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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

Cara Tran

Cara Tran, News Editor

Cara Tran (12) is in her first year as a part of The Nexus She is part of various organizations on campus like Speech and Debate, Mock Trial, and Link Crew. In her free time, she likes to read, spend time with family and friends, and do embroidery. 

All content by Cara Tran

In a Flash – Boater’s License

Cara Tran, News Editor June 3, 2022

As a child, above all else, Maddy Kester (12) was a planner. She liked having set times and details for every event. She liked having a sense of control over situations. She liked knowing that there wouldn’t...

Left to right: Jonathan McPherson (11), Shai Davis (11), and Tyler Shaw (12) perform in theater-hosted One Acts, May 12. They sit on the stage as their characters reflect on past experiences and the future.

[Photo] Theater showcases One Acts

Madelyn Comstock, Staff Writer June 3, 2022

Left to right: Jonathan McPherson (11), Shai Davis (11), and Tyler Shaw (12) perform in theater-hosted One Acts, May 12. They sit on the stage as their characters reflect on past experiences and the future....

Art by Ella Jiang.

Using Humor to Cope

Cara Tran, News Editor May 6, 2022

While other seniors were stressing and finishing their college application essays at the last minute on Nov. 30, Austin Pierce (12) was taking a nap.  As the 11:59 p.m. deadline hit, high school...

William Balais (9) dead lifts during lunch in the weight room, April 27. He aspires to break the school's deadlift record.

[Photo] Balais finds community, confidence through practicing weightlifting

Grace Tseng, Editor-in-Chief May 6, 2022

William Balais (9) dead lifts during lunch in the weight room, April 27. He aspires to break the school's deadlift record.

Julia Smith (9) plays the piano during auditions for the festival, April 25. Smith chose to perform the song “Merry-go-round of life.”

[Photo] Performers showcase talent at Spring Music Festival

Robbie Gray, News Editor May 6, 2022

Julia Smith (9) plays the piano during auditions for the festival, April 25. Smith chose to perform the song “Merry-go-round of life.”

Brand Social Media Blurs Company-Consumer Line

Brand Social Media Blurs Company-Consumer Line

Cara Tran, News Editor April 8, 2022

As a high school student, having and using social media almost feels like a necessity. I need Twitter to keep up with politics and obtain obscure, unnecessary details about celebrity drama, Instagram...

The Girltelligence Executive Team hosts a panel with female PUSD officials in honor of Women’s History, March 23. They discussed the pressures placed on women in the workplace and how to deal with discrimination. Panelists (from left to right): Gowri Ramaprasad (10); Sarah Dean (12); Nitya Baratam (11); Sydney Hubbard (12); Shawntanet Jara, Director of Equality and Improvement at PUSD; Tina Ziegler, Principal; Carol Osborne, Associate Superintendent; Darshana Patel, San Diego County School Boards Association President; Christine Paik, Chief Communications Officer for PUSD.

[Photo] Girltelligence, ASB celebrate women

Robbie Gray and Grace Tseng April 8, 2022

The Girltelligence Executive Team hosts a panel with female PUSD officials in honor of Women’s History, March 23. They discussed the pressures placed on women in the workplace and how to deal with discrimination....

Sydney Hubbard (12) crafts props for an Odyssey of the Mind performance, March 27. She taped together copies of The Nexus to create a saddle for a big puppet elk.

[Photo] World Class Creativity

Yufei Zhang, Staff Writer April 8, 2022

Sydney Hubbard (12) crafts props for an Odyssey of the Mind performance, March 27. She taped together copies of The Nexus to create a saddle for a big puppet elk.

Spotify steals from artists

Spotify steals from artists

Cara Tran, News Editor March 18, 2022

I spent 258,687 minutes of my year in 2021 listening to music on Spotify. This isn’t a way for me to flex on anyone (although it is a subtle flex—there are only 525,600 minutes in a year so I...

Billionaires shouldn’t be the ones to solve the drug crisis

Cara Tran, News Editor February 18, 2022

The drug access crisis in the U.S. is nothing new. For years now, the U.S. government has been aware of severely skyrocketing prices and shortages of drugs. According to a Gallup poll, nearly 18 million...

COVID interrupts family vacations, forces students to remain overseas

Cara Tran, News Editor January 28, 2022

Last month, as families embarked on trips abroad for the first time in years, the return back home proved to be much more difficult than anticipated. The surging Omicron variant and the terrible weather...

Cartoon by Grace Tseng

Yearly resolutions do not work

Cara Tran, News Editor January 28, 2022

  By the time you are reading this, at least 27 days will have passed since New Years. If you are anything like me or the thousands of other well-intentioned people who attempt and fail at...

Brett maximizes life experiences

Brett maximizes life experiences

Cara Tran, News Editor December 17, 2021

When he was at Westview, Jared Brett spent his time playing lacrosse, acting in the Westview Theater Company, and writing for The Nexus. Even as a high school student, he demonstrated his varied interests...

Crowley studies history of universe

Cara Tran, News Editor December 17, 2021

Kevin Crowley spends his time trying to solve the unanswered questions of the universe. He works at UC Berkeley as a postdoctoral researcher in cosmology, which is a particular branch of physics that examines...

Brand Loyalty Blinds Consumers

Brand Loyalty Blinds Consumers

Cara Tran, News Editor November 19, 2021

As one of the few high-schoolers I know who opted for an Android phone over an iPhone, I am often criticized for my “mistake.” Every day, I am reminded by my peers about how great Apple is, or...

In a Flash: New Beginnings

Cara Tran, News Editor November 19, 2021

On any given school day, Aadya Nayak (11) can be seen wearing the classic attire of a high school student—sweatshirt, jeans and a t-shirt. While she always wants to wear something more personal to her,...

Cancelling celebrities does not hold them accountable

Cancelling celebrities does not hold them accountable

Cara Tran, News Editor October 29, 2021

In 2021, cancelling someone has become an everyday occurrence. Just for those who are unaware of this phenomenon, cancelling someone is a wide-spread boycott of them and their content that typically...

Aric Volman (9) looks over a program written by a member of the Adobe Bluffs FLL challenge teams for their competition robot. Volman worked with about 15 other Option 16 members to deliver FLL mentoring to students at Adobe Bluffs and Deer Canyon.

Option 16 restarts in-person outreach, mentors students in robotics workshops

Cara Tran, News Editor October 29, 2021

Option 16, the FIRST Robotics Challenge (FRC) team, held its largest outreach event since the start of the school year, Oct. 16. With 15 Westview students acting as mentors, Option 16 hosted two FIRST...

Students work at ESS, forge new connections

Students work at ESS, forge new connections

Cara Tran, News Editor October 29, 2021

Niki Tarighati (12) walked onto the Design 39 campus with the sun high in the sky. As she is greeted by the shouts and giggles of over 40 kindergarten-aged children, she took a deep breath and tried...

Opinion: You do not know celebrities, so public obsession is stupid

Opinion: You do not know celebrities, so public obsession is stupid

Cara Tran, News Editor October 8, 2021

Heartbreak. Sadness. Disappointment.  No, nothing bad really happened to me. I didn’t lose anything. I didn’t fail a test. I didn’t get broken up with. Instead, I received more shocking news:...

Opinion: Returns to normal after COVID-19 shouldn't stop progress or innovation

Opinion: Returns to normal after COVID-19 shouldn’t stop progress or innovation

Cara Tran, News Editor October 8, 2021

While COVID-19 stole many opportunities from us, it is in the “return to normal” that we have lost some of the most important chances for progress. With all of the adjustments that we had to make...

PUSD misses chance to improve schedule

Cara Tran, News Editor September 17, 2021

Out of the many challenges caused by COVID-19, one of the most striking was trying to navigate school without the presence of in-person instruction. Along with the pressing issue of physical health, school...

In a Flash: Cruising into Adulthood

Cara Tran, News Editor September 17, 2021

Kevin Liou (12) is 18 years old. He can legally vote. He can enlist in the military. He can buy a lottery ticket. For all intents and purposes, he is an adult.  But, he doesn’t really feel like one.  You...

Students travel out of city to take SAT exam

Cara Tran, News Editor September 17, 2021

After a long second week of school spent slowly adjusting to being back in person with so many other students, Mariah Hamilton (12) left Westview and embarked on a traffic-filled four hour-long drive to...

In a Flash: Linking Together by Letting Go

Cara Tran, News Editor August 27, 2021

Ordinarily, Ashuta Date (11) would have chosen to wear a different color, but on this day—the first day of school—she wore green, neon green. She needed to wear this neon green shirt. She had to....

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