Inkwell | Hopes and Fears | Fall 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAM EOS

MODERN CONCERNS IN DARK COMEDY: URINETOWN

PUZZLED PICS

THE POLITICAL DIVIDE

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT:SIMON ZHOU

FALL PLAYLIST

A RECIPE FOR FALL

(s)ELECTIVE OPEN HOUSE

CHAT WITH COLLEGE COUNSELORS

WELCOME TO THE WILD WEST

ARTIST LAUREATE

IS ECOTOURISM GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?

FALL PHOTOS

SENIOR HIGHLIGHT:WHO IS WHO?

TIPS AND TRICKS FROM GATOR CAPTAINS

FALL SPORTS PHOTOS

RESET AT THE WATERFRONT

SPREAD HOPE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Dear Readers,

We are so excited to share our Fall 2025 issue with you. This year we have expanded our (s)Elective and are so proud of the contributions our new members have made. As we move through the final year of the Red Tie class of ‘26 we want to recognize all their achievements along with those of the rest of the community.

Thank you for supporting Inkwell and engaging in the surveys we sent out for the production of this issue. Our short Cameos feature many of our members’ summer endeavors, interests and brief reads that you don’t want to skip!

We wanted to focus on a theme of how this year might precipitate emotions of fear or trepidation as well as hope for new Yellow Ties and Seniors in the midst of college applications optimistic of what the future might hold!

Dialing into our hopes for the school year, we also hear from our sports team captains on their highlights and challenges. As our Seniors prepare for new beginnings, they reflect on navigating their successes and obstacles here at Annie Wright. For our environmental article, we focus on the ever-growing travel industry. We Spotlight hopeful aspects of an increasing global connection against the fears of environmental impacts caused by tourism and aviation.

In each issue we publish we include a fun mix of social events and interactive pieces while also covering real world issues that are going on in our community and the broader world.

We aim to reach all audiences with each article we publish. Our senior focus “A Quick Chat With College Counselors” can be a helpful reminder to all students as they navigate high school and think about their next steps, and our artist focuses on Red Tie Simon Zhou and Green Tie Luc Sun highlight the creative side of Annie Wright. As you read, keep in mind possible contributions you can make to our upcoming winter issue.

Our foucus is on the previous and upcoming hopes and fears of our community. Highlighting different ways to volunteer during the holiday season paired with important political stances, along with much more, we work to encapsulate different aspects of this theme.

We hope while reading this issue you are inspired to start this year and season on a new note, leaving your fears behind and embracing the hope and growth of this new year. Thank you, Annie Wright community, for your contributions and support. Enjoy!

Sincerely your Editors,

Peyton Matthews (‘26), Masha Kotelnikov (‘26), Eisha Ahmad (‘26), Maria Dorner (‘27)

STAFF

Masha Kotelnikov: Editor in Chief

Eisha Ahmad: Editor in Chief

Peyton Matthews: Editor in Chief and Social Media Design Coordinator

Maria Dorner: Design Editor and Assistant Editor

Cooper Dicks: Assistant Editor and Articles

Chloe Yoo: Assistant Social Media Design Coordinator and Articles

Cayden Laynor: Articles and Photography

Presley Jones: Articles and Photography

Kaya Parker: Articles and Photography

Melita Bullplume: Articles

Gabe Droubay: Articles

TT Nguyen: Articles

Minh Nguyen: Articles

Luc Sun: Articles

Greyson Gallegly: Articles

Ethan Ngo: Articles

Guest Photographers: Dylan Kenney, Ruby Mahler, Annie Green, Jerry Zhan

CAM EOS

Volunteering with a Purpose Eisha Ahmad

Summer is a good time to give back to the community! One of the ways to give back is helping other people in spaces where they need it the most, including the Hospital. Tacoma General as well as Allenmore Hospital offers opportunities where high school students can sign up to be a weekly volunteer. Helping others in spaces where they’re vulnerable in their health can lift your spirits too, there are countless times where just accompanying a patient can develop your empathic and social skills.

Furthermore, gaining experience in a hospital environment can help build your interests of what kind of career you want to pursue in the future, whether in healthcare or other fields of service. Building relationships within the hospital is the most rewarding part of it all, just being there with them through treatment can give you a sense of purpose and provide a strong sense of fulfillment.

https://www.istockphoto. com/illustrations/volunteer-hospital

Pay Us What You Owe Us

Presley Jones

When we think about sports we never seem to ask ourselves the question “how much do they get paid?” Well, this specifically applies to women’s sports.

Over the past summer I was lucky enough to study women’s basketball and even attend a WNBA game. While at the game I noticed the players wearing shirts that say “Pay Us What You Owe Us” as a response to the CBA meeting where they debated and negotiated what they felt the players should be earning each season of play.

The average rookie contract for the NBA is $13 million for the number 1 overall pick while in the WNBA the average rookie contract is just about $216,000. To make this more clear to understand, let’s compare the number one picks Cooper Flagg and Paige Bueckers. Cooper Flagg will be earning about $119,000 per game while Paige will make the same amount by the end of her rookie season.

Women and girls all around the world should feel their worth so by the players wearing these shirts it sends a message to all women and young girls to fight for what they believe in and that womens rights should be justified.

https://sports.yahoo.com/wnba/breaking-news/article/wnba-all-star-2025-players-takecourt-in-warm-up-shirts-reading-pay-us-what-you-owe-us-amid-cba-talks-020307772. html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHRGHb2s1RKx0XBkwydE-2h2icwlotllP4dxJcspAuYpdrxYPzQmuNn1NlQv4ypMB-1VA2oSassiCFzLkFWZXhVjLm2Nl9jYEdB1Evoa4q3a4kYMwFmGtV-Tjp3uuhIdsj6bW1QYNk13--Zbt2O6zvT5LCOJFeHOk6_C8zptQeZC

Visiting The Washington State Fair

Maria Dorner

The Washington State Fair, located in Puyallup, is a staple in the lives of many Washington residents. It’s an opportunity to get out and have some fun with family or friends. With the offer of rides, foods, concerts, and numerous exhibits, the Fair has a little bit of something for everybody.

From the Classic Coaster, the oldest roller coaster at the fair, to the Zipper, the ride options are vast, allowing you to choose whether you want to take a spin or experience an adrenaline rush. The classic fair burgers and scones are also just some of the traditional fair food options you could try. The numerous agricultural and farming exhibits provide an entertaining and educational experience for all ages and the weekly concerts provide live music and an amazing atmosphere.

NBC Sports Volleyball Camp

Cayden Laynor

The NBC camp is a community that makes sports camps all over the world. It started in 1971 as a basketball camp and then to volleyball and expanded to other sports. Specifically the volleyball camp gained its popularity in Washington because of how the coaches trained their athletes in an intense and encouraging way that pushes the athletes to perform the best they can. This camp teaches kids how to get stronger physically but also mentally.

In addition to the camp training, their athletes to get stronger they also train their athletes to bond together as a team. The name NBC stands for Nothing Beats Commitment, the meaning of this name is commitment to lifelong learning, self improvement, and serving others. The camp breaks down what it takes to be the best athlete you can be by taking day by day learning new skills and people. The camp takes commitment seriously by making the athletes work long and hard to show that in a sport you have to have commitment and dedication to improve. The NBC camp shows what it’s like to play like a real athlete but also think and feel like one too.

Under the Big Sky

Peyton Matthews

Under the Big Sky is a music festival that happens in Whitefish, Montana for one weekend each summer. It takes place on Big Mountain Ranch, just 15 minutes outside the town center. This is a big event for Whitefish concert lovers and country music fans all around the world. Each summer they have many big names who make the journey out for a weekend filled with good music, food, and people. This summer their line-up featured Tyler Childers, Clay Strays, and Mumford and Sons, backed by dozens of other popular singers as well as smaller artists.

Under the Big Sky is not just a concert but a whole weekend experience, the shows go from noon to 11pm for 3 days, they have clothes vendors, local restaurants, a petting zoo, and even a multi-day rodeo! Whitefish, Montana is also very close to Glacier National Park making it a great time to get outside and see the beauty of Montana. Once you come to Under the Big Sky it will be on your summer calendar forever!

Hollow Knight: Silksong T.T. Nguyen

Hollow Knight: Silksong, the long awaited videogame sequel to the original Hollow Knight (2017) finally released on September 4th after 7 long whole years. Unlike the first videogame where we followed the story of the Knight in the Hollowness, here we will be following the story of Hornet (child wielding needle) to climb up towards the Pharloom to Citadel and in order to unravel its secrets.

In Hollow Knight, we are tasked to stop an infection from spreading and in Silksong, we get abducted and are here trying to uncover the reasons for our kidnapping.

Before even releasing, Silksong has proved itself to be a promising masterpiece in the indie game world, with team Cherry receiving praises from critics for how ingenious the game mechanics were throughout the demo released a few weeks before the official release. We can’t wait for this masterpiece of a game to be released.

K-Pop Demon Hunters

Cooper Dicks

When you picture an album with four songs in the billboard top 100, you probably think of an album by incredibly popular musicians like Taylor Swift. What you probably don’t imagine is an imaginary band from a Netflix movie. However, this was exactly the case with K-Pop Demon Hunters, which came out on August 23rd and quickly became Netflix’s most popular film of all time.

The story follows the fictional K-Pop group HUNTR/X, made up of singers Zoe, Mira, and Rumi. They lead a double life, fighting the ruthless demon king Gwi-Ma and his army of soul stealing demons. When faced with a rival group - the boy band Saja Boys - HUNTR/X must face both internal and external challenges while attempting to save the world and banish the demons once and for all.

The success of the film was largely due to its soundtrack, which is incredibly popular, achieving multiple milestones. The main single “Golden” has held the number one spot on the Billboard top 200 for 5 weeks, longer than any other animated act in history. K-Pop Demon Hunters is also the first soundtrack to take the number one spot since Encanto in 2022.

Go check it out if you want to watch an incredibly entertaining movie with a fantastic soundtrack!

http://ign.com/movies/k-pop-demon-hunters

Where The Best Memory

Blooms in Summer: Nodeul Island

Chloe Yoo

The humid atmosphere, glaring sun, and incessant attacks from the mosquitoes can make the summer season in Korea tough. This summer, however, I finally got the chance to visit a place in Seoul, South Korea where all these irritating aspects of summer were dismissed and I was rewarded with something much more beautiful and pleasant. Nodeul Island, an artificial island located in the Han River in Seoul, presents the best sunset scenery where people can see the sun slowly descend between the tall, golden buildings and finally vanish behind the bridge directly crossing the Han River. Starting from the blazing, orange sun that greeted me upon my arrival to the pink clouds that gradually signaled the end of the day, Nodeul Island gifted me with one of the most memorable moments of my summer. With the unforgettable experience that follows with it, I would definitely recommend this stunning place to others as well.

The New Superman (2025) Minh Nguyen

“Cause’ I’m a punkrocker yes I am” This tune has been stuck inside my head ever since I’ve seen the new Superman movie, along with a bunch of memes and Lex Luthor nonsense. In all seriousness, James Gunn has brought us a fresh look of the ageold classic Superman. This time however, instead of being the impervious, always virtuous Henry Cavill Superman, David Corenswet presents a less mature, more human Superman who goes through the same emotional surges, the same mistakes that normal

humans make, making him feel more relatable and his growth story more impactful. Lex Luthor in the new Superman made his brand new appearance and personality with the genius acting of Nicholas Hoult, matching the logical, technical and deathly ambitious Lex Luthor in the comics. His ideals as a villain are inline with his personality and his perspective, explaining his hatred towards Superman is to mask his fears of being conquered by a higher, better species.

David Corenswet’s Superman has a more significant character growth, given that he seems more like a naive boy stumbling to find his way to be the icon of justice in Metropolis when compared to the virtuous Henry Cavill’s Superman. The movie is definitely a must watch and it will brighten up your world after watching it.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5950044/

Travel With a Purpose!

Masha Kotelnikov

This summer, I traveled to Indonesia to do some volunteering at local dog shelters with stray dogs. I worked with the local veterinarians, discussing common viruses and the chronic conditions they often find the dogs in. Coming across a stray dog in Indonesia is pretty common, we often found them in trashcans, or hidden at the local markets. I volunteered for two weeks, and got close with many of the vets, volunteers, and the puppies!

Although it was sad to find the dogs under poor conditions, it was great to watch their journey as they’re nursed back to health! When I was there, I was personally able to see many of the dogs receive treatment and watch them as they slowly re-gain their liveliness! Below, you can see a before and after of Billy, one of the dogs that I directly helped treat. As of now, he has recovered from his virus, and has just recently been adopted!

The Inn Big Enough for Big Sur

Grayson Gallegly

Big Sur River Inn and Restaurant is a must-eat destination for those visiting Big Sur, whether you’re only there for a day or staying a week. The sit down restaurant offers a wide variety of options from breakfast to dinner. American classics are served highlighting: the fluffiest buttermilk pancakes this side of the Mississippi, the savory omelettes with chorizo or fresh vegetables, and the biscuits and gravy. For lunch you’ve got a few extra options, you could sit down in the restaurant, or head over to the convenience store located next to the Inn and grab one of the best burritos you will ever taste, with a wide variety of meat options, you’ll find something to love. If you’re planning to travel down highway 101 and through Big Sur this summer, make sure you grab a bite!

https://www.facebook.com/BigSurRiverInn/posts/its-small-business-saturday-and-a-wonderful-time-to-celebrate-the-small-busi

A Look Through The Lens

Kaya Parker

Rome is a city with many historical landmarks. This includes one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Colosseum, a vast part of Rome carrying many years of history behind it. Rome carries many opportunities to capture the essence of all this history, bringing history back to life with photography.

I have traveled around Rome taking photos of the landscapes, people, and beauty of it all. I find this ancient city a perfect place to explore with photography. It invites an opportunity to learn how to truly capture its personality, and the feeling of being there. I had endless opportunities for photos, and in a week I came home with a newfound understanding of photography as well as Rome itself.

I realized how much personality you could truly capture, and show just from photos. The yellow nights in this ancient European city mixed with the gorgeous architecture are an amazing example of personality I was able to capture with my camera. A couple photos I took I feel truly reflect my experience of Rome and its beauty.

Modern Concerns with Dark Comedy: Urinetown

Chloe Yoo

With a new beginning of another school year, the Annie Wright Fall Production is back! Starring some new actors/actresses on stage, the amazing student performers participated in creating a vibrant, energetic show that incorporates social satire and political commentaries. While it could have been a nerve wracking challenge for some to join the production, the Annie Wright stars did an excellent job on interpreting their courageous characters who fight against injustice and a corrupt system in their society.

Furthermore, Inkwell stepped backstage and gathered responses from an engaging survey to celebrate the success of the Fall Production and explore different perspectives of the student performers.

[Inkwell]:In one word, how would you describe Urinetown?

[Yuhan Zhang ‘28] : Fun

[Aaron Cook ‘28] : Energetic

[Pearl Liang ‘29] : Grungy

[Liv Wenzel ‘27] : Satirical

[Inkwell]: Which song from the show do you think represents Urinetown the best?

[Pearl Liang ‘29] : “Privilege to Pee” because I think it provides a lot of exposition for the show, tells us why there’s the water shortage, and shows how the people of Urinetown pay to go to the bathroom as well as what happens if they don’t.

[Liv Wenzel ‘27] : The song ‘Run, Freedom, Run!’ is a comedic song sung by the hero of the show, Bobby Strong played by Tyler Weston, and it’s a song about

[he underclassmen of the city to rise above what they think and rebel for what they believe is right!

Yuhan Zhang ‘28] : “I See a River”

[Meara Flaherty ‘31] : “What is Urinetown?”

[Adam Mcbee ‘27] : “Act One Finale” because it has everyone, the urinetown motif, and a good mix of very dramatic and comedic parts which pretty much sums up the show. Also it’s just the best song.

[Theo Wooley ‘29] : “Cop Song”

[Inkwell]: What was the hardest song/dance to learn? Why?

[Liv Wenzel ‘27] : My song “Mr. Cladwell” was difficult singing wise since I am a tenor/alto yet playing the role of a beriton, so trying my best to do the song justice is difficult.

[Yuhan Zhang ‘28] : “Act One Finale” because there are too many weird chords to sing.

[Adam Mcbee ‘27] : Dancing: “Snuff That Girl”, Singing: “Urinetown”

[Aaron Cook ‘28] : “This is Urinetown’ has some tough harmonies

[Meara Flaherty ‘31] : “Snuff That Girl” was pretty complicated because it had a lot of things all in the dance break. But it was fun to learn!!

[Pearl Liang ‘29] : “Urinetown” was the hardest because the end where all the parts go at different times and the melody is weird.

[Inkwell]: What’s the most fun memory you made throughout the production process?

[Liv Wenzel ‘27] : I have enjoyed the running of acts, getting to see my castmates on stage while I’m not and seeing how beautiful the show has become is really fun. We always find a way to make rehearsals so much fun on and off stage.

[Cate Carr ‘30] : Working on choreo hidden in a closet.

[Theo Wooley ‘29] : At some point when Sal was laughing.

[Adam Mcbee ‘27] : The first time I did the “Cop Song” dance without messing up too badly.

[Pearl Liang ‘29] : When I accidentally slapped Tyler when blocking “Look at The Sky.”

[Yuhan Zhang ‘28] : Dancing for “Run, Freedom, Run!”

[Meara Flaherty ‘3] : Probably just being able to hang out with everyone.

[Inkwell]: What do you think is the most important message the show is trying to deliver?

[Liv Wenzel ‘27] : This is a show that mixes power structure, environmental crisis, capitalism, corporate greed, and more with song and dance. I think Urinetown is a show that is best when annalyzed in order to be really understood. Because you never know, you may end up in Urinetown if you don’t play your cards right.

[Yuhan Zhang ‘28] : That we should always fight for our own freedom and right

[Meara Flaherty ‘31] : Be lucky you have water.

[Pearl Liang ‘29] : That pleasing people isn’t always the best way in running an economy.

PUZZLED PICS

Luc Sun

Things to Do in New York (City)

By Ted Berrigan for Peter Schjeldahl

Wake up high up frame bent & turned on Moving slowly & by the numbers light cigarette Dress in basic black & reading a lovely old man’s book: BY THE WATERS OF MANHATTAN change flashback

play cribbage on the Williamsburg Bridge watching the boats sail by the sun, like a monument, move slowly up the sky above the bloody rush:

break yr legs & break yr heart kiss the girls & make them cry loving the gods & seeing them die

celebrate your own & everyone else’s birth:

Make friends forever & go away

Things to do in New York (city) | The Poetry Foundation. (n.d.). https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/55276/things-to-do-in-new-york-city

In the Northwest corner of New York, through filters of gold and gray we see scenes of warm summer sunshine on the Brooklyn Bridge to the cold winter snow in Central Park.

Across seasons and districts, experience through these images: Men at work, influential Art, powerful Negotiations, the beginnings of History, Aspirations of wealth, the Temptations of dreams, Tyranny of capitalism, Agony from poverty, and white Nights — together, from the facets, we see the whole: MANHATTAN.

- Luc Sun

Addressing the Political Divide

Gabe Droubay

It seems whenever we look at the news outlets, social media or even modern comedy, we see more and more anger, borderline hatred or even violence voiced at and even enacted in politics. According to American Psychology Association, Boston University and PEW Research, much of this angst could be caused by what we see in our news sources and social media, even more than our political beliefs. Inkwell wanted your opinion, and you delivered. Looking at this data, there are some trends to be explored from within the student body.

Many major news and research outlets have conducted polls examining the political divide in the US right now. According to Pew Research, Democrats and Republicans are becoming more “ideologically divided” than they were previously (Figure 1.1).

Pew Research also suggested that these two major political parties are “viewing the other party as a ‘Threat to the Nation’s Well-Being’” (Figure 1.2). Carnegie Endowment for International Peace found the same trend in their research, as they stated that “unfavorable views of the opposing party have increased” (Figure 2.1).

This seems counter-constructive to what politics are supposed to be, a discussion between two sides to find the best path forward

Considering the results from the survey and the importance of listening with an open heart and an open mind. Looking at the results from the AWS student body, there were some trends that appeared. Again, Inkwell wants to thank you for fillin out the form. All of the responses were very helpful as we have a more comprehensive and honest over view of student opinion. The results can be seen in the graphs presented here.

Next, Inkwell decided to send out a similar poll to students. As many current high school students will be voting in the next election, it is vital to start thinking about what power our voice holds and the importance of listening with an open heart and an open mind.

Looking at the results from the AWS student body, there were some trends that appeared. Again, Inkwell wants to thank you for filling out the form. All of the responses were very helpful as we have a more comprehensive and honest overview of student opinion. The results can be seen below in Figure 3.1:

When asked about the most important political conflict today, the most chosen response, with over twice as many votes as the other options, was political violence. The other most chosen options were the Israel-Hamas War and school shootings.

Pew Research seems to demonstrate a correlation between political violence and polarization. They state that, “Americans see rhetoric from the ‘other side,’ polarization, [and a] lack of understanding [are] among the main reasons for politically motivated violence in the U.S.” It appears that this is a growing trend in American politics.

Students were asked to rank the political polarization on a scale from one (least polarized) to ten (most polarized), the two most chosen numbers were eight and ten, with no response choosing a number below five. With the mean response being 8.1, it is safe to say that Annie Wrights’ student population believes that the US has become extremely polarized.

Students contributed more information found in the data tables below:

If you are interested in seeing specific anonymous responses to the written response questions included in the poll, along with seeing a more comprehensive view of the data collected, Inkwell has attached a QR code link to this page down below. Again, thank you all for your contribution to this article; it is amazing to see what can be accomplished when we work together and listen to each other!

Sources https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2023/09/polarization-democracy-and-political-violence-in-the-united-states-what-the-research-says?lang=en https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/

Scan the QR code for moredetails from the student survey

Artist Spotlight: Simon Zhou

TT. Nguyen

For our Fall 2025 artist spotlight we’ll be focusing on Simon Zhou. He is an intuitive, innovative, insightful, inspiring young artist.

Simon started playing the drums back when he was 5 or 6 years old, when we interviewed him about how he got himself into drumming, he responded with; “ I chose drums because my mom graduated from music school, when I was young she asked what instruments I wanted to play. When she suggested drums, I didn’t love it the first few years, I hated my teacher, but when I started a band in middle school that’s when I got more into drumming. Collaborating with other musicians and playing live music made me enjoy it so much more and allowed me to develop my style more without being directed or led by my teachers.”

Simon doesn’t just drum, he’s also a producer: “I write and use music software to create music and songs, blending vocals and instruments and writing lyrics and compositions for new songs” He write musics in a few different styles and genres such as rock, pop, brazilian style bossa nova style, and jazz. Now as an accomplished drummer, he is mostly interested in funk drumming. Funk allows him to be creative through improvising or a quick jam and he is not restricted by the rules.

In this genre, he can demonstrate more of his skills like improvisation due to funk having a more free structure. This can bypass the limit that a more complex structure presents upon performance and sound. Funk also allows him to step out of his comfort zone and play other songs he is not familiar with.

When it comes to drumming though, there’s not a particular thing that inspires him, he has met so many people that have helped him on this journey, now it just feels right to him. Simon doesn’t rely on sheet music to play and create music, he drums by ear and changes it up as he goes.

Music gave Simon an outlet to express himself and showcase his talents. He describes it as “Music gave me my sense of self, I am not a true academic person and music attracted me. I feel I’m good at music, and it gave me confidence. Sometimes I find it hard to focus on what I’m not interested in. Writing my own lyrics, capturing things between people, and finding what connects people inspires me to focus on other parts of life.

When it comes to performing he doesn’t feel nervous or anxious since he’s performed for so long, even when he was auditioning for college he didn’t feel nervous or stumped. Simon considers himself more so a music producer rather than just being limited to drums, he enjoys the freedom and how it forces him to be more creative with his choices. For most of the songs he composed, the inspiration comes from the people around him (his family, his relationships), and the things he sees in life.

His drums also helps his music production, for example, he told me that when he was auditioning for Berklee, the school required him to learn many different genres of music. When he was learning how to play them on drums he was able to incorporate pieces he liked into songs he produced. This hones his ability to fuse music genres together and to perform all at the same time.

He worked with his teacher, Will Bentley, to create a mixed meter piece for Berklee inspired by the dynamic nature and creativity and complexity of one of Bentley’s college compositions.

“I incorporated some jazz, bossa nova, and mixed meter arrangements. The melody was more of like a pop melody but the overall song structure was complicated with jazz chords and fusions.” It is a very skill based piece in order for him to showcase his skills and put on application and portfolio, the piece took him three months.

Simon loves playing the drums, especially Funk music. He enjoys funk because he enjoys the jams that come with the genre. When it comes to composing music, he prefers Citypop (Japanese pop 80s 90s music came from disco) due to him liking the vibe of it. It has a chill vibe and he loves the way they arrange the song. In Citypop there are usually no acoustic instruments, it’s different, it gives new ideas to electronic music. How electronic music is and how dynamic it is.

Simon has recently composed an amazing piece called: “Meadows of Time” and we are so proud of him for his acceptance into Berklee College of Music.

Fall Playlist

Created by Cooper Dicks & T.T Nguyen

A Recipe for Fall

Cooper Dicks

Fall is one of the best times of the year for baking, with many iconic treats. Some of my favorite Fall ingredients are pumpkin and brown sugar because they bring to mind pumpkin pie, a very nostalgic dessert for the season. This recipe combines these two incredibly, creating a delectably sweet cake that you can eat for breakfast or dessert. With five stars on All Recipes, these come highly recommended, and I can confirm - I made them for the first time a few weeks ago and they were delicious.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Recipe

HANDS-ON 20 MIN • TOTAL 1 HR • SERVES 12

Submitted by Morgan Hebert

Ingredients

For Cake

• 1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup water

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 (15.25–15.65-oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix (a layer-size)

• ½ tsp. baking powder

• ½ cup packed brown sugar (see “Pack Smart,” below)

• ¼ cup butter, melted

For Glaze

• ½ cup packed brown sugar

• ¼ cup whipping cream

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

How to Make the Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

2. Mix together pumpkin, eggs, the water, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add cake mix and baking powder; mix just until combined. Spread batter in prepared pan.

3. Stir together brown sugar, flour, and melted butter in a small bowl until crumbly; sprinkle over batter in the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

How to Make the Glaze:

4. Meanwhile, stir together brown sugar, water, sugar, cream, and vanilla in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugars are dissolved and the glaze is smooth, about 2 minutes. Drizzle glaze evenly over warm cake. Serve warm.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/255829/pumpkincoffee-cake-with-a-brown-sugar-glaze/

Starting a New Year with (s)Elective Open House

Minh Nguyen

(s)Elective Open House

Taking place on September 9th and September 10th, this year(s)Elective open house has been phenomenal with try outs for new students in every (s)Elective. Giving students a chance to try out the exciting different clubs and engagements.

This year the options for (s)Electives are:

Inkwell

Sports Medicine

Model United Nations

Rocketry

Environmental Science

Podcasting

Mock Trial

LABS

SL&G

Fashion

Gear Heads

Creative Writing

Business

Community

G.O.A.T.

(s)Electives are after school engagements that are similar to that of a class, but aren’t graded. They teach and allow students to find their passion, engage with the community, and also provide leadership opportunities.

A Quick Chat With College Counselors!

Peyton Matthews

November. The quickly approaching month full of early decision and early action applications submissions. As a senior, this process has been taking up a considerable amount of my time. I am thinking of essay ideas, putting together my activity list, and entering course grades. During this process there are many roadblocks, times of confusion, and revision processes. We are fortunate to have a skilled college counseling team with years of experience under their belts.

I went to them to ask for some advice that I thought might be helpful to see in writing before you click submit and see the colorful confetti on the common app website!

There are many mixed emotions when it comes to the college application process, fears about rejections, excitement for the opportunities that come with beginning this new chapter. I talked to the college counseling team about some of the fears people often have. Ms. Huggins mentioned a common fear of not feeling like you will measure up in a large application pool, in response she shared she has noticed that people often sell themselves short and don’t take into consideration all their activities and achievements. Valuing all the activities you have done and being able to talk about them in personal ways is a critical step in presenting a complete and impressive college application. Each counselor shared how critical speaking with your own authentic voice is during college applications as it makes or breaks your application.

As early action application applications are due, and a heavy weight is lifted off many of our shoulders, remember to use these tips from the experienced staff here at Annie Wright to calm your nerves, or improve

your application. They wanted to stress that their offices are a judgment free zone, bring them any questions you may have, or any essay for feedback no matter how personal. Ms. Huggins emphasized how she doesn’t want you to think of the college counselors as another pressure point, but as a helpful resource that can help you maximize your potential.

They also emphasized that finding the right college for you, during the application process, as well as when decisions come out is stressful and difficult for everyone. Mr. Larse wanted to make sure that in this process you are being true to yourself, and not focusing on all the outside noise about prestige and family expectations. He emphasized that the important thing is doing what feels right for you, as you are the one attending the school for the next 4 years. Mr. Feliciano shared a similar idea that applicants should not focus on the comments and opinions of others on what school is good or not. Rather than looking at the name of the school he recommends that you focus on the unique aspects and job opportunities and environment that feels good for you. Students often fear that colleges won’t value them, but Mr. Larse brought up the good point that admissions officers are in the business of admitting students, not turning them all away. Colleges want students, and you need to want the college, don’t stress not getting into schools as everyone will find a space that works for them.

Ms. Huggins shared how important it is to take it one step at a time, becoming overwhelmed with all the supplements and bits and pieces is easy. Starting early and being open to feedback on all parts of the process is critical. She also wanted to share the importance of being true to yourself and not just giving the responses that you think colleges want to hear.

As you finish up, or just get started, Mr. Larse wants you to spend some time and sit with the fact that decisions do not define you. Once again, know that there is not just one place that students will be successful, as college is just a stepping stone for the next steps of your life.

Good luck seniors, take a deep breath and trust in the fact that it will all work out how it is meant to. Enjoy the rest of your senior year and be excited to see where you will end up next!

Ms.

Huggins

Associate Director of College Counseling

“My favorite aspect of College Counseling is working one-on-one with students to help them reflect on

what makes them uniquely themselves. If you take the stress of the unknown out of the equation, the college process is this amazing opportunity for students to think deeply about their interests, experiences, and quirks that shape their identity. I love being part of the process of bringing their stories to life in their college essays and seeing their goals take shape as they consider where and who they want to be in the future.

Meet our College Counselors

T.T. Nguyen

Mr. Feliciano

Assistant Director of College Counseling

Beyond my passion for college admissions counseling, I love to dance (hip-hop inspired choreography in particular).

I picked up dance in college where I competed with a collegiate choreography team, and I even directed and choreographed for a handful of beginner-friendly performances throughout undergrad. To this day, I take classes 1-2x a week to this day to keep the rust off!

Ms. Kopriva

Assistant Director of College Counseling

As a first-generation college student, I know firsthand how valuable a supportive counselor can be. That’s why I love what I do—getting to know my students and helping them find the path that feels right for them is the best part of my job!

Mr. Larse

Associate Director of College Counseling

Music is a big part of my life, and I listen to a really wide variety of genres (really, almost anything) and I’m

always happy to exchange song recommendations with students and faculty alike. Every summer I try to attend an outdoor concert or music festival, and have been to some world-famous venues including The Gorge Amphitheater here in Washington and Red Rocks in Colorado.

Welcome to the Wild West

Ethan Ngo

Casino Night at Annie Wright Schools is a memorable event that only happens once a year.

This year, it was a night filled with fun, games, and cowboys. Students competitively gamble at various high stake games in hope of winning prices at the auction or going home with nothing but memory.

Organized by LABS, the evening brought students together in themed outfits of the Wild West, creating a lively and western frontier atmosphere.

Brad Bao, the LABS president encouraged people to “Buy chicken flavored candy” wanting more people to buy stuff from the exchange station as mentioned the delicious chicken candy and various items. This was a unique incentive for students to participate in the event. He expressed his excitement about how more people dressed up this year, getting more enthusiastic about this year’s theme. Ultimately, he was impressed with how smoothly the event went.

Thomas Han, another LABS member said “Casino night was amazing this year”, noticing how well it was organized this year and especially like the improved auction prices. Overall, he was amazed with the new exchange system and the auction price for this year as well as the atmosphere created with the Wild West theme.

As someone who was also participating in the event, I enjoyed seeing the people having fun, gambling their fake money, and hanging out together in the Great Hall and Chapel.

I appreciated the hard work that went on behind the scenes to create this fun event for AWS students and faculty.

Artist Laureate

An Evening of Art . . .

and Music.

Is Ecotourism Beneficial for the Environment?

Masha Kotelnikov

In 2016, there were roughly 1.597 million tons of CO2-emissions caused by tourism. By 2030, there is an expected predicted increase of 25% in CO2-emissions, that’s 1.998 million tons. It is no surprise that, with the rapid expansion of globalization, there is a greater desire to explore different parts of the world.

Travel has become more accessible, especially after COVID-19, there is a larger presence of tourism than ever before. Increase in travel invites opportunities for connection, exploration, and knowledge about different cultures. These things are essential for global development, but what does this mean for our environment?

Aside from environmental impacts, such as habitat destruction, and loss of biodiversity, traditional tourism invites community disruptance, and economic dependency for cities. As tourism increases, the cities at risk of these living conditions also increase. According to a study by Fordham University, as climate change concerns began to grow in the early 2000s, people started considering their role in environmental sustainability as tourists and explorers.

As such, a concept called ecotourism started gaining popularity. Ecotourism, as defined by the International Ecotourism Society is “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education”. Conceptually, ecotourism is meant to be a sustainable way to travel, both environmentally and does not disrupt local people or economies. In contrast to traditional tourism, the tourists.

are not intended to be the center of the environment. Ecotourism is supposed to be a way of tourism that (without disruptance) serves the community and environment that tourists travel to.

Raising the question; Is ecotourism a successful and sustainable way of travel? Or is it an idyllic and unachievable concept? In recent years, researchers have provided some intriguing studies on the alleged ‘benefits’ of ecotourism. Since tourism rates have increased so significantly, the idea of visiting ‘new’ or ‘untouched’ places has gained popularity.

An integral aspect of ecotourism is that they are not disrupting the local environment. However, these travelers require places to stay, water to drink, and want to participate in activities. A Georgetown study shows that 85% of international tourists travel to destinations with water scarcity. In this sense, ecotourism promotes traveling to destinations that aren’t properly equipped to center large groups of tourists. This makes the environment ill-prepared for common tourist amenities, like swimming pools or spas, let alone sufficient drinking water.

In terms of biodiversity risks, ecotourism encourages the exploration of wilderness, and ‘non-mainstream’ environments. This can lead to overcrowding, trail erosion, and pollution. An upside of traveling to populated areas is that tourism and crowding is already present. Rather than contributing to the destruction of a previously biodiverse landscape, people can travel to an environment that is pre-equipped to uphold large amounts of people.

Lastly, ecotourism promotes the construction of hotels or short-term rental properties aimed at satisfying the tourists. These properties don’t just use the environment’s natural resources, but they also take away these resources from individuals already living there. Thus, ecotourism is still ultimately serving the tourist, not the environment or the local people.

Although conceptually ecotourism is an ideal way to travel responsibly, it has not been sustainably or successfully upheld. Tourism should fundamentally center the well-being of the environment and the local people. Conventional tourism does contribute to several environmental concerns, but it doesn’t necessarily encourage this idea of going to a uniquely ‘wild’ environment. Interfering with ecosystems, economies, and water resources of locals, is ultimately not worth going to the most ‘untouched’ corners of the earth.

Falling For Autumn

Inkwell Staff

Sources: https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/consumption/transport-and-tourism/negative-environmental-impacts-of-tourism

https://research.library.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1041&context=environ_2015

https://ecotourism.org/what-is-ecotourism/ https://commonhome.georgetown.edu/issues/spring-2024/eco-tourism-is-aneco-drain/#:~:text=Although%20ecotourism%20was%20born%20out%20of%20 the,put%20surrounding%20communities%20at%20a%20further%20disadvantage.

Senior Highlight Halloween Edition: Guess who is who!

Eisha Ahmad

Inkwell wanted to take a moment to highlighting this year’s Seniors: our pasts, and our dreams as we move into the future. We’ve asked the Red Ties to send in their childhood photos of them in Costumes as well as what their dream career was as a kid versus now.

We’re going to make this a game, so the Annie Wright student body will have to guess who is who! Scan the QR code to make your quesses. The first three (3) people to get it right will get a civvies pass!

Try to see if you can get them all right!

1 2 2 3 4 5 6 4

Surviving in the Swamp : Tips and Tricks from your Gator Captains!

Presley Jones, Kaya Parker and Caydon Laynor

We interviewed as many Student Captains as possible this Fall Season to learn more and perspective on leadership and success as seen by our school athletes.

Here are their opinions and advice.

Q: What do you love most about being a captain at Annie Wright?

Ta’a Malu (Football): The best part is being able to change the culture and create a better environment for everyone to enjoy the sport and succeed. It was exciting to be able encourage integrity and active participation in the sport, for the seniors to step up and lead by example and to see that integrity and hard work pay off with the increasing success of the team.

Ian Willey, Charlie Finch (Football): We enjoyed being able to take on the role of coach even though we’re still a peers. We can still have fun with the sport and our team, but also advise them and help them, and the team improve.

Aiden Cai (Tennis): I like the responsibility of bringing everybody together for the team especially if we have matches away cause like a ton of time people forget to get on the bus.

Sloane Jackson (Volleyball): Reading the speech before the game.

Raina Mathews (Volleyball): I love supporting the younger girls coming in and get an opportunity to

lead and take charge and having it be a different leadership than academic.

Gabe Droubay (Cross Country):

I love how I can be a role model for under classman as well as upperclassmen peers and I am glad to take on this greater responsibility role. I think it really shows my and the other two captains’ dedication to the sport when we can motivate and inspire our team. When this happens it’s great to see our hard work paying off.

Lee Dorr Churng (Cross Country):

My favorite thing about being a captain on the Cross Country team at Annie Wright is probably is being able to watch the younger people just grow so much and being able to help them. I feel like that makes me very happy everyday seeing them show up, get consistent and really push themselves to improve.

Josiah Edge (Football): I enjoy how I get to teach these young men how to be more responsible.

Q: What advice would you give to future athletes in your sport?

Ta’a Malu (Football): Don’t hesitate to take an opportunity that’s given. Treasure everything as a blessing.

Ian Willey: (Football) Make sure to put in work outside our practice to excel, put in the extra effort. But don’t let this extra intensity distract you from academic and obligations. Work hard, but stay focused.

Charlie Finch: (Football) Athletes should make sure to keep an open mind, there will be a lot of options and opportunities, be open to them.Stay prepared and stay confident, you will have many school and athletic challenges you face, stay confident, but also stay flexible.

Lee Dorr Churng (Cross Country): My advice for future athletes in my sport is, that it’s gonna be hard, and you’re never gonna want to quit more than when you just start. But I promise it gets better and it’s a very very rewarding experience once you get into it.

Gabe Droubay (Cross Country): I say you get out what you put in. If you don’t try hard in practice you’re not going to be able to run long distances but likewise if you try hard everyday in practice and you keep showing up you will see results.

Aiden Cai (Tennis): Definitely focus on having good teamwork, communication and consistency.

Raina Mathews ( Volleyball): Find someone who is older than you because they are usually your leaders and they can help you learn specific techniques.

Sloane Jackson (Volleyball): I think you should never let any teammate or coach make you not want to play the game anymore and if playing is what you really want to do then you should put in 100%.

Josiah Edge (Football): Never give up no matter what, keep pushing through the pain and know that your going to do this.

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of managing and supporting your team while balancing school work?

Ta’a Malu (Football): The most challenging part is the mental piece of it. There are going to be games that you lose and it might mess with your head here and there at school but it’s important to learn to balance it all and keep moving forward.

Aiden Cai (Tennis): It’s hard to manage how early we have to leave from school for matches and for practice because I usually have to miss (s)Elective. For some

Raina Mathews (Volleyball): Staying focused in games and practice in volleyball because your mind can get crowded by academics.

Sloane Jackson (Volleyball): Not letting a bad day effect how you play on the court.

Lee Dorr Churng (Cross Country): The most challenging part of managing / supporting a team is just trying to keep everyone consistent and that connects to the other part, balancing with school work. You get a lot worse at running if you skip just a couple days of it, so it’s really necessary for you to come to just about every practice. Not everyone has the time to commit, so just working with people and being able to show up everyday is a bit of a challenge.

Josiah Edge (Football): It’s less about managing my team and more managing myself. I say this because balancing schoolwork and football being team captain is somewhat hard because I’m relied upon, being there for the team and supporting them. The hard part is that I have to be hard on myself no matter what.

Q: Senior question: How does it feel to complete the final year here at Annie Wright?

Ta’a Malu (Football): The most challenging part is the mental piece of it. There are going to be games that you lose and it might mess with your head here and there at school but it’s important to learn to balance it all and keep moving forward.

Raina Mathews (Volleyball): It feels good, it’s a little bit sad you know, doing it for four years. It’s also nice seeing how the team has changed and seeing it changed since I was a freshman.

Josiah Edge (Football): It feels great to be done with the season, it does feel sad though knowing that this is my final season so I have been trying to do my best and my hardest to keep the team together.

Fall Sports Photos

Soccer SOCCER CROSS COUNTRY

VOLLEYBALL FOOTBALL

Reset at the Waterfront

Melita Bullplume

Autumn is a beautiful time of the year, but sometimes you may have had a long day and need a quick break. Exams and school work can make the school year very busy. If you ever need a place to go for a reset, consider Ruston.This is a great location we have so close to school where it is easy to go here to calm down after a stressful day.

Ruston is known for being an old mining town in the 1800s. Most of the soil had to be removed because of the toxins within the soil, it was then founded in 1888 as a company town and became a copper smelter. It was one of the world’s largest until closed in 1985. It had been reopened starting in the 2000s and cleaned up as a waterfront which used to be called front street and now Point Ruston.

As a Tacoma local, here are the three best places in my opinion to visit at Ruston.

The First would be Harbor Lights. Harbor lights would definitely be a good place to visit after a long walk along Point Ruston especially if you’re a seafood type of person. The food that’s served is really savory and has a balanced amount of salt (we don’t like too much salt!) and overall it’s just a really special restaurant. The food there looks and tastes very nice. It’s a family owned restaurant and serves delicious seafood dishes.

Second would be Spa Serein near the waterfront. This is the perfect place to relax, and refresh. In fact, in the French language the word serein refers to a fine rain or a mist falling from a cloudless sky at sunset. From relaxing rejuvenation lounges to massages or time in a sauna, Spa Serein provides a relaxing oasis for anyone. If you think that would be relaxing then you should try going to Spa Serein.

And last, but certainly not least, would be the waterfront itself and its scenic walk on Ruston Way.

It is a beautiful almost one mile paved walk along the waterfront where you can wander by the bay or jog, bike, skateboard or bike. It provides easy access for summer swimming for the brave.

This is a great, easy escape after a challenging day where you can exercise, reconnect and recover in nature.

Spreading Hope this Holiday Season

Chloe Yoo

The upcoming Fall and Winter holidays are a good time to think about giving back to the people around us. These are some of the options Inkwell wanted to provide, so consider reaching out to the places to participate and make our supportive community stronger!

Whether you want to build CAS hours or just give back to the community, being involved in these volunteering programs could be a helpful opportunity.

The Humane Society

“The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County is one of Washington’s largest nonprofit animal welfare organizations, providing essential care to more than 9,000 animals in our shelter each year. Our mission is to provide life-saving work for pets in need and support to the people who love them by partnering with our community.”

Students 16 years or older can volunteer to work with animals at the shelter. Activities such as animal transport and walking dogs are available.

Wet Noses Foster Paws

“Our main goal is to help our out of state rescue partners who are having a harder time finding homes and local counties that struggle finding adopters.. With our second goal being a second alternative to surrendering your pet to the shelter.”

Students over the age of 16 can walk and/or transport dogs for this company for community service credit.

Nourish Pierce County

“The mission of Nourish is to provide nutritious food and support services to people in need with compassion, dignity and respect. …Nourish also helps clients move to a more stable future by providing information on housing, medical support, government subsidies, and community resources.” Located in Stadium District

Students can help with stocking and/or donating food for those in need. AWS Community (s)Elective will be heading up a drive and promotion of this program through Drive Month happening on December 1-19.

Rebuilding Hope

“We aspire to build communities that do not tolerate oppressive social norms, behaviors or systems that promote sexual violence or exploitation. Communities where those who have been harmed are believed and supported in pursuit of their individual paths of healing.”

Volunteers can increase knowledge regarding sexual assault/abuse issues, develop and improve advocacy skills, and contribute to the community and its members. AWS Community (s)Elective will also be heading up a drive for this organization asking for specific items students can donate to help those in need.

Metro Animal Services

“We are here to Shelter, Protect and Unite pets through support, advice, licensing and adoption of pets to their Forever Family.” Located in Puyallup.

Students who are at least 16 years of age can volunteer to contribute in daily duties such as helping potential adopters meet with animals, feeding animals, and taking dogs out for breaks.

Pierce County Juvenile Court

“The Juvenile Court has a volunteer program for becoming a Court Appointed Advocate. An advocate is an independent voice for the child’s best interests throughout the time the child is in care.”

This program has multiple options for students wishing to volunteer for the program. Collected donation items from the Community Drive will be delivered to the organization.

And don’t forget!!

Keep a look out for Community Day as well! This is organized by our Community (s)Elective and will happen on January 17. It is a chance to celebrate and recognizes all the actual impacts the organizations have made. It will be a morning event with food and drinks provided!