SLHS Press

09/16/2026

As students inch closer to adulthood, many students are taking up jobs to be more accustomed to the workforce that awaits them. Accompanied by a variety of adjustments and trade-offs, a student’s day-to-day life often shifts in ways that are both expected and surprising.

“Getting that first paycheck and having to interact with so many people really puts [in] perspective how hard it is to actually have to work,” senior Diana Chen said.

Since July 2026, Chen has worked as an opening crew member at the frozen yogurt shop 16 Handles. Since this was her first job at a newly opened franchise, she experienced some worries about being inexperienced as well as being expected to work multiple areas of the shop.

“I was also concerned about [if] my coworkers [were] going to be nice and also the time management for when school started,” Chen said.

Read more at the link in our bio!

📝 Ayesha Irfan
📷 Rylee Young | Rania Tarhendeh

09/15/2026

09/15/2026

Seven Lakes celebrated 45 students on Sept. 9 for earning the distinction of National Merit Semifinalist, a title awarded to less than 1% of Preliminary SAT (PSAT) test takers nationwide. Out of more than 1.3 million juniors who took the PSAT last year, only 16,000 qualified.

“I feel like the high number was kind of expected since we have a culture of excellence,” senior Grace Gao said. “Though it’s expected, I still think it’s definitely something we should be proud of.”

Seven Lakes ranks 7th in Texas for the highest number of Semifinalists among public and private schools, and 1st in Katy ISD. Texas reflects a nationwide trend of declining Semifinalists, even as the state’s selection index cutoff dropped from 223 last year to 219.

“I’m pretty happy about this since it shows that the school is really high-achieving,” senior Andrew Zhu said. “I think the rise of AI could impact their scores on the PSAT because students are relying on it to do their schoolwork.”

Read more at the link in the bio.

✍️: Audrey Li 
📸: Picture provided by Kerri Finnesand

09/14/2026

Marking the 25 year anniversary since the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the stories of individuals that survived remain. In an effort to retell the lives of individuals that day and provide aid to the memorial fund, Studio VII and the collaboration of National Honor society, with the leadership of Faith Arajuwa, who produced and casted the show, presented the production 9/11- Bystander.

Upon the opening of production, the ringing and voices are contacting emergency dispatches. One caller asking for medical help; while, another caller is asking for information about their loved ones’ whereabouts. As the production continues, it is revealed that those same voices are real dispatch recordings from 9/11.
Read more at link in our bio. 📝Mitchelle Sotunde // Co-Editor-in-Chief
📸Amélie Walter

09/14/2026

Marking the 25 year anniversary since the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the stories of individuals that survived remain. In an effort to retell the lives of individuals that day and provide aid to the memorial fund, Studio VII and the collaboration of National Honor society, with the leadership of Faith Arajuwa, who produced and casted the show, presented the production 9/11- Bystander.

Upon the opening of production, the ringing and voices are contacting emergency dispatches. One caller asking for medical help; while, another caller is asking for information about their loved ones’ whereabouts. As the production continues, it is revealed that those same voices are real dispatch recordings from 9/11. Read more at the link in our bio.
📝Mitchelle Sotunde // Co-Editor-in-Chief
📸Amélie Walter

09/10/2026

From performing under the lights of a National Football League (NFL) stadium to working with dancers at Seven Lakes, Angie Amaro is bringing her experience as a Houston Texans cheerleader to the Sapphires Varsity dance team as the new Assistant Director. After dancing throughout high school and college, Amaro hopes to introduce new opportunities and styles to the Sapphires while helping the team grow.

“I’m just so excited to be here and so grateful for this opportunity.” Amaro said. “I can’t wait to be able to experience all the opportunities that Seven Lakes has as well as just creating all of the amazing memories that we’re going to make and seeing everything that the team is going to accomplish in the next couple of years.”

Taking inspiration from television and movies as a kid, Amaro quickly became fascinated with dance. Encouraging her fascination, Amaro’s mother enrolled her in beginner classes in ballet, tap, and jazz.

“The reality TV show ‘Dance Moms’ came out whenever I was 10, or maybe a bit earlier,” Amaro said. “Watching those dancers perform and just learning dances on my TV screen, I fell in love with how they were performing and thought ‘I could definitely do that.’ Since that point, I’ve just fallen in love with dancing and performing.”
📝Rhea Faraias// Managing editor
📸Photos provided by Angie Amaro
Read in Our Bio

09/09/2026

This starting school year, students are bringing their fresh ideas and interests to campus through the variety of new clubs and causes. These clubs range from spreading awareness to celebrating creativity, each offering students another way to contribute more to the school community and find something they could be passionate about. Pottery for a Purpose, Life in Tehran, and Spartans Against Va**ng are just a few of the many clubs that are new this school year.

“I feel like people don’t have hobbies anymore,” president of Pottery for a Purpose Charlotte Rangwalla said. “They’re just all so focused on school and everything. I just feel like it’s a fun hobby, and you can also de-stress and feel productive as well.”

Most students are using their clubs to express themselves, while some are utilizing them to address issues they see within the student body. Pottery for a Purpose allows students to express their creativity in a new art form and impact the community by selling their creations at farmers’ markets to raise funds for children in Memorial Hermann Hospital.

“We’re trying to foster a fun environment,” Rangwalla said. “Our main goal is fun and giving back to our community by doing pottery.”

Read more at the link in our bio!

📝 Anne Nguyen
📷 Vivian Le

09/03/2026

Grossing over $500 million worldwide, Obsession has become one of the most profitable low-budget indie horror films, surpassing box office earnings of other well-established classics such as The Exorcist. Across social media, many share their theories behind undisclosed scenes, character motivation, and deeper meaning.

“I knew that it was a thriller, but I also kind of thought it was a rom-com,” junior Harlow Veroba said. “I watched it with my boyfriend and walked in thinking it was a sweet movie. I was very, very, shocked by the plot.”

While some viewers were initially drawn in by the potential romantic concept of the movie, the story soon reveals much more intense consequences. Behind the literal horror plot of the movie, the writers dive further into the seriousness of Bear’s wish, and how his selfish ways of thinking transformed his seemingly innocent wish into a more disturbing premise.

“The most terrifying part of the movie itself wasn’t within its story or its jumpscares—it was actually within the actions [of] the characters and how truly terrifying a human’s decisions could be,” sophomore Connie Zhou said.

📝Rhea Faraias // Managing editor
📸Rhea Faraias // Managing editor

09/01/2026

Game, set, match! Senior Aidan Xu is taking his tennis career to the next level, committing to play Division III tennis while studying computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). After receiving accolades from UIL and USTA, Xu will continue playing tennis on Pittsburgh’s courts.

“When I started playing national events I never really imagined myself playing it at a college level,” Xu said. “But I always wanted to make serious, not just as a hobby but as a competitor.”

Xu was inspired to play tennis after seeing his older brother take up the sport. Along with encouragement from his parents, Xu eventually began to pursue the sport competitively.

“I feel like having such a great role model to look up to kind of pushes me to be at his level or even surpass him,” Xu said. “It prevents me from becoming complacent because I’m always trying harder to one day surpass him.”

Read more at the link in our bio!

📝 Ayesha Irfan
📸 Connie Wu

08/31/2026

Students will now face stricter consequences for using personal technology during the school day. A first offense results in a three-hour detention, phone confiscation and parent pickup. A second offense results in in-school suspension (ISS), while a third offense carries a three-day ISS, phone confiscation and parent pickup.

“I was kind of surprised by it,” AP Seminar teacher Mary Pride said. “But at the same time, I can understand that if [phone usage] is happening a lot, we have to do something to stay in bounds with the state law.”

The stricter consequences are part of the district’s effort to comply with Texas House Bill 1481, which was passed last year and prohibits students from using personal communication devices during the school day. Freshman AP Dr. Jozwiak said the district had fewer corrective actions last year because the law was newly implemented.

“Last year when it became a state law it was a new process and a new expectation across the state,” Dr.Jozwiak said. “So [for] the corrective actions you had more chances [with] the first offense, second offense, [and] third offenses.”

Read more at the link in the bio.

✍️: Mitchelle Sotunde & Audrey Li
📸: Unsplash & Audrey Li