News

PSHS junior wins essay contest for challenging the perception of nursing homes

Most people don’t associate nursing homes with optimism. McRae Stephenson just proved why they should. The Philip Simmons High School junior and Daniel Island resident recently earned first place in the South Carolina District 22 Optimist International Essay Contest, winning a $2,500...

Too much trash, not enough change

Have you ever wondered how much trash we have produced each day? Too much! Each person in the USA produces 4.9 pounds of trash per day. There are many ways we can cut down on trash. We can recycle things, like using a reusable water bottle instead of a disposable one, or using metal forks...

No phones in schools: A distraction removed or a connection lost?

As of January 2025, the Berkeley County School District implemented a no cell-phones policy in schools, prohibiting use of any device capable of accessing the internet or using Wi-Fi. Devices have to be stowed safely away in your backpack for the school day. If you have your device out and your...

Your summer reading quest starts here

Have you ever dreamed about meeting a dragon or ever wanted to go to Hogwarts? Even though it can’t happen in real life, you can in books! I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon with Tim Boyle (he can say the alphabet backward!) – the head librarian at the Daniel Island Library. For the past...

The physics of fluff: Why ducklings follow the leader

Have you ever wondered why ducklings follow their mom in a perfectly straight line? I took photos of a mallard mama and her nine ducklings walking to the pond’s edge on Daniel Island. The ducklings I spotted were about one month old based on their size and feather development. It was early evening...

The ethics of AI in warfare

Since the beginning of time as we know it, the human species has been inventing things to eliminate the other. Over time, we eventually see the dawn of the human racecome closer and closer to devastation brought down by our own powers – coming from swords and cavalry to Peacekeeper I.C.B.M.s able...

Wired differently: How I rise above dyslexia

On paper, I look like any other high-achieving student. My grades are almost always between 95 and 100. But what those numbers don’t show is how much harder I have to work than everyone else just to get there. I have dyslexia, and I go to a school that wasn’t really designed for me. Daniel...

How my acts of service help me understand what my community means to me

Philip Simmons High School junior and Daniel Island resident McRae Stephenson recently earned first place in the South Carolina District 22 Optimist International Essay Contest, winning a $2,500 scholarship and publication in The Optimist magazine. She was recognized at the Optimist Club...

Under the Velvet Vine

The honeysuckles bloomed in June, as they always did – their amber tongues curling around porch beams and power poles, too restless to stay rooted. There was no warning before their arrival; they came in clusters, flushed and fragrant, trailing their sweetness behind them like a train of silk,...

More than the game: How I balance life as a student-athlete

Being an athlete has always felt effortless. There are games to play, teammates to laugh with, and practices that demand both physical and mental growth. For me, volleyball season has never just been a sport. It’s where I feel most capable, most confident, most like myself. It has been that way...