The Gauntlet

21/11/2025

Today marked one of the school’s most beloved traditions, Grandparents Day. Students in the lower and intermediate schools hosted loved ones for a series of performances, activities, classroom tours, and social interaction.

Check out some photos from today taken by Kavi Riedi. Link in bio for more news from today.

21/11/2025

In “Falcon swim delivers at States,” staffer Rachel Gocinski covers the record-breaking swims and strong relay performances at the state swim meet.

The Falcons Swim Team closed out their season with an impressive showing at the state meet, despite many swimmers battling illness in the days leading up to competition. Junior swimmer Camryn Sanders mentions that the team was really ill for the majority of the week, but they made the best of it. .....

21/11/2025

In, “Coach Finch opens a new chapter for varsity girls soccer,” staffer Hannah Winters covers how the team is preparing for success under new leadership.

Winters writes, “His connection to his players both on and off the field has built a positive and supportive environment.”

Saint Stephen’s welcomes its new varsity girls’ soccer head coach, Mr. Nicholas Finch. Finch was previously the middle school girls’ soccer coach and is currently an eighth-grade English teacher on campus. His connection to his players both on and off the field has built a positive and support...

20/11/2025

STN Challenge 2025 is a wrap! In a deadline-driven, highly competitive national contest, four Gauntlet Media teams produced quality videos in just FIVE days. Video details below.

PSA Category Prompt: The Digital World Never Forgets

Our Title: “Think Twice Before You Share a Slice”

Video Team: Lark Rippy, Bianca Figueroa, Haiel Suwaity (Team Chief: Lark Rippy). .

Description: 70% of employers check your social media before hiring. Are you ready for that?

20/11/2025

STN Challenge 2025 is a wrap! In a deadline-driven, highly competitive national contest, four Gauntlet Media teams produced quality videos in just FIVE days. Video details below.

Commercial Category Prompt: A Drink That Turns Stress into Energy

Our Title: “Shine Your Brightest”

Video Team: Sawyer Girgis, Jackson McCleod, Luke Ribeiro de Sa. (Team Chief: Sawyer Girgis).

Description: Stressed? Overwhelmed? It’s time to shine.

20/11/2025

STN Challenge 2025 is a wrap! In a deadline-driven, highly competitive national contest, four Gauntlet Media teams produced quality videos in just FIVE days. Video details below.

News Category Prompt: A decision that’s changing the community

Our Title: “Government Shutdown Intensifies Local Food Insecurity.”

Video Team: Kieran Cloutier, Haley Munson, Sophia Azzopardi (Team Chief: Haley Munson).

Description: Our news story covers how the halt in SNAP benefits affected those in our community.

20/11/2025

STN Challenge 2025 is a wrap! In a deadline-driven, highly competitive national contest, four Gauntlet Media teams produced quality videos in just FIVE days. Video details below.

Arts&Culture Feature Category Prompt: The Spark That Starts It All

Our Title: “Forging the Next Generation”

Video Team: Annette Logan, Brian Stone, Grace Kotter, Carter Hasbrouck. (Team Chief: Annette Logan).

Description: Our story shines a light on the art of blacksmithing, taking us to the Medieval Fair to unlock the story of how a bygone trade lives on.

19/11/2025

Photogallery teaser of last night’s ELECTRIC b-ball match against ODA. This is a TEASER ONLY— head to the site now for the full gallery to see, in images, how the boys earned a 66-30 over our cross-town rivals.

Photos by Lucy Preston. Link in bio for the full scoop and more news from today.

https://www.ssesgauntlet.org/photo-galleries/2025/11/19/varsity-boys-basketball-earns-their-first-victory-of-the-season-against-oda/

19/11/2025

Do you feel like you spend more time worrying about grades than actually learning?

In “Grades are Winning, Learning is Losing,” Associate Editor Kavi Riedi explores how students' performance on assessments stifles the real reason we’re in school— growth and curiosity and development.

Riedi writes, “Grades were supposed to measure what students learned, but now they’ve become the reason many steer away from learning. Students often memorize and cram, not out of interest, but because a letter on a report card defines their future.”

Link in bio for the full feature and more news from today. Art by Lynn Minor.

“Will this be on the test?” It’s the most common question in every classroom—and maybe the most disappointing one. At the moment those words are spoken, curiosity leaves the room. Students aren’t asking because they want to understand; they’re asking because they want to know whether it....

19/11/2025

In “Watching from the Sidelines: How Sports Injuries Change the Game,” staffer Sophia House covers how getting injured in a sport doesn’t just result in a physical pain.

House writes: “There’s something really painful about sitting on the bench while your friends run around, score goals, and celebrate wins you can’t actually be part of. You cheer and smile, because you’re happy for them, but you also feel this weird mix of isolation and frustration. You replay things in your head like “that should’ve been me,” and “I should have been out there.”

Link in bio to see how these injuries have affected House and athletes ever.

High school sports are supposed to be exciting, with Friday night games, team bonding, and the rush you get when the whole crowd is watching. But sometimes, everything can change in a single moment. One misstep, one collision, one unlucky landing, and suddenly you’re not in the game anymore. You.....

17/11/2025

What would you say if Saint Stephen’s went phone-free? Not just during classes, but for the whole day, like many districts across the US are now doing?

Well, The Gauntlet, as a publication, has taken a stance on the national argument.

In a new Editorial by the Editorial Board, we make the case that the school should go all in in 2026-2027: Phone-free for the entire school day.

In “It’s Time to Go Phone-Free,” the board writes: “Schools like Cardinal Mooney in Florida, Fern Creek in Kentucky, and Evanston in Illinois have implemented phone-free campuses… and what these and others like them have in common are clear positive outcomes: higher in-class engagement, fewer disciplinary issues, and enhanced sociability.”

Head to the Gauntlet to see the stories and evidence that led the board to take a stance on this subject. In the story, you’ll also find an interview vid— “Ask SSES” — in which the board hit the halls to get YOUR take on the subject.

This is a don’t-miss story.

It’s another long day in math class. The teacher lectures on coefficients, and you slump in your chair, counting the minutes until the bell rings. Without thinking, you sneak a peek at your phone and before you know it, your locked in: TikTok has taken priority over algebra. Losing focus to our de...

14/11/2025

Game time.

Starting today, the Gauntlet’s video team begins the intense, 5-day STN Challenge (Student Television Network). The national, highly competitive contest that challenges students to produce high quality videos with a short deadline.

Groups led by Team Chiefs Haley Munson, Sawyer Girgis, Lark Rippy, and Annette Logan must plan, shoot, and edit a video before Tuesday at 5p.m. in select categories (News, Commercial, PSA, Feature).

Last year’s vid team entry, “The Key to Retaining Teachers,” earned a Best of SNO, but didn’t place in the STN contest. Let’s see what our teams can do this year. If you see them around, root them on. Let’s go!