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
Sean Vanderaa

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer

Sean Vanderaa is a senior and plays baseball at Carlmont. He enjoys the outdoors, has a pet cat named Vincent and spends the majority of his free time on Netflix. He is an editor for The Highlander and writes for Scot Scoop.

Twitter: @seanpvanderaa

Journalism Portfolio: https://seanvanderaa.weebly.com/

 

All content by Sean Vanderaa
'Extremely Wicked' captures the horrors of Ted Bundy's life through a captivating performance by Zac Efron.

‘Extremely wicked, shockingly evil and vile’ lives up to its name

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • May 30, 2019

Netflix's new movie, "Extremely wicked, shockingly evil and vile" intricately displays the psychological torment and deception behind Ted Bundy, a serial killer who killed over 30 women in the late 1900s. I...

"The Perfect Date" is an awkward, cliché-ridden film that inaccurately portrays high school students.

‘The Perfect Date’ falls short of perfection

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • May 15, 2019

Although "The Perfect Date" was the number two most-streamed movie in the U.K., its clichés and overall lacking plot substance made it a tough movie to get through. The movie follows Brooks Radigan,...

Jordan Peele creates yet another great horror thriller that is sure to grab its viewers' attention from the get-go.

The horror appeal of ‘Us’ is degraded by its humor

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • April 17, 2019

Jordan Peele has done it again with another brilliantly shot film comprising of a predominately black cast. The premise of the movie and the overall horror aspect of it are also amazingly done, although...

"Sex Education" is a semi-realistic representation of high school with an entertaining twist.

“Sex Education” is an interesting take on the high school experience

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • March 5, 2019

For a show that discusses the intricacies of sex alongside high school life, "Sex Education" does a surprisingly good job of tying the two together in a comical and well-written series. Considering...

Jake Kennedy, a senior, throws up a shot after getting fouled by a Woodside player.

Boys varsity basketball domesticates Woodside Wildcats

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • January 28, 2019

Cheers echoed throughout the gym as the clock wound down on the Carlmont Scots' eighth league match against the Woodside Wildcats. The Scots (7–1) were leading the Wildcats (0–8) by a score of 75–34...

Jake Kennedy, a senior, jumps up for a shot against Hillsdale in the first quarter.

Boys varsity basketball knocks Hillsdale Knights off their steeds

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • December 10, 2018

The Hillsdale Knights charged into battle on Thursday night hoping to defeat Carlmont boys varsity basketball, only to be defeated 60-42 in a non-league joust. Hillsdale took the first lead of the...

Jayden Kuhn, a senior, runs the ball through the Wildcat defense.

Seniors are honored at the Homecoming game

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • November 4, 2018

As the night came to a close, the Carlmont Scots beat the Woodside Wildcats by 41-6 in the largest victory the football team had seen all year. This night, however, wasn't just about the game. Before...

Alisha Mitha, a junior, spikes the ball against the Burlingame Panthers in the fifth set.

Girls varsity volleyball narrowly defeats Burlingame

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • October 21, 2018

After a tense back-and-forth throughout the five sets between the Carlmont Scots (9-5) and the Burlingame Panthers (6-8), the Scots were able to pull away with a win. "Coming into this game we knew...

The Scots celebrate in preparation for the game.

Girls varsity volleyball falls to Menlo-Atherton

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • October 5, 2018

After four tight matches, the Menlo-Atherton (M-A) Bears took the win over the Carlmont Scots, bringing the Scots' record to 5-4. The Bears took the first lead of the game, but a missed serve and a...

Sophomore Leah McMillen jumps to get a kill against the Burlingame Panthers.

Girls varsity volleyball sweeps Panthers

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • September 26, 2018

Three matches were all it took for the girls' varsity volleyball team to take the win against the Burlingame Panthers, advancing their record to 4-3. The Panthers took the first lead of the game, but...

Carlmont circles up during a timeout called by the Dons.

Girls varsity volleyball wins first league game

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • September 7, 2018

Four thrilling matches were all it took for the Carlmont girls' varsity volleyball team to take the win over Aragon High School. The first match got off to a great start for the Scots. Led by Elizabeth...

'Big Mouth' is a hilarious show about the troubles of middle school life.

‘Big Mouth’ is a humorous and entertaining new show

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • May 21, 2018

'Big Mouth,' a relatively new release on to Netflix, follows the lives of four middle school students and how they deal with the difficulties of puberty. With interesting animation and even more intriguing...

Brad Peyton delivers a mindless but entertaining film with his new 'Rampage.'

‘Rampage’ pushes through mediocre ratings

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • May 17, 2018

Based off of a 1986 arcade video game, 'Rampage' features stunning special effects and time-appropriate humor. However, this is mashed together with a ridiculous plot and unrealistic events. With a...

'Truth or Dare' is a non-frightening horror movie with a poorly executed concept revolving around a childhood game.

‘Truth or Dare’ fails to scare audience

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • April 24, 2018

For a movie that's main focus is horror, 'Truth or Dare' leaves the audience unfrightened and bored. 'Truth or Dare' has received a 4.4/10 from IMDb and a 15 percent from Rotten Tomatoes. The premise...

'Game Over, Man!' is a mindless movie with a poor plot and unfunny humor.

‘Game Over, Man!’ struggles to meet low expectations

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • April 14, 2018

Just by the trailer, it was easy to see that 'Game Over, Man!' would be a joke of a movie. A movie with weak comedy and poor entertainment, 'Game Over, Man!' stars Adam DeVine, Blake Anderson, and...

'Black Panther' breaks the traditional roles of modern society whilst also giving out a strong and entertaining movie.

‘Black Panther’ breaks barriers and sets records

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • March 18, 2018

'Black Panther' brought, for the first time, a strong black superhero to the spotlight, and did so in a record-breaking fashion. So far, 'Black Panther' has already pulled in $1.2 billion and has replaced...

'Game Night' is a thrilling and humorous film starring many famous actors.

‘Game Night’ is surprisingly funny

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • February 26, 2018

A group of friends with a weekly tradition of game night are thrown head first into a murder party that quickly takes a turn for the worst. Although nowadays many comedies are fake and have first-grade...

'Black Mirror' features new actors every episode and shows viewers their visions for the future.

New ‘Black Mirror’ season continues its odd yet intriguing theme

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • February 2, 2018

The end of the world. A completely immersive dating machine. Overprotective parents. All this and more is brought out in season four of 'Black Mirror.' On Dec. 29, 2017, Netflix launched its fourth...

'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan.

‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ is a pleasure to watch

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • January 22, 2018

With an acting lineup starring Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black, "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" was bound to be entertaining, and thanks to director Jake Kasdan, it was more than...

Houses on Eucalyptus Street are already prepared for Christmas on Nov. 26.

[Photo] Christmas comes earlier every year

Editorial Staff • November 27, 2017

Houses on Eucalyptus Street are already prepared for Christmas on Nov. 26.

Sandpiper Elementary School is attempting to expand their campus in order to try to accommodate the influx of people enrolling at their school.

Sandpiper Elementary School plans to expand

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • May 25, 2017

In late May, a proposal is set to come before city officials to discuss the expansion of Sandpiper Elementary School in Redwood Shores. The plan would increase the size of the campus and accommodate an...

In a 4 to 1 vote, the San Carlos City Council declared San Carlos a "sanctuary city."

[Photo] San Carlos declares itself a sanctuary city

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • March 16, 2017

In a 4 to 1 vote, the San Carlos City Council declared San Carlos a "sanctuary city."

Greg Long surfs a massive wave at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay.

Mavericks cancelled due to bankruptcy

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • February 17, 2017

The surfing world is in shock after the cancellation of a top-tier surfing event, the Titans of Mavericks. On Feb. 3, Cartel Management and its related entity, Titans of Mavericks, filed for bankruptcy...

Baggage and textbooks waiting to be taken to the airport for a semester abroad.

Studying abroad immerses students in new cultures

Sean Vanderaa, Staff Writer • February 8, 2017

For many high school students, the decision of where to go to college is hard, as there are many different options. One of the most difficult is whether or not to study abroad, in a culture and language...

Sean Vanderaa

[Photo] Sean Vanderaa

February 6, 2017

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