The Harvard Westlake Chronicle

Alex Israel ’00 knew he wanted to pursue art long before he arrived at Harvard-Westlake. Recognized for his talent in drawing, Israel said Harvard-Westlake helped transform that interest into a serious pursuit. “I was always interested in art,” Israel said. “But it was at Harvard-Westlake, under the guidance of Marianne Hall, that I began to feel like an artist. She saw something in me and made me take it seriously.” After graduating, Israel attended Yale University, where he majored in studio art.

With the goal of raising awareness around climate change, I started The Holloway this year to encourage the Harvard-Westlake community to engage and think more deeply about the environment. The support and response that I have received has been incredible. First and foremost, I would like to thank Kayla Graff ‘26 and Sienna Dall’Olmo ‘26, this year’s Editor-in-Chief’s, for their approval of the journal – allowing me to pursue this novel idea.

May 28, 2026 Valedictorian: Emma Tseng ’26 Salutatorian: Sally Ramberg ’26 Bishop’s Medal and Veritas Award: Robby Louie ’26, Miles Aguilar ’26, Michaela Williams ’26 Given to three seniors who most fully embody the ideals and aspirations of the school.

At the end of lunch, cafeteria trash cans become accidental time capsules: crumpled paper napkins and plastic containers sit near milk cartons. As students, we rarely imagine the cafeteria as a political space, yet schools make decisions every day about what food students will eat and what gets wasted. Those choices feel automatic, but they function as environmental policy.

Not many people know that I went into my interview for the Editor-in-Chief position with the intent of withdrawing my application. Sitting under bright lights across from last year’s seniors and the HW Media advisors, I didn’t feel good enough for the role. I remember telling them that I wanted more for The Chronicle, more than I trusted myself to offer. I wanted the paper to be perfect, and I didn’t want to be the reason that it wasn’t. The whole situation felt very emotional for me.

Upper School Science Teacher Ryan Ellingson sinks into his couch after an exhausting day of teaching, ready to indulge in television and catch up on the day’s news. Wanting to learn more about a scandal in his local city council and desperate to find more information, he clicks through channel after channel with no luck. Ellingson said he quickly recognized all of the media platforms were reporting on the same information, a pattern he finds concerning.

Do we all have at least one, truly special place? Is there a part of the human mind that creates these areas as our own personal heavens on earth, our own utopias to strive for? I’m only the Chronicle Sports Editor so I couldn’t tell you with any certainty but I could tell you about my special place. 270 miles or about five hours north of the school you can find a paradise of glacially-carved valleys, sheer granite monoliths, thundering waterfalls and towering Sequoias.

Upper School Assistant Director of Stewardship Haley Hicks ’17 will be leaving the school after the 2025-2026 school year. She joined the team after graduating from college. Hicks said her work involves daily coordination across departments. “A typical day at [the school]  is very collaborative and usually includes a lot of meetings,” Hicks said.

Volleyball and field hockey both finished their seasons with championships, driven by team chemistry and months of hard work on and off the field. The Harvard-Westlake girls varsity volleyball and field hockey teams both claimed championships this season, marking their hard work, team chemistry and commitment to each other on and off the field. The volleyball team won the Division I state championship, and the field hockey team claimed the Sunset League championship.

Performing Arts Teacher and Master Carpenter Rees Pugh will retire after 26 years with the school. He plans to spend more time with his family in northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan. Pugh was first hired to fix some issues with a set in the spring of 2000, and started his full-time career in teaching the following school year. Pugh said his time at the school has been very fulfilling and memorable. “Teaching here has been a dream job from every standpoint,” Pugh said.