WISH Academy – Welcome to the Month in Review! My name is Analise Tessema, and this segment is where the Newspaper Club reviews the past month that unfolded in the previous month. Or, in this case, months! You’re being treated to a limited edition dual-month summary, which means bigger articles, and larger events, and trust me, we had a few. Â
Starting strong, WISH hosted Senior Night! As many of you know, Senior Night took place in early February. Senior Night is an event after a sports season to honor the seniors on a sports team. This event celebrates WISH’s incredible seniors in basketball, soccer, and cheerleading. Congratulations to Enoch T., Dawit K., Pierce R., Madison M., Maureen K., Bethania S., Cherelle G., Serenity B., Julian G., Quintin Y., Samuel K., Aaron G., Benjamin A., Jennifer M., Gabriella T., and Juliana S.! Congratulations on completing high school; we all hope your future is as bright and lovely as your sports careers.
Speaking of love…Valentine’s Day is the loveliest day of February, and this year was no exception! With love in the air, WISH students expressed their affection and gratitude not only for their partners but also for their friends and family! An opportunity arose to treat the loving couples and appreciative families at WISH that night with The Wiz! That’s right, WISH’s talented theater program graced the stage and blessed everyone’s ears for three consecutive nights that weekend. Led by Ms. Landon, the theater program warmed its way into the audience’s eager hearts. Dorothy, played by Lailah Young, finds her way back home from Kansas and gathers a lovable group of friends, including an oblivious scarecrow, Jay Waltower, an indifferent tinman, Ezra Yelchin, and a cowardly lion, played by Kemonte Nelson. But Cupid had yet to call for the curtain, as we still had to celebrate culture.
Throughout the entirety of February, WISH celebrated Black History Month. In this month, WISH celebrates the achievements and acknowledges the struggles of Black Americans in the United States. Not long ago, Black Americans fought for their right to be considered equal to their white counterparts and continue to strive for the equality and equity they deserve. That’s why WISH celebrates Black History Month through various activities, such as WISH’s BHM potluck or WISH’s BHM performances, to recognize the incredible contributions of innovators from the African diaspora to society. This includes their unique art, music, and delicious food featured at those events. As well with WISH’s fantastic middle school step team, heartfelt poems from WISH students, serenades from the WISH band, and a dance number from WISH’s staff and legendary K-Pop dance club, the student body of WISH was ready for the grand finale, the BHM Potluck. The event showcased all the delicious delicacies representing cultures from across the African diaspora. From East Africa to the Caribbean, the people asked, and the student body delivered not only the dishes from their cultures but also the memories we were able to create as a student body.
March brings new beginnings like spring and even better: Women’s History Month. Women’s History Month is an annual month-long celebration of women and all that they have contributed to society and history. For years, women have been considered second-class citizens and only extensions of men and their beliefs. As time passed, women continued to fight for their human rights and steadily started receiving the liberties they were owed as people, as well as gaining their autonomy. This is what makes this month special and purposeful, as its meant to t commemorate all the women who have made a difference in the world and society through their efforts and determination. A great and relevant example of this would be the WISH girl’s Basketball Team, which is WISH’s first team to ever reach the basketball championships. With the coaching of the wonderful Coach Simone, she would guide her team to the championships. Despite their loss, they paved the way for WISH’s Sports Program to consider the possibility of championships. They walked so that everyone in the sports program can have the motivation and determination to run.
Why not start running now like we did in the Rock, Roll, and Run? On March 12th, many members of the WISH community came to participate in the Rock, Roll, and Run. This event is a 5k marathon fundraiser for the community, that is hosted by LMU. The WISH community participates every year in this event to help fundraise and bring attention to the school! Through games and gratitude, the wonderful WISH students and athletes helped show their support by participating in the run or volunteering to set and run the WISH booths at this event.. But that’s not all this stupendous little school has done for the student body. The WISH Gala is a dashing and exclusive event in which the WISH community comes together to discuss the school and its support. The glamorous WISH band elevates the ambiance from a fundraising event to a glamorous gala full of charitable people spoken of via curious whispers and dream-filled dialogue. These fund-raising events help make WISH the school and community it’s known for. One example of one of its famous ways of benefiting students is field trips, for example, Sea World.
On the 14th of March, students from the Engineering and Biomedical Pathway or in AP Biology would be invited and allowed to visit SeaWorld on an educational field trip for the park’s highly acclaimed STEM Day. This event is an educational youth program opportunity in which students race around the park to finish the stations the fastest. It was easy for many groups to get sidetracked by the endless other educational sites and wonders at the park. The students had a chance to see orcas, beluga whales, dolphins, pilot whales, sharks, sea turtles, and many other creatures that inhabit the deep blue sea. One highlight of the trip was the Dolphin show at 1 pm in which the Sea World staff and its trainers showed dolphins dancing and performing for the audience. Witnessing the speed and verticality of these creatures was truly a sight to behold, even if many of us got soaked in the process. Yet, education and information hold no bounds to the surprises to give us. That is a future many of WISH’s science-focused pupils got to witness soon after.
On March 17th, the senior class had a chance to visit LMU’s extensive library. Many seniors eagerly seized this amazing opportunity and made their way to the entrance of LMU’s prestigious campus as a supervised group. This library housed a wealth of knowledge along with treasures from the past, including ancient artifacts and antiques. Located on the third floor, LMU collected and displayed artifacts from around the world for study and enlightenment. After their visit, the seniors left with open minds and new perspectives on the past and the future.
The last two months must have gone by fast! But we at the Newspaper Club are grateful to experience this with you throughout the year. These just aren’t your stories, but WISH’s stories.
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