Starbucks reveals a new fall menu for the changing weather
October 11, 2020
On Aug. 25, Starbucks treated coffee enthusiasts with a special surprise: the fall menu. Famous for the iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL), the menu has varied throughout the years while still bringing back classics. For some people, August may seem too early to start thinking about fall. However, f...
Quaran-Queens: How West Ranch students use their time in quarantine to foster positive change in the community
Emily Yoon, A&E Editor
October 8, 2020
Quarantine: Formerly a scary, foreign concept, it’s been a reality for seven months now. Some of us baked countless loaves of focaccia. Some of us impulsively dyed our hair. Some of us downloaded Duolingo in hopes of learning a new language, received a barrage of aggressive alerts from the Owl, and decide...
How COVID-19 has affected small businesses
Haley Choe, Staff Writer
October 1, 2020
In mid-March of 2020, California implemented a mandatory shutdown as the coronavirus took over the nation like an unpredictable storm, causing chaos for small businesses. As multiple safety precautions, such as at-home social distancing and the closing of non-essential businesses were ena...
A Day in the Life of a Virtual Student
Gaby Lesmana, Emily Chang, and Ashley Park
October 1, 2020
With distance-learning becoming a longtime reality, students have adjusted their lifestyles to a safe educational environment. To obtain an insight on a typical online school daily schedule, The Paw Print had a chance to interview senior ASB member, student and Girl Scout Riley Blaugrund. 6:40...
Politics and TikTok are merging: is this alarming or a breakthrough?
September 29, 2020
Over 800 million people from around the world inhabit the energetic, positive and fast-paced world of Tiktok, but the app holds more than just videos of dancing and P.O.V.s. A political side has emerged on the video-sharing app and has even threatened the presidential election through its ties to Ch...
Senior Jessamine Jin publishes original novel, donates proceeds
Alyssa Chang and Brooke Johnston
September 25, 2020
Senior Jessamine Jin hasn’t always been an open book. However, on July 24, she introduced her secret talent to the world: she published a novel. The young author’s novel, “The Fallen Angel,” is a dark fantasy centered on Seraphina, a witty demon on a mission, and Kato, an angel ...
West Ranch High School holds a drive-thru graduation to honor the Class of 2020
Jasmine Wongphatarakul, Staff Writer
June 4, 2020
West Ranch High School held a special drive-thru graduation at Central Park to celebrate the Class of 2020 today. Beginning at 7:30 a.m., graduates arrived at their designated times with their caps, gowns and facemasks. As cars entered the back of the park, a stage was set up to the righ...
Quarantine marks a significant change in students’ academic ethics
Mia Ouyang, Staff Writer
May 27, 2020
It’s safe to say that the coronavirus lockdown has affected everybody. Work has been replaced by Zoom calls (if one’s job was kept at all), and school has been replaced by online assignments and testing. As students settle into the transition from classrooms to websites, there has been...
West Ranch STEM clubs pave the way for future innovation
Emily Chang, Arts and Entertainment Editor
May 27, 2020
Deep in the core of the 500 building on a normal Monday afternoon, budding computer scientists would furiously type away at their computers while the rest of the school chatted outside and ate their lunch. Meanwhile, gleaming robots sat in the dark in the portable classrooms downstairs, waiting to be unfur...
Six feet Supplies, a local non-profit, gives back to the community during global pandemic
May 16, 2020
COVID-19 has affected many worldwide, with countries being forced into lockdown, schools shutting down and people living in constant fear. People with compromised immune systems are forced to stay at home in fear that they will get the virus if they make contact with the outside world. Despite the...
Coronavirus can’t stop the coronation of the 2020 Prom King and Queen
Alyssa Chang and Brooke Johnston
May 13, 2020
Prom: an important milestone during seniors’ long journey of high school. For the class of 2020, the journey has been one full of unexpected twists and turns, yet, despite the strange circumstances in quarantine, West Ranch still found a way to honor its persevering seniors. Alexa Spitzer ...
Distance learning: how local students and teachers are affected by the new system
Jaeeun Park, Staff Writer
April 24, 2020
As the world’s medical workers and researchers struggle to control the COVID-19 pandemic, ordinary civilians feel the strain of this disaster in their everyday lives. A new system for education during social distancing called “distance learning” has brought with it both benefits and drawb...