The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News
The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News
The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News
News
A young boy plays a racing simulator at Redwood City's pop-up arcade, the Parcade.
Game on: Parcade brings family fun to Redwood City
Caitlin Stehr, Staff Writer • January 29, 2025

Part of Red Morton Park Armory in Redwood City was transformed into the Parcade, a vibrant pop-up arcade, bringing excitement to the winter...

Teams in New York conduct targeted enforcement operations resulting in multiple arrests. These arrests spark controversy nationwide.
Mass deportations spark controversy amongst high schoolers
Sumehra Esguerra, Staff Writer • January 29, 2025

As mass deportations begin in multiple cities around the United States, high schoolers find themselves embroiled in the controversy. Last...

A Girl Scout is holding a sign encouraging customers to buy Girl Scout Cookies. "I've seen some Girl Scout cookie booths have fun marketing techniques, like doing dances and singing songs," Shah said.
Girl Scouts of Northern California launch their 2025 cookie-selling season
Maya Kacholiya, Staff Writer • January 27, 2025

The Girl Scouts of Northern California recently launched their 2025 cookie-selling season by introducing new prices and flavors. The Girl...

Features
Editor-in-chief Jon Mays discusses salt ponds in Redwood City and Foster City for a reporter’s upcoming news story. Mays writes and edits for the San Mateo Daily Journal, which has had a “pretty consistent audience that has grown over time,” according to Mays.
Finding hope in between the lines
Noah Galatin, Staff Writer • January 24, 2025

Food services worker two, Mariana Pavon, scoops pasta into individual containers. Pavon cooked the pasta in a large pot and then poured a large can of tomato sauce on top before mixing it. Workers must ensure that the food is ready to eat and healthy, which the team ensures by taking the temperature of the food and using low-sodium pasta sauce.
Feeding and fueling futures
Jalen Wong, Staff Writer • January 23, 2025

It's pasta day, and by 9:30 a.m., the smell of meatballs and tomato sauce fills the air as sounds from large pots and pans ring the room. The...

A man walks by a homeless person on the corner of Sixth Street and Natoma Street in the SOMA District of San Francisco. The SOMA District has become a hotspot for crime in San Francisco, causing it to be overrun by many of the city's unhoused.
A former and current convict’s perspective on crime
Keegan Marlatt, Staff Writer • January 22, 2025

A man stands on the corner of Natoma and Sixth Street in the heart of the SOMA District, San Francisco. The man reaches for a needle, plunging...

Sports
Opinion
The current Supreme Court, as composed in 2022. Chief Justice John Roberts heads the court, which is composed of eight associate justices. "Setting a term of, say, 15 years would ensure that federal judges would not lose all touch with reality through decades of ivory tower existence. It would also provide a more regular and greater degree of turnover among the judges. Both developments would, in my view, be healthy ones," Roberts said.
Opinion: The Supreme Court needs term limits
Anna Ypodimatopoulou, Staff Writer • January 27, 2025
Opinion: Carlmont needs to change parking lot rules in order to reduce traffic
January 22, 2025
Opinion: Japan is not the perfect utopia
January 20, 2025
Opinion: If you’re old enough to fight, you’re old enough to drink
January 18, 2025
Satire: The Oppression Olympics
January 17, 2025
Entertainment
A Monopoly player adds the “Go to Jail” expansion pack to their preexisting board game. This expansion pack includes corruption and super corruption cards which allow players to steal each other's properties, buy properties for discounts, and get free properties. “This pack seems like it would be my favorite because a game with mischief seems more fun than the classic Monopoly game,” said Sophia Lee, a sophomore at Carlmont.
Monopoly rolls past ‘Go’ with new expansion packs
Ava Rafii, Staff Writer • January 27, 2025
Season two of "XO, Kitty" is available for streaming on Netflix as of Jan. 16. The show appeals to a teen audience and fans of the series' predecessor film, "To All the Boys I've Loved Before". The show's second season explores themes of friendship, romance, and self-realization.
‘XO Kitty:’ hugs, kisses, and the breakdown of Season 2
Jasmine Zelnis, Staff Writer • January 26, 2025
With 2024 officially marking 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), the media is noticing a shift in the game's popularity as D&D is pushed to more mainstream platforms. Evolving technologies are encouraging players to find innovative ways to play online while miles apart, but many feel traditional tabletop D&D will always be a favorite in the community. "The best way I have always found of describing the game is that you get to play through a book with your friends. A choose your own adventure you get to share with your table," said Carlmont teacher and D&D player of 20 years Travis Callan.
Dungeons & Dragons levels up to mainstream gaming
Gabrielle Charest, Staff Writer • January 22, 2025
Cartoons
Travel and going on vacations are romanticized in our culture as something to work towards and look forward to. Although the reason isn’t that people actually crave new experiences; they just want to escape the cycle of life that they exist in. Furthermore, this is another form of consumerism, rather than the well-known product overconsumption; this is “cultural consumerism.” Travel should not be as glorified as it is because a short-term visit may not improve the tourist’s life views or the preexisting ecosystem of the vacation spot.
Cartoon: Trivial trips
Leher Kawadia, Staff Writer • January 29, 2025
Budget cuts from the LAFD add fuel to the Palisades Fire. 17.4 million dollars was cut from the LAFD’s more than $800 million 2025 budget in June 2024 by Mayor Karen Bass, causing uproar amongst citizens and fire department officials alike. As the fire rages on, the budget cuts on the LAFD prevent many firefighters and other specialized rescue specialists from efficiently helping citizens and keeping equipment in high maintenance. Though many questions arise about reduced effectiveness in battling the fires, many also suspect that leadership in disarray and lack of organization contribute. To help continue to fight the wildfires in California, it’s crucial to maintain organization and give the most help that can be given to all survivors and those in need.
Cartoon: Adding fuel to the fire
Marlena Reinshagen, Staff Writer • January 29, 2025
In late 2024, Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork “Comedian” sold for 6.2 million dollars at an auction. The piece was simply a banana taped to a wall. Though the piece likely wasn’t meant to be taken seriously, hence its title, it has still sparked conversation and debate in the art community, as have many similarly simplistic modern art pieces. Modern art has become so minimal that the effort some pieces, like this one, take to make is so low it’s comical. There is a line between minimalism and low effort. Some modern artists have begun to cross into the low-effort territory while still categorizing their work as minimalistic and receiving the same revenue. This is unfair to artists who put time and effort into the symbolism of their pieces.
Cartoon: Modern art is rotting
Julia Cline, Staff Writer • January 29, 2025
Games
Quiz: Which Chinese zodiac animal are you?
Quiz: Which Chinese zodiac animal are you?
Jessica Li, Scot Scoop Editor • January 29, 2025
Crossword: Sunny side up
January 28, 2025
Trivia: Lunar New Year
January 27, 2025
Crossword: AP classes
January 24, 2025
Crossword: Animal Zodiac Signs
January 23, 2025
Trending Stories
1
With 2024 officially marking 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), the media is noticing a shift in the game's popularity as D&D is pushed to more mainstream platforms. Evolving technologies are encouraging players to find innovative ways to play online while miles apart, but many feel traditional tabletop D&D will always be a favorite in the community. "The best way I have always found of describing the game is that you get to play through a book with your friends. A choose your own adventure you get to share with your table," said Carlmont teacher and D&D player of 20 years Travis Callan.

Dungeons & Dragons levels up to mainstream gaming

2
Quiz: Are you more of a Glinda or an Elphaba?

Quiz: Are you more of a Glinda or an Elphaba?

3
"Beyoncé Bowl" is now available on the live streaming platform Netflix. "I get to watch this high quality performance whenever I want," said Hana Yamawaki. "It's revolutionary."

Beyoncé debuts 'Cowboy Carter' on Netflix’s 'Beyoncé Bowl'

4
Quiz: Which Jellycat are you?

Quiz: Which Jellycat are you?

5
A viewer selects the second season of "Squid Game" to watch within Netflix's Squid Game Collection. The highly-anticipated second season has dominated Netflix's Top 10 charts since its release on Dec. 26. "Season 2 is a lot more unpredictable than Season 1," said Katelyn Yee, a sophomore at Carlmont. "Unlike the first season, you can't really tell who's going to die and who's going to survive."

'Squid Game' Season 2 tops charts with global impact

Campus
Students attend the most recent Reach Out hangout with a campfire theme. Each of the hangouts planned have a specific theme that the organizers follow to create more variety in their events.
Reach Out Hangouts encourage personal connection among students
Zara Smith, Staff Writer • January 28, 2025
Carlmont's freshman girls' soccer team huddles up in preparation for a big game. "We work well together as a team. We all feel confident in each other and are there to support each other when needed," said Callie Hernandez, the girl's freshman team captain.
Freshman girls soccer season comes to a close
Nathan Gonzales, Staff Writer • January 28, 2025
Students competing in the Virtual Business Challenge (VBC) learn the importance of time management skills and adequate teamwork. "Being in a team is crucial because VBC is very time consuming and takes a lot of work, so it's very important that you manage with your team," said Jayden Lee, a junior.
DECA virtual business challenges turn setbacks into comebacks
Jessica Sun, Staff Writer • January 23, 2025
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Podcasts
The Highlander
Editorials
Despite an ever-growing health and wellness industry, the United States still has the 20th-highest obesity rate in the world. With factors like exercise out of institutions' control, re-evaluating the nutritional labeling system toward more transparency is imperative for a more health-conscious future.
Editorial: The United States needs an overhaul of its nutritional labels
Editorial Staff • January 28, 2025

Scots Media (@scot.scoop) • Instagram photos and videos

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