Teachers love apples, but some students get inspired by role models named after them... See page 1 for the fruitful info!
Make sure you get their signatures in your yearbooks—these kids are headed for the Great White Way! See page 6 to spot the rising stars!
THE HAWK
1 Vol. 44 No. 1 9502 Providence Road Charlotte, NC 28277 May 2024
There’s nothing rocky about this gravity-defying duo’s success! See page 21 to climb your way to the story!
The Student Newspaper of Charlotte Latin School
What’s s’more fun than a summer spent with best friends in the great outdoors? See page 14 to find out!
This is one tough Puff—find out how the Lady Hawks put the “Pow” into Powderpuff! See page 18 for more!
EYE
Letters
May 2024
THE SENIOR EDITION 2024 By Stewart Langley
Wo r d s M a t t e r :
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StuCo president challenges class of 2024 to question, understand and englighten the world Gazing down at the projector screen and hearing Mr. McIntosh’s voice echo across the gym floor, reciting the school’s old mantra “Words Matter,” I sat, bouncing on the edge of my chair, deaf to the invaluable advice presented before me. Through the perspective of a Lower Schooler (or specifically, the perspective of this Lower Schooler), the phrase “Words Matter” never quite materialized. Whether it was daydreaming about recess or simply being too young to capture the value buried beneath his words, I failed to grasp Mr. McIntosh’s broader message. I could have contemplated his speech, questioning which words mattered and how words have a deeper meaning, but instead, I questioned what words were so important that I had to sit still listening to him, further daydreaming about recess and running back to the Lower School with the significance of his words dissolving behind me. When presented with the opportunity to write a charge for the class, I set out to construct a narrative that could capture a glimmer of the past yet resonate with my peers as we transition towards our collegiate endeavors. I racked my mind for days, pulling on Lower School memories and future professional ambitions, until finally, “Words Matter” returned to me. This time, though, I ran towards Mr. McIntosh’s words, burying myself
Seniors, Stewart Langley, Cora Wickham, Cooper Kasimov and Noelle Okland pose proudly for a picture outside Thies Auditorium at Convocation on September 1, 2023.
in their complexities. Since my previously recess-consumed mind failed to recollect his original explanation, I had to personally interpret the phrase “Words Matter,” analyzing the adage amongst my own experiences and reconstructing them in a manner that inspires my peers. Our greatest power in life is word choice. Latin ensures that every student graduates as successful writers with the skills necessary to present clear arguments. While each of us can craft ten page analytical essays that seem to span entire novels, we never pause to question the impact of each word etched onto the pages. For us, phrases like “I hate you” or “I love you” may appear as casual, everyday sayings used to praise or Senior players Stewart Langley and Mack Hutcheson capture the condemn moment with friends after their last-ever varsity soccer game at any minor Matthews Sportsplex on October 17, 2023.
inconveniences or benefits that confront us, but for many, these three words reflect a deeper meaning, striking into their hearts, shredding them apart or filling them whole. In three words, we have the power to completely alter someone’s thoughts, feelings and behavior. This immense power is often discarded, suppressed under the laughs of a joke or the casual environment of friends hanging out. Never forget your power. In the digital age, the interpretation of our words becomes increasingly more dangerous. While we instantly embrace new terms, ingraining their text patterns into our fingers, spamming them to our friends, we never consider how these three letter acronyms, typed and sent in mere milliseconds, can be interpreted and understood. Through a text screen, we only have words, no facial expressions or voice fluctuations to express our meaning. These words, difficult to decipher, can be misconstrued, deriving alternative connotations, and with a name next to them, will serve as
examples of your character. Whether through a screen or face-to-face, remember, your words present you to the world and define how others perceive you. Your words construct your reality. You are your words. Thankfully, the Class of 2024 lives by this message, proudly embodying their words. A class who is culminating their senior year by extending friendship in all directions, including one another and finding unity. The class’s camaraderie is a testament to the kindness of our words. While this moral is occasionally forgotten, with moments of brief disputes, the class, through our words, has transitioned from peers to friends, and when the familiar melody of “Pomp and Circumstance” carries us through the gym doors, we will graduate as a family. That ending seems too conclusive, too final. Rather, I present to you, the Class of 2024, a challenge. Your words have built your reality at Latin, shaped who you are and how others see you. As we transition to the next stage of our lives,
surrounded by new people, perspectives, and ideas, continue using your words; continue questioning their meaning. You are the curator of your own reality. We have spent hundreds of hours in the Inlustrate Orbem, or as we call it, the “I.O.” Many of us, including myself, disregard the name as a mouthful, some strange Latin term, without considering its meaning; however, through translation, students can unveil the phrase “Enlighten the World,” which has served as Charlotte Latin’s motto since its founding. In your next steps to college I implore you to question all words, understand all meanings, and enlighten your world. Stewart Langley served as Student Council president. He will attend The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall.
Sections Letters......................1-2, 24 Profiles...............3-11;14-21 Class Picture..............12-13 School Spirit..............22-23