Issuu

ISSUE NO. 6 MARCH, 2026

2025-26

FLY-BY TIMES

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01

Backstage Process of the 8th Grade Show By Lucy Wyman

World’s Most Dangerous Volcanoes By Luke Bunting

05 Olympic Highlights By Leo Rodin

07 All about the OKC basketball team

Increase In Pirate Attacks By Flinn Faulconer

04 Watching TV With My Grandma is the Best By Parker Pierre

06 The Normalization of AI By Aya Scherr

08 2026 Halftime Show By Beau Brock

By Aditya Bhojak

09 Why We Should Have Super Bowl Monday Off

10 Top 5 Memes of 2025 By Hitch Goerdel

By Holden Fell

11 Super Bowl Recap By Sammy Salisian

12 Conflicts With Iran By Zachary Fox-Devol

13 The Grammys By Maya Bec velazquez

THE BACKSTAGE PROCESS OF THE 8TH GRADE SHOW The 8th Grade Show has come and gone and was really, REALLY amazing, even though I might be a bit biased. But all that you saw was a bit of the backstage process in a two-minute video and the finished product - the show. What you didn’t see is the months of effort, the drafts and drafts and drafts, line memorization, and everything else that made up the 6-or-so months leading up to the show. I’m going to give you the process leading up to the show in this article! 1.September - First Drafts for Scripts a.Yes, we started drafting the scripts for the show in September!!! Everyone is required to write a script, and we read the scripts in class the day they were due. 2.November - Cast and Begin Acting a.We cast our classmates into the roles in November and started rehearsing. We literally did non-stop rehearsals every class until the show. 3.February - Start Rehearsing in the MPR a.We started rehearsing in the MPR two weeks before the show. The first week was by section (8X was on Tuesday, 8Y was on Wednesday, and 8Z was on Thursday). The week before the show, the full 8th Grade was in rehearsals from after school until 5:30. 5:30!!! That’s insane! 4.February 20th - Show Day a.On the day of the show, we were expected to be at school at 7:30 am. This is equally insane. The morning show went SO GREAT, and I felt so proud of us. That day, the only classes I had were Math and PE, and then after school we went to the Black Box theater to have pizza for dinner at 3:35. After “dinner” we did some theater rituals that will not be disclosed, and then grabbed our bags and headed over to the MPR for more rehearsals. And then, disaster struck. The computer with all of the sound cues broke. Thankfully, we were able to fix the sound cues, but the projection for the intro videos stopped working. The show went on, though, and we got through the whole show, and then we were done.

3 LUCY WYMAN

THE SUBTLE CHANGES OF ANNUAL PIRATE ATTACKS Let me take you on a pedagogical voyage where you, the reader, get to learn all about pirate attacks. Let us walk the plank and dive into the deep sea of knowledge we are about to explore. In 2024, there were 116 reported pirate attacks, and in 2025, there were 137 reported attacks. Over the past few years, pirate attacks have either stayed roughly the same or become less frequent after a record low of pirate attacks. The reason for this is because of the deployment of international naval patrols and armed private security on merchant ships. Another reason for the decrease in attacks is the improvement of defensive tactics used by shipping companies. In 2020, the attacks barely increased to 195, but in 2021, it dropped once more to 135 attacks. These numbers continued to decline in 2022, where there were only 115 reported attacks, until in 2023, the number rose to 120. Since then, the number of pirate attacks have stayed between 115 and 140 annual pirate attacks. Some of the world’s most common pirate attack locations include the Singapore Straits, the Gulf of Guinea, Somalia, the Caribbean Sea, and the Malacca Strait. Locations like these are considered good attack locations usually because these areas have slow moving maritime traffic, and/or a weak, corrupt governance over the area. This unstable governance allows criminal groups to operate undetected. The number of pirate attacks is predicted to increase in 2026, as attacks increased by 21 from 2024 to 2025. Have a nice day, and watch out for PIRATES! 4 FLINN FAULCONER

THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VOLCANOES Volcanoes can change history. For example, the Vesuvius eruption that destroyed the city of Pompeii, the Tambora eruption that led to a nearly worldwide famine, or the Krakatoa in Indonesia eruption that produced the loudest sound ever recorded, heard as far away as Perth, Australia. But these eruptions are tiny compared to the behemoth eruptions of supervolcanoes. What Defines a Supervolcano? A supervolcano is defined as a volcano that has produced an eruption of a magnitude 8 on the VEI scale. The VEI scale is used to measure the severity of a volcanic eruption, measuring from VEI 0 to VEI 8. VEI 8 eruptions are appropriately called supereruptions, as they are the largest possible volcanic eruptions. They release over one-thousand cubic kilometers of ash. Supervolcanoes are found in areas where the tectonic plates meet, or over a magma plume that rises from Earth’s mantle. What is an example of a supervolcano? Some examples of supervolcanoes include the Lake Toba eruption of 7 that was the largest eruption ever to happen, and it killed almost all of humanity. The most recent supereruption was the Oruanui eruption in New Zealand 27,000 years ago. Supereruptions do not happen often, as these volcanoes often lay dormant for hundreds of thousands of years. There is also a supervolcano underneath Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. What Would Happen if a Supervolcano Erupted Today? If a supervolcano erupted today, we would be in great danger. For example, if Yellowstone, the most famous supervolcano, erupted, burning-hot clouds of ash called pyroclastic flows would extend up to 60 miles from the site, killing almost everyone in its path. Most of the continental U.S would be covered in ash, and inhaling it could be deadly. In cities close to the site of the eruption, so much ash would accumulate that buildings could collapse, and ash would spread all over the world in a matter of days, though areas on the opposite side of the globe would be spared from the worst. The eruption probably would cause cooling throughout the globe by up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, causing crop failure and famine. Luckily, humanity would probably survive, but at the cost of many, many lives.

5 LUKE BUNTING

THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VOLCANOES. CONT. Are We Currently in Danger? It is possible for a supervolcano to erupt in our lifetime, though it is extremely rare. Supervolcanoes are constantly being monitored by volcanologists. Supereruptions only erupt every 100,000 years on average. We would get a warning if supervolcanoes were about to erupt, and Yellowstone isn't showing signs of erupting anytime soon. Smaller eruptions are actually more dangerous, as they are much more frequent, and some have caused a lot of damage. But luckily, there are no volcanoes close enough to Los Angeles to cause damage. In conclusion, volcanoes are known for the destruction they bring, but some of the most infamous eruptions don’t come close to the might of supervolcanoes. The eruptions they cause, called supereruptions, are devastating, and if one happened today, it would come with unimaginable consequences. Luckily, these eruptions are extremely rare, meaning humanity is probably safe, and they shouldn’t be worried about, since small eruptions are more dangerous because of their frequency.

LUKE BUNTING

WATCHING TV WITH MY GRANDMA IS THE BEST! Watching TV with my grandma is the best. We watch American Idol, Family Feud, and What Not to Wear, among many other shows. To best show her personality, one time I was doing a school project, and my grandma went to my friend Natasha's booth. Natasha knew instantly that she was my grandma because I tell funny stories about her all the time. When Natasha asked, "Are you Parker's grandma?" My grandma replied, "Yup! I am that clowney, old grandma!" Natahsa could not stop laughing. I love sharing stories about her quirky personality with my friends. No matter what we watch, it’s our family tradition, and I love it because my grandma is so funny. She is so witty, and she makes everyone around her laugh. TV time is my favorite part of the day because my grandma and I get to bond. On Saturdays, we watch American Idol. We’ve been doing this since I was five years old. Right before our show starts, we both take our seats on the couch, and sometimes we have chocolate chip cookies or popcorn. Even though Grandma is not supposed to eat sweets, she sneaks them in anyway. When my mom sees her eating them and tries to stop her, my grandma insists she is the only boss of herself! She can do what she wants. All my mom can do is laugh. This is fun for me because I like my grandma’s sassy attitude. Spending that time together makes me feel close to my grandma, and that’s something I look forward to. My grandma is hilarious, and her comments make any show 10x better. One time, while we were watching "What Not to Wear," my grandma joked that a contestant looked "whack". The woman was wearing a big, bulky crystal headpiece and a long, flowy skirt. I didn’t even know what “whack” meant at the time, but the way my grandma said it made me laugh so hard I couldn’t stop. This matters because Grandma's humor is the best part of my day. It can turn a bad day into a good one. During award shows like the Golden Globes and even regular shows like Family Feud, my grandma turns into a fashion commentator. Before the show, we watch the red carpet and comment on people’s outfits. For example, one celebrity wore a huge orange ball gown, and my grandma said she looked like a pumpkin. I didn’t want to say it out loud because it was rude, but I fully agreed with her. It was super funny. Another time, during one of the game shows, she called the host's suits "too much," because it was bright and sparkly. She thought he was doing way too much. I love these moments because it makes us feel like we’re part of the event together, and it’s another way we share laughs and opinions. Watching TV with my grandma makes the night more special. Her jokes, opinions, and even her "boss of myself" attitude make our time together unforgettable. At the end of the day, TV is just the background, and my grandma is the main event. Being with her is my favorite part of the day.

PARKER PIERRE

OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHTS The 2026 Winter Olympics (XXV Olympic Winter Games) were held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from February 6 to 22, 2026. Some important highlights include Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo’s historic 10th cross-country skiing gold, Mikaela Shiffrin’s slalom victory, and Italy’s first-ever biathlon gold. Other important moments feature Ilia (the “quad god”) Malinin’s team figure skating gold for the USA and record-setting freestyle skiing tricks. Also, the United States had a historic gold in men's hockey, for the first time in 46 years! Alyssa Liu won a gold medal in figure skating, and the women's hockey team also won gold. Norway won the Olympics with 18 gold medals, and the US came in second with 12. Overall, it was a really great Olympic season. LEO RODIN

THE NORMALIZATION OF AI AI, or artificial intelligence, has unfortunately become rampant in our everyday lives. From the Character.AI to Chat GPT, artificial intelligence has become very normalized in casual and professional environments. In many schools around the states, AI is strictly banned, and usage on assignments will result in bad scores. Despite this, I have noticed an uptick in my peers and classmates using AI for various assignments. AI may be a helpful tool and a quick way to finish your assignments, but using it is horrible for the environment. Certain AI servers can use up to 5 million gallons of water per year. By 2027, it’s estimated that AI water consumption will reach 6.6 billion cubic meters. One shocking part about this is the fact that some students will brag about using AI. Although it may depend, I’ve heard of AI used on small-scale homework assignments to final assessments. This AI boom has also become normalized on social media. The amount of AI art and AI “artists” has increased dramatically in the past year, making it harder for real artists to survive on the different platforms. AI videos have also taken over platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. As AI has progressed, it has become harder to differentiate it from reality. Even when distinguishable, AI videos and creators tend to do better than actual artists and creators. The ability to produce a video or art piece by typing a prompt allows these people to create content at a much faster rate. These videos have absolutely no effort put into them, but have still become wildly popular on these platforms. I acknowledge the convenience of AI; however, I believe if we continue to go “the easy way” instead of doing our own work, our generation will become significantly less intelligent and will struggle to learn how to function in society. AI can be a useful tool, unless you only use it to replace your own work. AYA SCHERR

ALL ABOUT THE OKC BASKETBALL TEAM The Oklahoma City Thunder, also known as OKC Thunder, is a basketball team with great history and great current and all-time players. The team is known for developing or trading elite talent like James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and current superstar Shai Gilgeous Alexander. In 2025, Shai averaged 31.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.4 rebounds, the most points per game in OKC history. In 2013, when Kevin Durant was in OKC, he averaged 32.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, earning his sole MVP. As of February 2026, the Oklahoma City Thunder (40-11) are widely considered the best team in the NBA, sitting at 1st place in the Western Conference. Did you know that before the team played in Oklahoma, they played in Seattle, from 1967 to 2008? The Seattle SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 due to a failed, longstanding dispute between new owner Clay Bennett and Seattle lawmakers over funding for a new arena. ADITYA BHOJAK

2026 HALFTIME SHOW The 2026 halftime show was performed by Bad Bunny. Around 128.2 million viewers watched Bad Bunny’s halftime show, making a 3.6% decrease from the record 133.5 million people who watched Kendrick Lamar's halftime show in 2025. Despite the 3.6% decrease, the 2026 performance remains one of the highest-viewed halftime shows in history, with the performance hitting 4 billion views on social media. In my opinion, the halftime show was really good. There were a lot of famous singers and dancers at the SuperBowl who performed. Lady Gaga performed a salsa version of “Die with a Smile.” I really liked this version and thought it was very unique. Ricky Martin sang Bad Bunny's song “Lo Que Le Paso's Hawaii.” There were also singers like Cardi B, Karol G, and Young Miko and actors like Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba who performed at the halftime show. One of the most memorable moments was the real life wedding. The 2026 halftime show was characterized by high praise for its cultural significance and its great quality. Supporters said it was a vibrant celebration of diversity and Puerto Rican pride, while critics described it as one of the worst Spanish performances. I think it was really good.

BEAU BROCK

WHY WE SHOULD HAVE SUPER BOWL MONDAY OFF During Super Bowl 60, many people hosted Super Bowl parties, and many others went to a Super Bowl party. At most parties, people ate tacos, chips, and even donuts, so you can imagine how everyone felt after: Terrible. Most people also stay up really late rewatching the halftime show. The Super Bowl is also on a Sunday, so the next day we have school. With the combination of junk food and no sleep, I could not get out of bed the next morning. This brings me to my main topic: why we should have the day after the Super Bowl off from school. Many refer to the Monday after the Super Bowl as “Super Bowl Monday”. Many kids are really tired after staying up late and eating lots of junk food during the Super Bowl, which is why we should have the next day off. I also realized that most of the people in my class were missing from school that day, probably because they also couldn't get out of bed. My house was also very messy that day, and when I got home from school, I had to help clean it all up and finish my homework very late. If we had the day off, I could have spent time cleaning it up and had free time. I'm just saying that if we had Super Bowl Monday off, things would be a lot better. P.S. The next Super Bowl is in LA, and the logo is really cool!

12 HOLDEN FELL

BEST MEMES OF 2025 2025 is 2025 is of of course course a a year year that that we we all all had had to to live live through. through. And And with with that that year year came came many many things like things like the the (fake) (fake) tiktok tiktok ban, ban, natural natural disasters, disasters, and and many many other other things. things. But But something something that stayed that stayed consistent consistent throughout throughout everything everything WAS WAS MEMES. MEMES. And And a a lot lot of of memes memes got got used used more than more than once, once, quite quite a a few few got got used used thousands thousands and and thousands thousands of of times. times. So So to to answer answer the very the very important important question, question, here here are are the the top top 5 5 most most used used memes memes of of 2025. 2025.

5. Pretty 5. Pretty Iconic, Iconic, WE WE have have all all seen seen this this II have have personally personally seen seen this this meme meme in in every every meme meme compilation, compilation, and and it's it's almost almost always always the the “Why this “Why this guy guy tryna tryna rizz rizz me me up.” up.”

4. Awesome 4. Awesome meme, meme, very very silly silly This meme This meme is is used used literally literally every every time time someone someone makes makes a a dumb dumb comment comment on on a a video, video, and and the audio the audio with with it it was was just just so so peak. peak.

HITCHENS GOERDEL

3. Another 3. Another Classic Classic (he's (he's played played the the games games before) before) It was It was the the final final boss boss of of memes memes in in its its day. day. Now Now it's it's not not used used as as much, much, but but simply simply the the fact fact that it that it was was dominant dominant brought brought it it up up here. here.

2. As 2. As much much as as it it hurts hurts me me to to say, say, it's it's not not as as bad bad as as number number 1 1 This was This was the the craziest craziest meme meme of of its its time. time. Having Having hundreds hundreds of of brainrots brainrots II didn't didn't even even know know existed. Steal existed. Steal A A Brain Brain Rot Rot and and practically practically every every Roblox Roblox game game nowadays nowadays being being a a game game that is that is centered centered around around these these brainrots. brainrots. It's It's just just simply simply iconic iconic and and very very overused. overused.

1. We 1. We have have all all heard heard it it at at least least one one hundred hundred times, times, but but do do we we like like it? it? NO. NO. Every Every time time someone says someone says 6-7, 6-7, everybody everybody used used to to go go SIX SIX SEEEVEEEEN. SEEEVEEEEN. And And happily, happily, it's it's not not really really being used being used anymore, anymore, but but for for like like two two or or three three months months it it was. was. It It was was the the most most used used meme meme of the of the year, year, and and it it really really wasn't wasn't close. close.

HITCHENS GOERDEL

SUPER BOWL RECAP Super Bowl LX kicked off at 3:30 pacific time in Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, where the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots were about to play. To start the game the Patriots won the coin toss and decided to defer. On the Seahawks first drive they ended up settling for a 33 yard field goal from their kicker Jason Myers. That was it for the rest of the first quarter, but in the second quarter the Seahawks ended up getting two more field goals. Making the score 9 - 0 going into the half. After a very good halftime performance by Bad Bunny (in my opinion), Seattle ended up scoring a third field goal in the third quarter, making the score 120 going into the fourth and final quarter. After a Drake Maye fumble (New England's quarterback) the Seahawks put up the first touchdown of the day making the score 19-0. Then around a minute later Drake Maye throws the ball to Mack Hollins for a Patriots touchdown, which makes the score 19-7. After a costly interception by Drake Maye to Seattle's Safety Julian Love, the Seahawks end up only getting a field goal out of it, making the score 22-7. After Uchenna Nwosu (Seattle’s linebacker) intercepts the ball from Drake Maye and takes it back for a touchdown the game is pretty much sealed. The Patriots ended up getting one more touchdown but it still wasn’t enough to even come close. The Seattle Seahawks ended up winning the Super Bowl, with the final score being 29-13, and Kenneth Walker III (Seattle's running back) ended up winning Super Bowl MVP.

MY OPINION In my opinion the Super Bowl was a lot more boring than past Super Bowl games because of all the field goals and not very much offense. Another reason why I think this Super Bowl was boring was because everyone wants to see touchdowns. But in this game there were no touchdowns until the 4th quarter! And way too many field goals, in my opinion I think the Seattle’s kicker should have won the Super Bowl MVP. You thought no touchdowns until the 4th quarter was bad, the Patriots didn’t even SCORE until the 4th quarter. Overall in my opinion I would give the Super Bowl a C- grade. Hopefully next year it will be a more exciting game. SAMMY SALISIAN

CONFLICT WITH IRAN On Saturday, February 28, the US and Israel launched a major military operation on Iran. The attack targeted Iran’s capital, Tehran, among several other large cities. The US claims it was only focusing on military targets; however, there have been confirmed civilian casualties. Iran has responded by attacking several US military bases across the Middle East, and there are some concerns that the conflict could spread to other countries in the area. US President Donald Trump described the attack as a “major combat operation”. President Trump has offered different reasons for the attack, not all of which are supported by facts. He has made it clear that he wants Iran’s people to take control of the government, which is currently ruled by a brutal regime. Iran’s highest leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and many other Iranian leaders were killed in the attacks. Iran responded by sending missiles and drones to attack Israel. Iran has also targeted US warships and US military bases in countries across the Middle East. The attacks by the US and Israel have caused widespread damage in Iran, as well as injuries and deaths. Iran claims that one attack hit a girls’ school and killed over one hundred students. Iran’s attacks in response have also caused some damage, injuries, and deaths. So far, three US soldiers have lost their lives. The massive attack was unusual because it wasn’t triggered by an immediate threat from Iran. It’s a war President Trump chose to have now, not one that was needed to protect the US. Not much is known about where this war will lead, but the best thing we can do is to stay informed about current times and recognise both sides of the story. ZACH FOX-DEVOL

THE GRAMMYS On February 1st, artists around the world gathered at the Crypto Arena waiting for the moment the envelope is opened. There are hundreds of nominees and 95 categories, but only 1 winner per category. Here’s a full list of winners for the 2026 Grammys: Album of the Year- DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Bad Bunny) Song of the Year- Wildflower (Billie Eilish) Best New Artist- Olivia Dean Record of the Year- Luther (Kendrick Lamar & SZA) Best Rap Album- GNX (Kendrick Lamar) Some artists didn't have as much luck, such as Sabrina Carpenter. After being nominated for six categories, she didn’t win a single one. Beyonce still holds the record of winning the most Grammys and being nominated for the most categories: Grammys won - 35 Nominations - 99

MAYA BEC VELAZQUEZ

Editor’s

Note

It’s been so fun to welcome the fifth graders into the Fly-By Times, so please read their amazing articles & enjoy the issue! - Aya Scherr Midsemester is fast approaching! Thank you so much for reading Issue 6 of the Fly-By Times! Hope you enjoyed reading it! - Lucy Wyman