The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

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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Holiday decorations relieve stress around Webb campus

Andy Liu, Staff Writer
December 20, 2024
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Andy Liu
Bringing holiday spirit to campus not only takes money, time, and care but also large amounts of human effort. With homework assignments and summatives stacking up before winter break, Webb students are not only worried about completing them, but also about maintaining decent grades for the semester. Prefects and dorm heads have worked diligently to embellish the campus with Christmas decorations, easing the experience of the student body in these last few challenging weeks. “I liked all the decorations at the winter party – the Christmas tree was a nice addition to Ruddick room, and the lights were amazing as well,” Larry said. “They lightened up the mood.”
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Kenny Clay (‘25) poses with his mother, who beams with pride after Kenny’s concert. Mother’s Day looks different for Kenny as a boarding student. “I can't be with my mom for Mother's Day this year,” Kenny said, “You have to work with the distance.” Despite the immense distance between them, Kenny still finds a way to make his mom feel special on Mother’s Day.
Moments for mom: how Webbies celebrate Mother’s Day.
In today's digital age, highschoolers get the opportunity to explore the different ways that social media can be used. Students at Webb have found ways to enjoy the content creation experience. “In terms of boarding school content, I like making long form content because people can binge watch it when they are doing chores or getting ready in the morning,” Jayden Aleman (‘26) said. “But, if I ever want to hit a quick dance, then I would steer to short form content.” Instead of shying away from major platforms students like Jayden have built the courage to create uplifting content.
How to embrace social media and content creation
The Webb Schools’ calendar is filled with fun events that bring the community together. In October, Halloween transforms the campus with haunted houses and Zombie Apocalypse organized by the prefect council. As the year ends, the Holiday Party offers cozy activities like caroling, hot cocoa, and gingerbread house decorating. In the spring, Jubilee celebrates student talent with music and dance performances. Theme Night, the highlight of Theme Week, features class skits and dances that show off creativity and teamwork. These events are an important part of life at Webb, creating a lively and welcoming community.
Which Webb event matches your vibe?
During lunch, many Webb students pack into the library to sit together and do homework. Due to the busy schedule that Webb puts on students, a lot of them try to start their homework early so their work is not overwhelming in the evenings. “I usually go to my dorm or the library to do homework during lunch,” Sochika Ndibe (’26) said. “I usually have many hours of homework to do every day, so I like to get a head start on it, so I am not working on homework for hours at a time.”
Stress affects teenagers’ mind across all school environments
While watching Terrifier 3 for the first time, Christina Young could not keep her eyes open as she was grossed out by the disturbing murders. The Terrifier films have always been popular for its comedic killer, Art the Clown, and for the gruesome killings that many see as a challenge to watch, and others see as unnecessary and the murdering of children immoral. “I have watched only Terrifier 3, and that was enough for me,” said Christina Young (‘25). “I was terrified to say the least.”
Was Terrifier 3 too gruesome?
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.
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Student Spotlight: Anna Park receives notable SCASA regional award
Claire Yu (‘27) and Grace Zhu (‘25) have a funny and serious conversation as they sit together in the Jones upstairs common room area. Grace shares some of her most crucial tips that got her through junior year as Claire begins to prepare herself for her first upperclassman year. “It's nice to have a friend like Grace who has experienced things that I haven't experienced yet so that I have an idea of what I'll be doing soon.” Claire said. “Talking with Grace about her experience has taught me that every student has their own unique journey, but we can also get good advice from our senior friends.”
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At the summit of a 12-mile hike with an elevation of 3,400 feet, Webbies reached a milestone. This challenge was a practice hike offered by Webb, but many seniors did this journey as their first practice hike, making it a physical hardship. "It was pretty hard on the uphill because it was steep, but it was a good accomplishment to get to the top and see the views,” Frannie Hinch (‘25) said. Frannie demonstrated it is worth the push, so it is important to find a way for all seniors to make the practice hikes.
Seniors struggle to complete practice hikes
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Last AP exams for students at Webb
About the Contributors
Andy Liu
Andy Liu, Editor of Features
Whether exploring different forms of writing or hitting the tennis courts in the early morning, Andy Liu (‘26) is dedicated to his passions. Heading into his junior year, Andy has come back eager to take on his new role as Editor of Features. Surfing down in Dana Point, he spent his summer break not only at his home in Irvine, California, but traveling to China and the East Coast, while also catching up on some of his favorite poems. As president of the poetry club, Andy spends his spare time enjoying the liberty of a free verse composition while condensing and packing underlying messages surrounding identity and racial issues in America within the lines. On the weekends, he can be found calling up friends, playing a friendly match of tennis, or heading out to 99 Ranch Market or Irvine Spectrum. Edgar Allen Poe and Langston Hughes may be his top poets, but Andy also enjoys hearing verses, rhymes, and beats from his favorite music artists: The Weeknd and Post Malone. As for music genre’s, Andy loves listening to pop or Chinese music. Moving from Shen Zhen, China at a young age, he values the current relationship between China and America, staying updated on current events to see how the two countries affect the world. New to the Webb Canyon Chronicle this year, Andy looks forward to acing his coverage on games and sports news, both within the Webb Community and on a national level. Favorite Song: Dusk Till Dawn by Zayn
Zona Zhou
Zona Zhou, Copy Editor
Zona Zhou (‘26) is a studious junior with a keen interest in social justice. To find evidence of this dedication to her passions, look no further than her actions this past year: she competed in the 2024 National Speech & Debate Tournament in Iowa, and she interned with a non-profit organization, UISCE, where she interviewed the former Prime Minister of Ireland. Zona hopes to continue her passion for debate throughout school while balancing her interests. In school, Zona thrives in the humanities, relishing her course on Advanced Studies Fascism with Dr. Lauer and showcasing leadership as a member of the chapel council. Outside of the classroom, her creative side shines through as she sings for Webb’s very own indie rock band, “Purple People“, alongside Lucy Troendle (‘26), Sophy Sun (‘26), Danielle Salako (‘26), and Natalie Au (‘26). Independently, she expresses her personal experience through creating and posting her own original singles on Spotify; she has just released her newest song, “Water“. Weekends for Zona are reserved for socializing with friends and watching Netflix shows like Suits. Zona is very goal-oriented and does not hesitate to take matters into her own hands when she sees an issue. She hopes to bring these skills to WCC this year.  Favorite song: Numb by Men I Trust