The Shakerite

01/07/2026

"We all have finals next week. So I feel like now we’re in this crunch time, and we’re trying to study. And like, with that false alarm going off, it’s interrupting time that could have been spent preparing and understanding." For today's web story, Policy Reporter Emma Barker has the details about the latest high school evacuation.

Students and staff evacuated the school today due to ongoing repairs to the fire sensor in Room 176, which caused the alarm to go off. The alarm sounded during the end of 4/5 period, and students and staff evacuated the building at 11:47 a.m. At 11:53 a.m. they were instructed to go back to class...

01/05/2026

“Some of the feedback we used to hear a lot from the students once they went to college was that they felt prepared for exams.” Today's web story includes the details of and reasons for the high school's resumption of a formal final exam schedule, which will occur next week. Copy Editor Natalie Better, with help from ninth-period News Production students, compiled this report.

For the first time since January 2020, the formal semester exam period returns to the high school next week. Exam week was eliminated in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when former Principal Eric Juli reduced formal testing in response to the challenges of remote and hybrid learning. With lim...

12/24/2025

For today's web story, freshman Sports Writing Reporter Gabe Juli presents some high and low points in Christmas Day sports contests, tells you which NBA and NFL games to watch or avoid tomorrow and puts San Antonio Spur Victor Wembanyama's height into perspective.

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. It’s Christmas! Presents, carols, decorations, and, for some of us, Chinese food. But, above all of those, SPORTS! There’s nothing better than spending time with family as you yell at your TV about something you have no control over. Throughout his...

12/23/2025

Need some holiday reading? Pick up your copy of The Shakerite's Dec. 15 print edition, the third to be published during the first semester. It's available at the Shaker Heights Public Libraries, Heinen's, Dave's Cosmic Subs, Ben and Jerry's and Van Aken Market Hall and features a cover created by senior Design Managing Editor Alison Teeter.

12/23/2025

"Not everything meaningful fits neatly on an enrollment chart." Throughout winter break, the Shakerite Daily Web Story continues with items published in the Dec. 15 print edition. Policy Reporter Emma Barker spoke to teachers about how required classes and a minimum enrollment limit may threaten elective courses at the high school.

As students and teachers adjust to schedule changes and declining enrollment, Scott Sumerak, Christina Stouffer and Keaf Holliday are among teachers who face a familiar concern: whether their elective classes will survive next year’s course-evaluation cycle or be cut. Under the district’s curren...

12/19/2025

Find out who the Buckeyes will likely face after their first-round bye. Spotlight Reporter Charlie Howell explains his picks for the first round of the College Football Playoff in today's web story.

Twelve teams occupy spots in the second edition of the Division I CFB playoff bracket. Beginning with the Dec 19 Oklahoma vs. Alabama game and ending with the Jan 19. National Championship game, this season’s playoffs will be an exciting month of football. Here are my picks for the first round. #8...

12/17/2025

"If we’re willing to look past the partisan politics and focus on typography for a minute, I can understand where both the Biden administration and Rubio are coming from." Design Managing Editor Alison Teeter weighs in on the State Department's typeface turf war for today's web story.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently reversed a Biden administration decision (shocker) to use the modern typeface Calibri in all State Department correspondence instead of the traditional Times New Roman. Now, everything is to be released in Times, again. “Although switching to Calibri was not...

12/16/2025

"Seventeen-degree outside air was blowing directly on me all day yesterday. My hands went numb while trying to use the computer at my work station." For today's web story, Policy Reporter Emma Barker, with help from Ezra Epstein, Graham Gurney, Andrew Mullen, Claire Joyce and Gabe Moulthrop, has today's tally of fire alarms, evacuations, frigid classrooms and efforts to cope.

Efforts to restore heat to high school classrooms caused two fire alarms during second period today, less than 24 hours after five alarms forced two evacuations in 17-degree weather. Students and staff were evacuated today at 9:45 a.m. at the first alarm. They were then told shortly after exiting th...

12/15/2025

"I had to go through the snow, and the floors were slippery. It was just too much.” For today's web story, Policy Reporter Emma Barker and Copy Editor Natalie Better, with help from Assistant Raider Zone Editor Maizy Machmer-Wessels, collaborated to cover today's series of false fire alarms and evacuations, which are at least the eighth instance to occur at the high school since 2021.

Students and staff evacuated the school twice today after a system error triggered the fire alarm five times within an hour. They were instructed to remain in the building during the last three alarms. An email sent to the community at 11:18 a.m. stated that the alarms were caused by a system error....

12/05/2025

“It’s not just about scholarships or clubs — it’s about knowing there’s a place for you, that your story and your existence matter.” Junior Claire Joyce and sophomore Lucas Tcheurekdjian spoke to students, counselors and advisers about how the search for the right college is unfolding as the federal government orders universitieis to stop acknowledging diversity.

Applying to college isn’t simple for the class of 2026 – and with the Trump administration cutting back on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education, students face a new consideration when choosing where to apply. In recent months, the state of Ohio has thrust diversity, equit...

12/03/2025

According to an October Shakerite survey of students, 73 percent of respondents agreed that they do not “know what the rules of the dress code are,” and 11.3 percent indicated that they were unsure if they knew them. Senior Journalism I Reporter Arabella Kielbasa has today's web story — a look at how familiar students are with the high school's dress policy.

In a world where fashion cannot be defined by one genre, the dress code policies at SHHS seem to reflect the same ambiguity. Dress codes, defined by Merriam-Webster as “formally or socially imposed standards of dress,” have been long-standing institutions in schools globally. These fashion norms...

12/02/2025

"Given the legendary synergy between Thanksgiving and its day of the week, you might expect to see other holidays clamoring to replicate this success, but alas, day-of-the-week-based holidays are few and far between. Of the candidates, though, one stands out to me as the clear choice to make the switch — Halloween." In the 10th installment of the Thanksgiving Pundit Plunge, senior Jack Blouir explains why some holidays should be assigned days, not dates.

Throughout your life, you have undoubtedly encountered a multitude of pairings; some things just go well together. Of course, not all duos are created equally; while some are a result of simple convenience or tradition, other, more elite pairings easily stand out. Peanut butter and jelly, Sundays an...