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Webb Canyon Chronicle
The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

Webb Canyon Chronicle
The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

Webb Canyon Chronicle
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Recap of 2024 Homecoming asks at Webb

Berklee Antecol and Anna Meng
October 29, 2024
Berklee Antecol
Webb campus buzzed with rounds and rounds of Homecoming proposals in the days preceding the dance. Friends were around and helped with posters all in preparation for these special moments before the dance. “I think it’s a great way to bond and a fabulous way to develop relationships,” Jessica Lu (‘27) said. She believes that the mood and vibe of Homecoming asks help connect people throughout campus and make memories for those involved.
steph and hanbo graphic
Berklee Antecol
Hanbo Xu (‘25) was swift to ask his very own “swifty.”. He is “enchanted” that he gets to go with Steph Ma (‘25) to Homecoming. He even added a funny personalized detail –– a photoshopped “Stephanie Swift” –– on the poster. “I like Taylor Swift a lot,” said Steph. “I was surprised I was just talking to my friends, and when I looked up, Hanbo was right there, it was cute.”
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Nicole Lee (‘25) frets over Webb’s change in the Niche Rankings. Since 2022, Webb has fallen from 25th best American boarding high school to 41st. “Of course, the school is more than rankings, but such an enormous drop is not a good sign,” said Nichole.
Webb rankings decline: what happened?
Waving proudly above the Price dining hall on a cold winter morning, flags hang, representing the different countries that Webb students come from. "I think the flags in Price are a beautiful way of displaying students’ culture,” Rebecca Bronshtein (’27) said. These flags are one of the steps Webb takes in its commitment to representation. "They really make our community feel closer together.”
A window into Webb’s diverse cultures
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New Years Resolutions
Each carefully tended plant is a testament to the collective care of the Lopez Urban Farm. From access to education to sustainable practices, the volunteers are always focusing on impact. "I think the most meaningful part of the work that we do is creating access. So, a lot of the things that we offer are normally monetized,” Bianca Ustrell-Friend said. Whether it is food or clothes to put on your back, the Lopez Urban Farm always meets the needs of the locally underserved.
Growing seeds of change within and beyond Webb
In preparation for donation drives, items were packaged and gathered together in the science building. Monetary donations were also used to purchase additional items including packaged food, wipes and diapers. “When tragedy strikes, I don’t feel comfortable standing by. I believe in taking action and doing what I can to help,” said Billie Guerrero, Science Department Faculty. The donation drive showcased efforts to support fire impacted residents.
Webb community aids fire-impacted residents
The photo shows key figures from Advancement and Business who starred in this video. Top Left to Right: Leanne Schweitzer, Rona Panginna, Rico Sanders, Michelle Vega. Bottom “Business is super helpful when it comes to processing my checks after I get paid from being a waiter at community dinner. They make sure everything runs smoothly, and I always get paid on time!” said Jayden Aleman ('26).
Meet the advancement and business teams
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Hanbo Xu ('25), in his formal attire, enjoys a glass of apple cider, one of the many refreshments available during the pre-prom reception in front of the Alf Museum. “The cider was extremely extravagant, lavish, and rich, while the food looked very appetizing,” Hanbo said. “Holding these delicate cups made me feel like Gatsby. The toppings on the cupcakes glistened in the sun, as mouthwatering flavors invited a tsunami of joy in my brain.”
Webbies dance above the city of stars at prom
With a powerful skip shot, Drew Holland stretches for the ball as it bounced into the net. Scored! The team was practicing 6 on 5 drills, a scenario in which the defense team is down a player from an ejection, after talking to the head coach, Dejan Udovicic, and assistant coach Gavin Arroyo.
USA men’s water polo team makes a splash at Webb
As Webb students depart from campus to enjoy the rest of the holiday season, it provides the perfect time to look back and see how Webb decorated their spaces to celebrate this festive season. This year, the Price Dining Hall is displaying a gorgeous, 20-foot Christmas tree, beautifully lit and decorated. Lighting up the Christmas trees with various colorful ornaments, Webb’s community service afternoon activity contributed greatly to the setup and assembling of the artificial tree. “It was very fun to set up the tree and bring holiday cheer!” Frannie Hinch (‘25) said. For many others, decorating the campus for community service has been rewarding to see the joy they bring to students, faculty, and staff.
Holiday Decorations Enliven Webb
Students sit around the fireplace, roasting marshmallows and apples on sticks before the party begins. The party was at the Upper Dorms this year, decorated with Christmas lights. “I hope the party brings the community together, as well as dorm spirit and everything because it's towards the end of the year," said Arthur Lu (‘24), a dorm prefect. “Many people are getting tired. We want to raise the holiday spirit for the last week of school finals.”
Webbies have a blast at the Holiday Party
In the evening sun, students gathered at the museum steps in a chaotic mass. Some students took photos. Others waited for friends. And yet more continuously readjusted their clothing. But most attendees were wondering where the buses were. “It’s already 5:15,” said Ryan Ho (25’). “I thought the bus would be here by now.”
Fish, Push-ups, and Buses: Webb brings life to Homecoming this year
The DSPs Kevin Wang (‘24), Hannah Hao (‘24), and Kate Alvarez ('25) smile at the camera as they prepare for the DSP Fall Social. Students can come to the front table and line up to get tickets for pie and free boba. From 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., students were coming up the gym hill to grab the free desserts. The boba truck, though, was the biggest hit of the night.
Chills of fear flow at the Prefects’ Fall Social: Halloween edition
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Webb students face increasing accountability measures for unexcused absences and unexcused tardies, as outlined in the latest policy. Gianna Darden (‘26) is shocked by the potential consequences of getting a UA or UT and missing 7/10s.” I did not realize how strict the policy has become,” Christina Young (‘25) said. Though the policy aims to reinforce student accountability, it is causing widespread stress among the student population.
The new UA and UT policies are flawed
As the drumbeats, mystical creatures of blue and red scales entered. This mysterious creature is the dragon and lion for the lion dance performance. These traditions, fortunately, bring a sense of home to international students. “Watching the lion dance reminds me of performances I watched at home in Shanghai,” said Jessica Lu (‘27).
How different cultures at Webb Celebrates Lunar New Year.
Webb students Freya Fu (‘26), Sebastian Saeedy (‘26), and Thomas Chiu (‘26) mimic a common scene Webbies exhibit during finals or assessment-heavy weeks. To combat Webb’s stressful nature, events held by various leadership groups—such as the PA’s Stress Less Week—aim to create a more peaceful environment on campus. "Typically, I go to the Stress Less Week events and have fun, but this year I wasn’t really stressed, and it was really cold when they held the water balloon fight,” said Maya Chin (‘26). Whether Stress Less Week effectively achieves its goal of reducing stress, considering its planned activities and timing, is called into question, making it necessary to explore what an ideal version of Stress Less Week might look like.
Webbies Visualize their Ideal Stress Less Week
Alexandra Wang (‘27) took this photo on her balcony back at Arcadia, documenting the rapid spread of the Eaton fire in Altadena. Along with the dry Winter weather and rapid blowing Santa Ana winds from inland, the fire exponentially increased in a short period of time, spreading fear among many local residents as well as Webb students tracking the hourly growth of the fires on the Calfire website, “I noticed that the Eaton Fire was getting close to my home in Arcadia on the evacuation map on Tuesday night, so I was kind of worried,” Kevin Wang (‘27) said. Boarding students with homes near the fires felt anxious especially, fearing their family’s potential evacuation.
Gale Force Tuesday: Webb tackles extreme winds and the Californian fires
Webb students often use AI tools like ChatGPT to navigate questions they have about their classes, some students even having ChatGPT Pro subscriptions. “I think it becomes a habit that’s hard to break because ChatGPT is such a versatile and accessible tool to use for everything,” Triet Pham (‘26) said. However, headlines have been surfacing linking the detrimental environmental impact of AI, with some news sources even tying the recent California wildfires to AI’s resource use. This research has raised questions on whether investing in AI is worth it.
The dangers of AI: what do Webbies know?
We are what we eat. Although this saying is repeated far more than it is actually thought about, one thing is clear—food plays an essential role, not just in our personal lives but also in culture and society as well. Good food can remind you of home when you are far away; it can bring people together when they need company; it can offer solace when all you want is to be alone on Webb’s campus. In this guide, we will break down the essentials of ordering food at Webb—what does not disappoint, what you must try, and what you might want to think twice (or a lot) about.
The ultimate guide to food deliveries at Webb
About the Contributors
Berklee Antecol
Berklee Antecol, Chief of Social Media
Berklee Antecol (‘25) radiates like the sun, and loves to embrace the thrilling waves of the sea. As a surfer of the sea, she is always up for a new adventure. Just like her recent upgrade of her favorite meal from chicken nuggets to steak and fries. Her love for numbers and market analysis leads her to be a top student in math and economic courses at Webb. Berklee strives to work in the analytical side of the fashion industry, but she spent her summer exploring other fields of expertise, including an internship at an AI company. Her optimistic energy shines through her work as a peer advisor and admission ambassador. She is driven by her desire to spread kindness and her love to engage with everyone in the community. This year, Berklee aims to become more flexible with her content planning in newsroom as Chief of Social Media of the Webb Canyon Chronicle.    Favorite Song: Waste My Time by Essosa
Anna Meng
Anna Meng, Staff Writer
Anna Meng (‘25) is a creative force on campus, always blending her artistic talent with a spirit of exploration. Whether it is crafting digital art, hanging out with her friends, or trying different activities at Webb, Anna brings a vibrant energy to everything. Continuing trying new activities, this past summer, Anna began to explore the world of editing and writing at an online journalism program with Georgetown University. She learned how to write articles for a publication, edit articles, and try out different sections of the newspaper. While at the journalism program, Anna loved to write opinion articles but because she is always on the lookout for trying new things. Anna hopes to step out of her comfort zone and continue to let her creativity flourish by exploring different sections of the Webb Canyon Chronicle, especially features, hoping to write more articles on other people’s perspectives.  Favorite Song: PRIDE. by Kendrick Lamar