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The official student news site of Westview High School

The Nexus

The official student news site of Westview High School

The Nexus

The official student news site of Westview High School

The Nexus

Mackenzie O'Mara

Mackenzie O’Mara, Staff Writer

All content by Mackenzie O'Mara

iGEM club creates PET decomposing bacteria in lab

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer November 1, 2024

Westview iGEM club spent their summer creating bacteria to decompose PET plastics: a material used in a wide array of plastic products like disposable water bottles and product packaging. For four years...

AP CSP employs asynchronous period

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer October 11, 2024

This year, teacher Rachel Neumann’s first-period AP Computer Science Principles class has an asynchronous period every other Monday. Neumann had brought up this idea to Remillard post COVID.  “This...

E-bike permits required in January 2025

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer September 20, 2024

Bright and early on Sept. 7, students piled into the crowded Bernardo Heights middle school auditorium for the first of two e-bike safety presentations of the day. Starting Jan. 6, 2025, the Poway Unified...

School Foundation separates into three different branches

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer August 30, 2024

The Westview Foundation has split into three separate groups designed to better accommodate the needs of students, sport teams, clubs, and Westview Gold. The Westview Foundation focuses on all students...

Protests on university campuses impact alumni

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer May 31, 2024

At a Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) protest at UCLA, May 1, Caitlynn Hauw (’23), standing behind a metal barrier, started a chant. “We’re not leaving and we’re not scared,” she yelled,...

Manuel Cano, a member of the Challenged Athletes Foundation, joined by Ray Nakhle (12), Katelyn Jensen (12), and Cooper Doyle (10), answers student questions during Ability Awareness Day, April 26. The panel offered students an opportunity to gain perspective and learn about various disabilities.

Ability Awareness Day speakers share stories, inspire inclusivity

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer May 3, 2024

During third and fourth period, April 26, students stared intently at Manuel Cano as he gave his emotional experience of fighting both a mental and physical battle after becoming paralyzed at the age of...

Schray aids patients as Palomar hospital intern

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer April 5, 2024

Kiara Schray was in and out of hospitals when she was 14 for her two conditions, POTS (postural tachycardia syndrome), which is an electrolyte deficiency of salt, and EDS hypermobility syndrome (Ehlers-Danlos...

Vanessa Lee (12) reviews AP French material with her grandma, March 4. After not being able to take a French class the year prior, Lee has tried to improve her French skills.

AP French class adjusts after hiatus

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer March 15, 2024

Vanessa Lee (12) and Zui Santos (12) sit next to each other in AP French, trying to absorb all of the information that they have forgotten about in the last two years. AP French was not offered last year,...

Ulybina expresses emotions through ballroom dancing

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer March 15, 2024

Sofiya Ulybina (10) twirls across the dance floor at the California Open Latin Ballroom Dancing competition in the Orange County Hilton Hotel,  Feb. 18. Her partner guides her movements and makes sure...

Nava finds joy in running first half-marathon

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer February 16, 2024

Tri-sport athlete Kamila Nava (11) ran along the 56 bike path during the San Diego Holiday Half marathon., Dec. 14. Her mind was blank except for admiration of the blue San Diego sky and green vegetation....

Dancing into the New Year

Dancing into the New Year

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer February 16, 2024

Sophia Tran (9) held the head of the lion costume up, Feb. 11, as the person behind her held onto her belt and supported her movements. They were performing a traditional lion dance for the Lunar New Year...

Rivalry: boys, girls soccer hosts MC

Mackenzie O'Mara and Haven Teudt December 22, 2023

Girls @ 5:30 p.m today  Tonight, girls soccer plays Mt. Carmel, Westview’s cross-town rival for the first time in 2 years. In the 2021-22 season, they encountered the Sun Devils twice with 5-0 and...

CIF rules to stop transfer student-athletes from playing in full season

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer December 22, 2023

Austin Barker (12) sat on the bench watching the varsity soccer team struggle as they fell to Carlsbad 2-1 in the final game of the Francis Parker tournament. He thought that maybe if he was on the field...

Ethnic studies class visits Chicano Park

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer November 17, 2023

“Brown Image”, a mural by Victor Ochoa caught the eyes of Gianna Carpenter (11) as she walked with her tour group through Chicano Park. The  five-story mural with tones of gold that glittered in the...

Football tackles CIF playoffs, moves onto semi-finals

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer November 17, 2023

Westview’s Varsity football team’s aggressive, physical defense led the Wolverines to a 14-10 CIF quarterfinal win over Bonita Vista on Friday, November 10. The Wolverines now advance to the CIF semifinals...

Bombarded with body ideals

Bombarded with body ideals

Mackenzie O'Mara, Staff Writer October 26, 2023

It was Claire Choi’s (11) freshman year, and she was walking through the streets of Seoul, South Korea. Everywhere she went, advertisements for plastic surgery flashed. On the small phone screen she...

Ulybina explains the pressures of backspotting

Mackenzie O'Mara and Zeina Nicolas August 25, 2023

After weeks of training, through exhausting practices and aching muscles, Sofiya Ulybina (10) knew she was prepared to protect her squadmate.  It was game night her freshman year, and the bright,...

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