“The Sleep Foundation recommends you get around eight to ten hours of sleep per night,” my Human Development teacher told our class at the beginning of this year. Student health and well-being is a frequent topic of discussion at my independent all-girls school. It’s hard not to laugh when teachers encourage us to get more sleep.
When I started high school, I lost count of the number of curse words I heard on a daily basis. I didn’t expect to hear “bitch” a lot, but I was surprised by the number of times that word casually came up in conversation. At Westridge, we focus on empowering young women, so I didn’t expect to hear the word as often as I did.
Whenever I announce to a classroom that I’m a chronic procrastinator, it’s always echoed by classmates who chime in with the classic “saaame,” followed by nervous laughter and awkward side-glances at the teacher, whose face is fixed into a disappointed frown.
Looking up at the mountains surrounding Los Angeles, you might not know it, but these mountains are actually filled with food. This is where Pascal Baudar holds his weekly foraging classes, although “foraging” might not be the right title for them.
These last few weeks have been hard for all different kinds of communities as the immediate effects of COVID-19 have become a reality. For Westridge, we have had to move online and figure out ways to connect with each other and learn while being physically separated.
I feel surrounded by updates on the virus everywhere I look—social media, at the dinner table, and on virtually any news channel. I didn’t understand the jargon or even the very basics of the policies put in place until I did my own research, but many people my age aren’t going to do the same.
I’m not a fan of large crowds. Frankly, I’m not a big fan of people, either—with or without a pandemic. They can be loud, dramatic, and annoying, to say the least. Throughout my entire elementary...
Finishing my history essays and studying for a math test can keep me occupied the whole night, but a new task has been consuming my time: community service. Like many high school students across the nation,...
I am sure you are sick of hearing people talk about fake news, but I am going to mention it once more. For Spyglass, as a student-run publication, we have recently been examining our role as truth-tellers and ethical journalists.
I came into Revenge Song with high expectations… perhaps even too high. The premise was simply irresistible: a twenty-first century update to the biography of minor historical figure Julie d’Aubigny, a. k. a. La Maupin, 17th-century French opera singer, womanizer, and incorrigible duelist.
People never tell you how truly long you have to wait during the college process. The whole thing is mostly just waiting to see if you’re in, rejected, get money, etc. I finished all of my 13 applications...
This column answers questions posed by the Westridge community about gender. The purpose of this column is to inform. Because many of the issues and questions we will be dealing with are very nuanced, instead of having one answer per question—which could oversimplify the big picture and individual experiences of the trans community at Westridge —this column includes multiple answers from different members of Gender Affinity.
![Dr. Zanita Kelly, Director of Lower and Middle School, pictured above, and the rest of Westridge Administration were instrumental to providing Westridge faculty and staff the support they needed after the Eaton fire. "[Teachers] are part of the community," said Dr. Kelly. "Just like our families and students."](https://westridgespyglass.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dr.-kellyyy-1-e1748143600809.png)
![Lacrosse had an incredible season, making it to the semifinals. Jeff Searock, the father of player Sophie S. '28 has gone to most games and said, "[The season has] been great. Great coaching, great players, kids have great attitude. You can't ask for much more."](https://westridgespyglass.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_3652-1200x900.jpeg)
