyah students about their opinions, experiences, and advice for others walking into the world of drivers’ ed. 

Imagine sitting peacefully in Morning Meeting, getting ready for meditation, preparing mentally for the day ahead, and then getting interrupted by the most distressing bit of news: Sam Almo-Milkin is stopping his daily holiday announcements!? He’s been doing it for two years! The student body of Sequoyah has never felt more shocked.

After almost four years of being beacons of leadership, delivering exemplary Talking Leaves, and challenging the mind, nurturing the heart, and celebrating human dignity, the Class of 2024 has found itself in the throes of senioritis. As Editor-in-Chief of The Barefoot Times and a member of the graduating class myself, I have certainly been neglecting my duties. So I’ve been wondering: now that the seniors have been accepted into college, is our school going to fall apart?

Comfortable, beloved, playful, creative, old, sturdy, and a little beat up, Sequoyah’s structure was one of the main attractions of the school’s K-8 campus. And, after delighting children, teachers, and parents for generations, the structure has finally come down. Some things have changed on the campus over the years, with windstorms damaging the iconic climbing tree in 2012 and new buildings and basketball court being added during the upper expansion of 2013, but the structure, built under former Head of School Hannah McLaren, remained a constant for the students and alums of Sequoyah’s K-8.