The student news site of Lake Forest Academy

The Spectator
Katy Perry holds a daisy aboard the New Shepard rocket in honor of her daughter.
NS-31 Goes to Space With All-Female Crew
A group of Montgomery County parents gather outside the MCPS Board of Education to protest classrooms containing LGBTQ+ books.
Mahmoud v. Taylor: Drawing the Line Between Church and State
NYU’s website reveals that average admitted ACT, SAT and GPA differ based on race.
NYU Admissions Database Breach Exposes Alleged Affirmative Action Practices
From left: Ysola Sanchez ‘25, Elizabeth Villagomez ‘27, Xitlali Ocote-Arellano ‘25, Bela Bock ‘25, Saige Chaseley ‘25 and Helena Secret ‘26 pose with Breaking Barriers faculty advisor, Angela Zhou (right).
The Inaugural Breaking Barriers Gala
Tables are lined up in the gym for the AP exam.
The Abrupt Digitalization of Advanced Placement Exams
Bird Artist Series speaker Sam Mihara presents in the Cressey Center for the Arts.
LFA’s Bird Artist Series
Julie Brandt delivers a speech at LFA’s 26th annual Gala.
LFA’s 26th Annual Gala: Experiential Learning Blossoming at LFA
Kate Delia ‘25 smiles with her parents holding a bouquet of flowers on senior night.
Senior Sports Commitments: Class of 2025 Sign-Off
Q&A With Teachers and Faculty Leaving LFA
Students play on the inflatables on the quad.
RA Weekend Expectations: Does It Live Up to Ones in the Past?
CECOT prison guards process U.S. deportees.
Inside the Trump Administration’s Deportation of 238 Venezuelan Immigrants
The U.S. Capitol divides two American flags near the Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
The Growing Gender Gap in Youth Politics
The Harvard University crest is displayed on Baker Library on campus.
Trump Freezes Billions in Harvard Funding, Threatens Tax-Exempt Status
Donald Trump announces Liberation Day tariffs.
Trade War: U.S. Allies and Rivals Impacted by Sweeping Tariffs
Mark Carney speaks to supporters of his Liberal Party in British Colombia.
Canada Had an Election. Trump Was on the Ballot
Graphic by Alexandra Zhu
A Letter from the Editors
Katy Perry kisses the ground after returning from her Blue Origin flight.
Blue Origin-ageddon: The Katy Perry Agenda
Trump sits with Bukele in the Oval Office as they discuss sending U.S citizens to El Salvadoran prisons.
My Opinion on President Trump’s Immigration Policies
More Than a Number: The Invisible Expectations Behind LFA’s “A+ Diversity”
Are Parents Responsible for Children’s Gun Crimes?
Graphic by Alexandra Zhu
A Letter from the Editors
More Than a Number: The Invisible Expectations Behind LFA’s “A+ Diversity”
Are Parents Responsible for Children’s Gun Crimes?
Why Do AP Teachers Not Teach the AP Test?
Educators or Advocates?
Girls Varsity Field Hockey @ North Shore Country Day
Lee Corso puts on Ohio State Buckeye headgear in his final appearance on College Gameday. (Courtesy of @collegegameday on Instagram)
2025 College Football Season Preview
No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter poses for his draft photo with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Recapping the 2025 NFL Draft
Kate Delia ‘25 smiles with her parents holding a bouquet of flowers on senior night.
Senior Sports Commitments: Class of 2025 Sign-Off
Coach Mike Hall poses with seniors at the last game of the season.
A Recap of the Spring Sports Season
The official "The Wishbone Pajama Show" poster.
Conan Gray’s “The Wishbone Pajama Show” Hits Tinley Park
Virgin by Lorde, released June 27, 2025.
Album Review: “Virgin” by Lorde
The official “Mayhem Ball” Tour poster.
Lady Gaga Brings the “Mayhem Ball” Tour to Chicago
Dua Lipa lights up the stage during her Radical Optimism Tour in Chicago.
Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism Tour Was Pure Pop Perfection
Man's Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter, released August 29, 2025.
Album Review: “Man’s Best Friend” by Sabrina Carpenter
Women march with signs in favor of an abortion referendum during a Maryland protest.
A Nation Divided: The Battle for Abortion Rights on the Ballot
Students participate in an SDA-organized school walkout.
Students Demand Action Stands up Against Gun Violence
Lyle and Erik Menendez sit silently at their court hearing.
The Menendez Brothers: Revisiting a Horrific Murder Case
A whiteboard is displayed with supportive notes at Apalachee High School.
A New Normal: Navigating School Shootings in 2024
Migrants out on the streets because they don't have places to stay in
The Pouring Number of Migrants in New York City
A group of people celebrate the first Earth Day in New York City.
Celebrating Earth Day: A Global Movement for a Greener Tomorrow
Crops of lettuce grow using the vertical farming technique inside the container farm.
Students Get to Experience the Future of Sustainable Farming
LGBTQ+ protesters march among the streets of Thailand.
First Southeast Asian Country to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
ChatGPT consumes thousands of liters of water for its training process. (Cartoon by Gabby Wang)
ChatGPT’s Harmful Effect on the Environment
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gives a speech. (Courtesy of Creative Commons)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Announces Resignation
The student news site of Lake Forest Academy

The Spectator
The student news site of Lake Forest Academy

The Spectator
This Just In...
Politics
CECOT prison guards process U.S. deportees.
Inside the Trump Administration’s Deportation of 238 Venezuelan Immigrants
Maya Tafolla, Reporter • May 30, 2025

On March 15, the Trump Administration deported 238 Venezuelan immigrants to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador under the...

The U.S. Capitol divides two American flags near the Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
The Growing Gender Gap in Youth Politics
Jackson Pick, Managing Editor of Politics • May 30, 2025

In the 2024 United States presidential election, Donald Trump accomplished something that had not been done by a Republican in over two decades:...

News
Katy Perry holds a daisy aboard the New Shepard rocket in honor of her daughter.
NS-31 Goes to Space With All-Female Crew
Gabby Wang, Managing Editor of Op-Eds • May 30, 2025
A group of Montgomery County parents gather outside the MCPS Board of Education to protest classrooms containing LGBTQ+ books.
Mahmoud v. Taylor: Drawing the Line Between Church and State
Kayla Moore, Director of Collaboration & Editing • May 29, 2025
NYU’s website reveals that average admitted ACT, SAT and GPA differ based on race.
NYU Admissions Database Breach Exposes Alleged Affirmative Action Practices
Charley Gopin and Zoe Wolfberg • May 19, 2025
Sports
Girls Varsity Field Hockey @ North Shore Country Day
Parker Pollak, Sports Editor • September 17, 2025
No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter poses for his draft photo with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Recapping the 2025 NFL Draft
Davin Lee and Fitz Knight • May 30, 2025
Kate Delia ‘25 smiles with her parents holding a bouquet of flowers on senior night.
Senior Sports Commitments: Class of 2025 Sign-Off
Ford Sweet, Senior Sports Writer • May 30, 2025
Coach Mike Hall poses with seniors at the last game of the season.
A Recap of the Spring Sports Season
Parker Pollak and Davin Lee • May 30, 2025
Social Justice
Lyle and Erik Menendez sit silently at their court hearing.
The Menendez Brothers: Revisiting a Horrific Murder Case
Priya Johnson, Managing Editor of Social Justice • November 22, 2024

Few criminal cases have captured America’s attention quite like the Menendez brothers’ murder trial. What began as a shocking double homicide...

Women march with signs in favor of an abortion referendum during a Maryland protest.
A Nation Divided: The Battle for Abortion Rights on the Ballot
November 22, 2024
Students participate in an SDA-organized school walkout.
Students Demand Action Stands up Against Gun Violence
November 22, 2024
Global Perspective
A group of people celebrate the first Earth Day in New York City.
Celebrating Earth Day: A Global Movement for a Greener Tomorrow
Kayla Moore, Director of Collaborations & Editing • April 30, 2025

Every year on April 22, the world gathers to celebrate its one universal commonality: our residence on Earth. Earth Day is crucial for raising...

Crops of lettuce grow using the vertical farming technique inside the container farm.
Students Get to Experience the Future of Sustainable Farming
April 30, 2025
LGBTQ+ protesters march among the streets of Thailand.
First Southeast Asian Country to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
March 14, 2025
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Features
Julie Brandt delivers a speech at LFA’s 26th annual Gala.
LFA’s 26th Annual Gala: Experiential Learning Blossoming at LFA
Emma Swanson and Mimi Sexton • May 30, 2025
Kate Delia ‘25 smiles with her parents holding a bouquet of flowers on senior night.
Senior Sports Commitments: Class of 2025 Sign-Off
Ford Sweet, Senior Sports Writer • May 30, 2025
Q&A With Teachers and Faculty Leaving LFA
Jennifer Ji and Chloe Jhin • May 30, 2025
Opinon
Katy Perry kisses the ground after returning from her Blue Origin flight.
Blue Origin-ageddon: The Katy Perry Agenda
Jasiek Bugaj and Madeleine Stastny • May 30, 2025

Pro Katy Perry, part of a full-female crew, alongside Lauren Sánchez, Amanda Nguyen, Kerrianne Flynn, Aisha Bowe and Gayle King, was a passenger...

Trump sits with Bukele in the Oval Office as they discuss sending U.S citizens to El Salvadoran prisons.
My Opinion on President Trump’s Immigration Policies
Ami Rosen, Reporter • May 30, 2025
More Than a Number: The Invisible Expectations Behind LFA’s “A+ Diversity”
Editorial Board • May 30, 2025
A&E
Man's Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter, released August 29, 2025.
Album Review: “Man’s Best Friend” by Sabrina Carpenter
Jasiek Bugaj, Arts & Entertainment Editor • September 4, 2025

Just 371 days after her breakthrough album, Sabrina Carpenter controversially returns to music in full throttle — with a flirty, fun, chaotic,...

Lady Gaga’s music video for “Abracadabra” was released on February 2, 2025.
Album Review: “MAYHEM” by Lady Gaga
Jasiek Bugaj, Managing Editor of A&E • April 30, 2025
“Ne Zha 2” continues to break records in China and internationally.
Chinese Animated Film “Ne Zha 2” Brings Global Success
Gabby Wang, Managing Editor of Op-Eds • April 30, 2025