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JuniorADVICE COLUMN & NEXT STEPSJunior year has a scary reputation of being the most difficult one that sets students up for college. Many students, however, aren’t fully awareof how to take on all of the responsibilities and manage their time well to decrease stress as much as possible. Here is a timeline with recommendationsfor when juniors should be completing vital tasks to increase their chances of getting accepted into colleges and universities.All Things CollegeEXTRACURRICULARS & FUNCollege is a great time for self-growth through new experiences and people. For the first time, many young adults have the opportunity todemonstrate independence and develop necesssary lifetime skills while being away from home. The thought might be daunting, but it’s alsoan important time to let loose, have fun, and go along for the ride. Here are some ways you can make the most of your experience.CLASS OF 2027ALMOST GRADUATEDFind your local coffee shopLocal shops serve as a great place to study or grab a sweet treat with friends.Join intramural sportsIntramural sports offer a chance to make new friends while participating in fun andcompetitive gameplay at your school. The free shirt for winning doesn’t hurt either!Take advantage of free eventsPaying thousands of dollars to attend school comes with its perks! Through a quick searchyou can discover concerts, seminars, fairs, and more locally at a free or discounted price.Explore campus and the areaCollege campuses have lots to offer, but you’d be surpised just how much can be foundaround them too. Try catching an uber or a friend with a car to take a day trip around!Junior YearThis school year is the one that college admissions will review; therefore, students should take honors courses alongwith two or more AP classes if they plan to apply to selective colleges. In addition to taking these classes that show off arigorous classload, students need to be signed up for and start studying for taking the SAT and possibly the ACT in the spring. Itis also a good idea to take a practice test for each exam. An advantage of doing this is that juniors may discover they are bettersuited for the SAT or ACT, and it also will give them time to think about taking one of them multiple more times in the fall ofsenior year. Taking one of the entrance exams more than once allows a student to “super-score” by combining together theirbest sections from each sitting.Spring break is a great time to tour colleges of interest. It lets students evaluate what they like and dislike in college.Taking tours and gaining quality information about the school gives a good idea of where to apply and if a college is a good fit.It is very important that students request two different teachers and another adult, like a coach or counselor, for collegerecommendations. These are another way to show in an application that a student is a well-rounded individual who is morethan just the grades they earn. Before the year ends, students will be supported by counseling to form a schedule for theirsenior year. It is recommended that students continue to take honors and AP courses as this schedule will be shown to collegeswhen submitting applications.Freshman DormSHOPPING GUIDESummer Before Senior YearAs the year comes to an end, and summer is drawing near, students feel the relief of warm weather and summer vacations.However, the work doesn’t end. Students should still focus on their senior year and college process. It is important tocheck for summer homework that may be assigned for upcoming classes, especially ones that are AP. The end of summer is agreat time to begin filling out college applications. Students should also write their college essay that will be needed in someapplications, and reveal qualities about themselves as a person to share with the college. Starting applications this early, eventhough most of them are due in November, will help manage time and stress.Fall Senior YearThe most exciting school year finally approaches: senior year. Students open the year with a senior sunriseand breakfast. Students should be completing multiple college applications, including colleges with a wide range ofacceptance rates. This way, students ensure they are getting into safe schools with high acceptance rates, while stillapplying to more difficult schools of choice. Setting a deadline for when students want to get their applications completedhelps manage time. The usual deadline set by colleges to submit applications is November 1, given thatstudents are applying early action. The best way to make sure there is no last-minute cram is to set a self-deadlineabout two weeks before the November first deadline. Getting the application done before the deadline not only reducesstress by getting it done, but also helps you make edits and finalize your application for the best chances ofsuccess. Last-minute details are finalized, and students, for one last time, maintain a high GPA as they await collegedecisions. by Emma Link ‘27, Molly Schecter ‘27WHERE?- Amazon - eBay- Target - DormCo.- Dormify - HomeGoods- Walmart - YardsalesWHAT?- Mattress topper- Shower caddy- Flip-flops- First aid kit- Clothing hangers- Extension cords- Storage bins- Full-length mirror- Command strips- Silverware- Laundry bag- Disinfectingwipes- Bed risers- Shower curtain- Shoe rack- Laptop- Mini fridge- Brita filter- Small vacuum- Lap desk- Throw pillows
The Warrior • Senior ColumnsMay 14, 2026Letter from the EditorsSenior year is the culmination of anincredible journey through the ups-anddownsof adolescence. The Warrior hasbeen an integral part of all of our careershere at Sherwood; the skills we’velearned, the connections we’ve madewill last a lifetime. As we take our leave,we hope to translate these skills into betteringthe world and curating a strongerfuture for our communities, friends, andfamily.We couldn’t be more grateful for theopportunity to run this trusted source oflocal journalism. None of this would bepossible without the support of our readersand our glorious Supreme Leader,Mr. Huck. Thank you all.All our best,Ziv Golan & Evelyn San MiguelEditors-in-Chief 2025-202612Find Passion over Pressureby Ziv GolanFlashback to the year 1990.My mom was applying to collegewith only one school on herlist, Indiana University. She hadgrown passionate about journalismwhile on her high schoolpaper and after attending a journalismconference at Indiana, shehad essentially already decidedshe wanted to go there. The simplicityof that time is now longgone, and the situation nowadaysis much more hectic.I entered high school a nervouswreck, walking into my firstclub fair desperate to join as manyactivities as possible. I wrote myname down for several clubs thatI clearly had no interest in otherthan to pad my resume. I felt thiswas what was necessary, I kneweven at 14 years old that collegewas becoming more difficult toget into. The University of Marylandhad been admitting less instatestudents in recent years andthe popularization of the commonapp caused colleges to receive asignificant bump in applications. Iwas constantly comparing myselfto other students, thinking thatbecause a friend was participatingin a certain activity that I had to aswell.As I dizzied myself with theneed to ‘get ahead’ I focused ona few activities that I found genuineenjoyment in. Starting withNewspaper: I initially joined thenewspaper to walk in my mom’sfootsteps; however, I grew toenjoy writing and felt that inthe newsroom I could be myselfwhile gaining new skills. It’s Academicwas another extracurricularwhich I instantly fell in lovewith. After-school trivia practicesand matches brought me closerto so many incredible people andintroduced me to an atmospherein which I thrived. When participatingin these activities I didnot feel that I had to race againstothers to attain certain titles orleadership positions. I discoveredwhat it felt like to learn, but alsohave fun rather than face constantpressure.College admissions has nowbecome a massive industry, and itis very easy to become obsessiveover the process. Every time I logonto social media I am floodedwith influencers granting adviceon essays, or highlighting whatclasses and extracurriculars studentsshould be doing to get intotop schools. It is impossible toescape the flood of information,creating a stressful atmosphere.When there are tier ranks of theextracurriculars that are best versusones that are sub-par or notbeneficial at all, students can easilyfeel insecure.No one should be placedinto a box because they dedicatedtheir time in high school toplaying a sport they genuinelylove, or joined only a few clubsthey felt they could have an impactrather than leading specificstudent groups because an influencertold them they should. Iwas certainly swayed by the talkonline and constantly questionedwhether I was doing enough,but I truly believe I did stick toactivities I found fulfillment in. Iam happy that I pushed myself inhigh school to join activities thatI knew would challenge me, butam equally as glad that I joinedsuch activities for the purpose ofenjoyment. High school is sucha unique time to explore interestin a contained, safe environment,so don’t waste it on stress butinstead take advantage of all theamazing opportunities to discovertrue passion.Reject Limits, Seek Nuanceby Lilah BoigThe Power of Speaking Anywayby Rachel ThemistokleousFor four years at Sherwood, Iwas told that my voice mattered.We took surveys every year, inwhich we answered questionsabout our environment, our experiences,and our learning. We hadrepresentatives, assemblies, andsystems designed such as SGAand SMOB to amplify studentvoices. On paper, it sounded likewe were being heard. But somewherealong the way, I stoppedbelieving it.It wasn’t one specific momentbut rather a continuouspattern and intensification of unheardvoices. You start to noticewhen feedback disappears intonothing, and the same problemscome up again and again. Whenteachers who have been at theschool for decades say there’s alwaysbeen mold in our walls, andjust to brush it off. How the infrastructurehas been breaking downfor years, but how you’ll get usedto it. Over time, it starts to feelless like you have a voice andmore like you’re being asked topretend that you do. At first, thisrealization was quite frustratingand started to become very discouraging.Eventually, though, itjust felt normal. And this is whatstuck with me the most. Not that Ididn’t feel heard, but how easy itwas to stop expecting to be.But if anything, feeling unheardforced me to think aboutwhat having a “voice” actuallymeans. I used to think it meantbeing listened to, seeing change,and making an impact. Whilethose things do matter, I’ve alsostarted to realize that having avoice isn’t defined by how othersrespond to it but by whether youstill choose to use it--even if youfeel ignored, even when nothingchanges right away, even whenthe system isn’t built to listen.The truth is, there will alwaysbe spaces where your voicefeels small, and you feel discouragedto speak up because youthink your opinion doesn’t matter.High school just happened tobe the first place where I reallynoticed it. My biggest takeawayfrom these four years isn’t thatstudent voices weren’t heard butthat I learned how important it isnot to lose mine anyway.The biggest fault I have withthe high school system is that theeasiest way to succeed is to fit intothe organizers provided. Often,class assignments have a wordcount, a time limit, or a 45-minuteclass period. It’s a common storyamongst students that, regardlessof the topic in class, it feels likethere is no time or need to expandon anything, as you succeed byjust “getting it done.” When I beganhigh school, I put myself intothose organizers, and I excelled inclasses. Yet internally, my mentalhealth deteriorated, and I felt mylife was going toward a future ofjust going through the motionsforever. As I venture into adulthood,it’s understandable thatlife has expectations on whenstuff needs to get done and how.Yet over the past four years, I’veincreasingly seen a world filledwith injustice and tragedy, but thereasons for it were far more complicatedthan what we had time todo in class, if it came up at all.Staying up to date on events,I became enamored by the advancededitorials and found thatthe deepest and most realisticnuances of our world could beexplored through the journalisticwriting that I did for The Warriornewspaper. I was inspired to havean outlet through writing articlesabout what was on my mind, andalso wanted to share with others.It gave me the belief that I couldmake a difference. That mix ofpassion to speak out and desire towrite brought me into the worldof journalism, and by joining TheWarrior, I was able to learn aboutand write about reality, painfuland disgusting and depressing reality,but it was real.The more involved I got, themore I found my deep passionsin life, and here I realized thatI wanted to dedicate myself tofighting for immigrant rights andimproving relations between theAmericas. Understanding the reasonsfor immigration and storiesof deportees is nothing short ofheartbreaking for me and incrediblycomplicated, but this is whatI realized I had needed in my life.Something to ignite me to neverstop learning, to never stop tryingto understand deeper, and lookpast what fits into the organizer.The nuances of life are what reallymatter and give life its beauty,regardless of the subject. Pushingoneself to fully embrace what lifehas to offer, painful or not, is howyou can discover who you are andwhat you truly stand for.
Page 1 and 2: 48th year, issue no. 4 May 14, 2026
Page 3 and 4: The Warrior • NewsMay 14, 2026She
Page 5 and 6: The Warrior • NewsMay 14, 2026Stu
Page 7 and 8: The Warrior • Juniors and College
Page 9: Profiting Off of Insecurityby Andre
Page 13 and 14: theWarrior14theClass of ‘26 Pulse
Page 15 and 16: 16The Warrior • EntertainmentMay
Page 17 and 18: 18The Warrior • SportsMay 14, 202
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