Oct 154 min read
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The Latest
Oct 152 min read
The Cross in the Chapel: Rethinking Cate’s Traditions
By Paloma Rudnicki '27 The Katharine Thayer Cate and Curtis Wolsey Cate Chapel, built in 1961, was dedicated by Mr. Cate to his wife, who passed away in 1953. Despite popular belief, she is not buried there. The Chapel also won national awards when it was built—the architect George Russell won the AIA award for Church Architecture, Class III for his design. Its unique arches and large stained-glass windows have set it apart as what some consider the most beautiful and iconic
Oct 159 min read
Cate News
Outrider: The History of Cate’s Student-Run Newspaper
By Fiona Pan '27 It has been 105 years since the El Batidor newspaper came to life at Cate School, formerly known as the “Santa Barbara School.” In the first edition of El Bat, released in the 1919–1920 school year, the editors wrote that the term El Batidor , translated to “Outrider.” “Batidor” means scout, or outrider, which is someone who paves the way for others to follow. The past editors wrote that the name for the newspaper was indicating, “a harbinger, or bearer of
Oct 153 min read
Science and Service in Carpinteria
By Michelle Wu '27 The salted breeze, the damp sand, and the low, rhythmic rumble of waves hitting the shore altogether make the Carpinteria City Beach a popular weekend destination for students. Indeed, the beach offers much joy to the steady pace of Cate life, whether through providing a recreational space oa r location for class events. However, there is more that Cate can offer in return to the greater Carpinteria community and the land that nurtures it – inquiry-driven
Oct 152 min read
Where Did The Theme Go? Homecoming 2025
By Maria Salyards '28 Let me set the scene for you. Golden hues splattering the gentle waves at the beach, rays peaking through the dusty clouds, and under the gaze of the Carpenteria mountains, stood Cate students on the senior lawn, dressed up in Homecoming attire. It was a time right before the tree leaves turn orange and crimson, and right after a much-deserved summer break. Light blues, pastel pinks, sunset orange dresses, and black and grey suits, but no one in neon di
Oct 152 min read
Features
Seeking a Way to Communicate: Journalist David Philipps Makes an Impact On Many
By Paloma Rudnicki '27 David Philipps, a 2-time Pulitzer Prize-winning military reporter for the New York Times , has spent his career discovering untold stories that help bring issues to light that make a change in the lives of people serving our country. In this interview, he explains what drives him to write, how he experimented to find his path, and how passions can become careers. Q: How did you come into journalism as a career, and into writing about the military? A:
Oct 156 min read
Cate Faculty Stories: 9-11 Attack
By Karina Strofs '27 This year marked the 24th anniversary of the attack on September 11, 2001 . On that day, two planes hit the World Trade Center, another plane struck the Pentagon, and a fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Annually, on September 11th, people in the U.S. remember the nearly 3,000 people killed during the attacks, as well as acknowledge how the attacks continue to impact the United States. It is also a time to listen to stories of how that d
Oct 159 min read
How Blue Crew Builds Cate
By Jade Wang '28 Any student at Cate can tell you that at any football or volleyball game, you’ll feel the energy before you see it. Blaring megaphones, school chants echoing across the bleachers, and a crowd of students decked out in colors matching the theme of the night create a lively, electric atmosphere at Cate home games. In front of the bleachers, leading the charge, is Blue Crew, Cate School’s student-run spirit squad—our loudest, most recognizable symbols of school
Oct 153 min read
Arts & Media
VMAS: In or Not? MTV’s Video Music Awards 2025
By Maree Hawkins '28 MTV’s Video Music Awards occur annually; this year, they took place on September 7, 2025. The VMAs recognize the year’s biggest artists and music videos with performances, trophies, and more. The inaugural ceremony honored the best music videos in 1984 at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall and featured a performance by Madonna that set the show’s bold tone. Like its counterpart, the Grammys, the VMAs have produced countless youth culture trends and
Oct 153 min read
Alumni Spotlight: Biba Duffy-Boscagli ’19
By Naomi Avalos '27 Art can bring people together to uplift each other. It can be studied to reveal things that we may have never noticed before. An appreciation for art can lead to numerous career paths and interesting stories to tell. Biba Duffy-Boscagli '19 embodies this sentiment perfectly, being an experienced artist, historian, and museum curator. During her time at Cate, Biba examined art through the lens of both a curator and an artist. She explored the ceramics and
Oct 152 min read
San Jacinto: How Art Pod Scaled a Mountain
By Rose Schreier '27 10,000 feet above Palm Springs, a cluster of teenage girls huddle atop a rock—their faces are red, their heart rates are high, their foreheads are sweaty, and they have a 360 view of the Mojave Desert. If you were to ask them how they ended up there, they would tell you it started with a Homestyle Scramble. At approximately 9 am, the San Jacinto art pod awoke to the sound of boiling water. They crept out of their mildewed sleeping bags and huddled around
Oct 153 min read
Athletics
The Pool, Dorm, and School: Captain’s Captain Jesse Morrison
By Devon Liang '27 As a water polo coach, dorm parent, and newly-appointed Assistant Director of Athletics, Jesse Morrison wears many hats. Joining Cate in 2021 as a water polo coach, becoming a Long House dorm parent in 2023, and becoming Assistant Director of Athletics in 2025, Jesse has brought his expertise to the Cate community in a multitude of different ways. As a relatively new addition to the community, an in-depth look into Jesse’s involvement offers valuable insig
Oct 154 min read
Cate Girls Varsity Lacrosse Senior Night
By: Lucy Guilbert-Neal '25 Last Tuesday, April 22nd, the girls' varsity lacrosse team celebrated Senior Night during their last league...
May 232 min read
Big Games, Bigger Communities
By: Devon Liang '27 With sports serving as the focus of many memories on campus, Blue Crew has served as the driving force of spirit and...
May 232 min read
Current Events
Southern California: A Deep Dive into the January Wildfires
By Violet Monda '27 In January of 2025, a series of wildfires erupted throughout Southern California. Over 55 wildfires affected people's lives in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, San Diego County, and the Palisades area. These fires separated into the larger groups called the Palisades, Eaton Canyon, Kenneth, Hughes, Hurst, Border 2, Gap, and Green Fires. Over 48,268 acres of inhabited land across Southern California were burned. While this burn area is not unprecedented,
Oct 153 min read
Trump Proposes Reopening Alcatraz, Experts Raise Alarms
By: Rose Schreier '27 Alcatraz sits on an island 1.2 miles from San Francisco, rusting as its paint tears, and Seagulls claim the prison...
May 233 min read
Political Tensions Impacting Cate: Connections, Society, and Immigrant Deportation
By: Henry Chen '27 and Oliver Zheng '27 Since President Donald Trump’s second inauguration on January 20, 2025, several policies have...
Apr 253 min read
Others
1984 Reflections
By Kaitlyn Dai ‘27, Maree Hawkins ‘28, Claire Tang ‘27, Rosita Power ‘26, Jae Wykoff ‘26, and Jen Won ‘26 Kaitlyn Dai ‘27 “Redefining” Truth: How Education Alters Perceptions What do we define as the truth? I use my senses to examine and identify my surroundings. Through my eyes, I see the pink hue of my laptop and the colorful patterns on my AirPods. Through my ears, I hear the incessant clacking of the computer keyboards and murmurs in the stalls next to me. I feel the coo
Oct 1715 min read
How Cate Students Take Lessons Beyond the Mesa
By Amelia Riepe '27 At some point, every Cate student wonders, “Why am I learning this? Will I even remember this after high school?” This thought usually occurs during a never-ending last-period class or Saturday school, when the content and material seem extremely removed from real life. However, truth be told, many classroom experiences leave a lasting impression on Cate students, regardless of the subject. Certain moments, such as a memorable Harkness or an extremely tou
Oct 163 min read
Linden Square: Change on the Corner
By Harper Halbardier '26 and Fallon Erickson '26 The start of the fall trimester on the Mesa has been nothing short of magical. From seniors bleeding blue on move-in day to peaceful moments captured in the backcountry, there’s nothing quite like the first few weeks of September at Cate. As the Cate community has made their way back home to Carpinteria, there’s been quite the buzz about the newest addition to Carpinteria - the infamous “Linden Square.” Linden Square has bec
Oct 153 min read
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