As of January 13th, we finally reached the end of the first semester at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School. These months have been filled with getting comfortable in our new years of high school, with the freshman class of 2026 getting used to the reality of upper-education and our beloved seniors, the class of 2023, preparing to say their final goodbyes and head out into the world of collegiate status. As a junior, the first semester has been filled with ups and downs. I entered THE YEAR. The year that colleges focus on and the one where we start the college application process. So, in response to this, I have constantly focused on perfecting my academic records, extracurricular activities, and self-image. Yet, one grand highlight of the first semester was the Junior Ring Mass. The Junior Ring Mass is a tradition at Gwynedd where students of the junior class receive their class rings in front of their family and fellow classmates after they are blessed by a presiding Priest. For me, the Mass reminded me that my high school career is almost over and that a new chapter in my life is going to start after graduation. Another major event at Gwynedd this semester was the production of our fall musical, Newsies. The show was an amazing portrayal of how the newspaper labor union came to be from the efforts of hardworking children selling papers while barely being paid enough to afford anything to eat. We applaud all the wonderful actors, actresses, stage-crew members, lights and sound members, director, and dance manager for all the hard work they did to make this show possible. The first semester here at Gwynedd was one of beginnings and discovery and I hope that the second will be even more exciting for my fellow Gwynedd monarchs and I.