• December 2Football to compete 2:00 P.M. on Saturday at Lewisville, Basketball to play Heritage at 3:00 P.M. on Friday
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The Student Voice of Prosper High School

Eagle Nation Online
The Student Voice of Prosper High School

Eagle Nation Online
The Student Voice of Prosper High School

Eagle Nation Online
Kalyani Rao

Kalyani Rao, Executive Editor-in-Chief

Kalyani Rao is a senior. This is her third year as a staff member on Eagle Nation Online, and her first year as Executive Editor-in-Chief. She writes to transform the lives of the people around her, and hopes to continue to bring her own charm to ENO. She loves hamsters, and her favorite place in the world is Auckland, New Zealand.

Honors, Experience and Awards:

5 Best of Sno publications.

5th place in Copy Editing, district UIL meet 2021

Honorable mention- Podcast interview, 2021 TAJE Fall Fiesta

UIL Journalist 2020-2021, 2021-2022

Quill and Scroll Society member 2021-2022

1st place in Copy Editing for CENTEX UIL meet 2021-2022

3rd place in Copy Editing for Aubrey UIL meet 2022

2nd place in Copy Editing for NorTex UIL District meet 2022

National Silver award for poetry from the Scholastic Art & Writing organization

National Recognition Award from College Board

AP Scholar with Distinction Award

2 Best in Texas News & Broadcast Awards, 2022: Personal Opinion Column- Honorable Mention, News Story- Honorable Mention

President of the Classic Book Club, 2020-onwards

Member of the National Spanish Honors Society (NSHS)

Member of the Indian Student Association (ISA)

PHS Award for Academic Excellence in Newspaper II, 2022

Dean’s Scholarship for Cornell University Pre -College Program

Sibley Scholarship for Brown University Pre -College Program

CIEE Global Navigator Scholarship

All content by Kalyani Rao
Sitting next to a small Christmas tree and santa hat, freshman Ximena Castro’s french horn reflects the tree’s lights. The Prosper Band will have their holiday concert Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Multiple bands will be performing in the concert.

Eagle Brief Dec. 1 — 8

December 1, 2022
Senior reviewer Kalyani Rao listens to Damage by Fit For Rivals on Spotify, surrounded by album covers from different albums created throughout the 2000s up until the present, focusing on the emo rock, post-hardcore and pop-punk genres. Rao collected these album covers together to represent her love of emo and rock music, and the review below highlights selected songs from the albums above. Ive always loved rock music, and a lot of emo bands are technically rock bands, Rao said. I want to share my love for these genres, in hopes of appealing to people who wouldnt usually listen to these genres, or are interested but dont know where to get started.

Nostalgia review: Pop punk, emo classics evoke sentiments for ‘underrated subculture’

November 28, 2022
Arms raised, senior Adam Due celebrates a successful pass block. The bi-district game was hosted at Childrens Health Stadium Nov. 18. The Eagles won 28-3 against Plano Senior. The team looks to face off against South Grand Prairie Nov. 18 at Choctaw Stadium.

Eagle Brief Nov. 21 — 27

November 17, 2022
In the attached article, senior Kalyani Rao reviews the debut album Past Lives by L.S. Dunes, which came out Nov. 11. The bands make-up includes members from popular emo rock and post-hardcore bands such as Circa Survive and Saosins Anthony Green and My Chemical Romances Frank Iero. I really enjoyed this album overall, Rao said. I like Frank Ieros solo work, so I tuned in immediately when I heard about L.S. Dunes. The sound of this album isnt exactly reminiscent of his albums, but its incredibly good.

Review: L.S. Dunes releases debut album Nov. 11, defining unique sound

November 14, 2022
While fans thrash together, lead singer and guitarist, Tyler Ross plays a solo from the song, ‘Flush’ from Laredo Two’s new EP ‘Poison’. Debuting the bands three new songs released Aug. 27, fans from all over the DFW area united together in Flower Mound for the bands biggest show yet at Thrash Fest Aug. 24. The trio will be playing at DV8 in Plano, Tx Dec. 11. “My favorite part of Laredo Two’s shows is the unity within the audience, photographer Gracie Archibeque said. “It truly feels like a big family”.

Eagle Brief Nov. 14 — 20

November 10, 2022
Pictured above are fishing team members Ben Hurbough, Carter Evans, Hayden Chase alongside their coach. The Prosper fishing team presented their first-place trophy to Mr. Jones Oct. 20. The team brought in 1st out of 49 other high schools in the North Texas Division; the total teams were 240. This was on Lake Lewisville. The team will be meeting tonight, and their next tournament is Nov. 12 on Lake Ray Roberts.

Eagle Brief Nov. 7 — 13

November 3, 2022
The PHS Eagle Production Group went to New York City for the All American High School Film Festival this last week and returned to Prosper with multiple awards and nominations. The festival is the largest high school film festival in the world, with thousands of entries and competitors from over 40 countries. The students attended the awards show in the historic Kings Theater in Brooklyn.

Eagle Brief Oct. 31 — Nov. 6

October 27, 2022
Pictured above are members of and outside of the Prosper community at the school board meeting held Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. The board met to discuss concerns brought up related to zoning boundaries, and decide on a finalized plan. The new zoning plan included expanding Walnut Grove attendance boundaries to Tucker Hill.

Eagle Brief Oct. 24 — 30

October 20, 2022
As they listen to Dr. Greg Bradley, board members Jorden Dial, Dena Dixon and superindendent Holly Ferguson of Prosper ISD school board watch as Bradley goes through a slideshow regarding zoning boundaries, with district superintendent Holly Ferguson sitting to the far right of the other two members pictured. The board met Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. to discuss concerns brought up related to zoning boundaries, and decide on a finalized plan. I came from Prosper High School to open Rock Hill as the new administrator, and I think opening new schools is awesome, lead assistant principal at Rock Hill High School, Melissa Weiss, said. It provides more opportunities for students — obviously things are shiny and new in the beginning, but Prosper High has an awesome building, and Rock Hill is still amazing. I think that change is inevitable, and with a district thats growing at the rate that ours is, we have to open new schools.

School board approves ‘Walnut Grove’ zoning

October 18, 2022
In the hallway of Prosper High School, a banner with the school colors and initials blows in the air above students as they walk to class. As the year progresses into the second 9 weeks, PHS students attend different events at the school, such as Open House night and the club fair. Senior quotes are due Oct. 28, and CADY took senior portraits at PHS Friday, Oct. 14.

Eagle Brief Oct. 17 — 23

October 13, 2022
Flowers in hand, senior Evan Bish and Stormie Stevens win homecoming king and queen. The homecoming football game was on Friday, Sept. 30 against the Little Elm High School Lobos. Prosper won 59-6.

Eagle Brief Oct. 10 – 16

October 5, 2022
Above, the frontman and singer of My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way, sings onstage. In the bottom right photo, brother and guitarist Mikey Way accompanies Gerard Way. In the attached column, writer – and fan – Kalyani Rao reviews the concert and shares her own pre-event preparations. The concert was incredible, Rao said. They played some of my absolute favorite songs, including Na Na Na, Boy Division and Famous Last Words.

Column: Come with me to the My Chemical Romance concert

October 4, 2022
The collage above combines photos of choir director Crystal Chamberlain, principal Nicholas Jones, assistant principal Lute Croy and coach Brandon Womack. Three out of the four leaders are new this year, apart from Chamberlain, and they have spoken about their passions, as well as excitement regarding their work and Prosper High School. “This high school is the best high school in the district, Jones said. We have the best kids in the district, and we are very proud of that.”

[Photo] Administration, teachers transform Prosper ISD

October 12, 2022
AP Macroeconomics and AP European History teacher Michael Craft watches a video update on Walnut Grove at his desk. Craft anticipates the opening of the school, and believes it could be a good opportunity for Prosper High School students and staff. As a teacher, my priority is that I have the opportunity to teach the things that I love the most and be able to share that love with students, Craft said. I love Prosper High School, but with the changing dynamic and the number of kids (growing), theres no question that we need a third school. If theres a legitimate opportunity to teach classes there that I have the opportunity to teach here, (that would be great).

Breaking news: ‘Walnut Grove’ high school to open ahead of schedule, proposed zoning announced

September 30, 2022
Students walk through the cafeteria entrance of Prosper High School. Balloons and other decorations hang from the walls and ceiling to celebrate Homecoming Week. The Homecoming parade took place Wednesday, Sept. 28, and the game took place Friday, Sept. 30.

Eagle Brief Oct. 3 – 9

September 30, 2022
Standing before a roomful of students, director Crystal Chamberlain guides the varsity mixed choir through a musical piece. This year will be Chamberlains sixth at PHS and her third as the choir director. “This year, our program is growing,” Chamberlain said. “And, so we really want to showcase the students, and make sure everyone knows how amazing they are and can be a part of what were doing.

Choir director looks back, forward at accomplishments

September 27, 2022
Posters supporting different sports teams decorate the upper level of Prosper High School. The first row of posters reads PHS water polo, football and tennis, and the lower row reads volleyball, swim and dive, and we heart our band. Ninth A Volleyball, and JV Volleyball will play against Allen Sept. 27 at 5:30 p.m. Students can learn more about these events and others in the attached Eagle Brief article.

Eagle Brief Sept. 26 – Oct. 2

September 22, 2022
Russia invaded Ukraine Feb. 24, 2022 — although the Russo-Ukrainian war was informally started in 2014. Heres what you need to know, almost 7 months later. I think this issue is still relevant, and we should continue to raise awareness about the ongoing war, Model UN President sophomore Anisha Mandem said. Although the topic is not being discussed as much in mainstream media, the effects of the war have led to a change in the lifestyle of the people in Ukraine. Especially now that Ukraine is fighting back and may potentially win the war, I think it is important to stay up to date on these current issues. Graphic courtesy of Canva.

Locals speak as Russia-Ukraine war extends into 7th month

September 21, 2022
Students on the Prosper Speech and Debate team competed this past weekend at Princeton High School. Junior Kaya Miller placed 3rd in congressional debate, President and junior James Kim placed 7th in congressional debate, and sophomore Erica Smith placed 5th in Prose Interpretation. Debate is a creative outlet for me where I can express my thoughts and challenge myself to have meaningful conversations about topics foreign to me, Kim said. My favorite part about the Princeton tournament and essentially every tournament are the people I am able to meet through competing. I still keep in contact with them and we exchange ideas over our shared hobby of debate. Debate students are somewhat like-minded so it’s just a great opportunity to meet people you can bond with. Photo courtesy of Romi Shamir.

Eagle Brief Sept. 19 – 25

September 15, 2022
A board posted in the hallway of PHS is covered in colorful sticky notes in the shape of a heart. Positive messages are written on each sticky note. The week of Sep. 5 — 9 was suicide prevention week, and spirit days such as pajama day were designed to create awareness of the event.

Eagle Brief Sept. 12 – 18

September 8, 2022
Junior varsity girls member and freshman Evelyn Ohlmeyer runs during the cross country meet Aug. 27. Varsity cross country teams competed at the Southlake Carroll Cross Country meet against 93 other teams. The attached article includes all sports events held each week.

Eagle Brief Sept. 5 – 11

September 1, 2022
In the attached column, writer Kalyani Rao shares that bats are extraordinarily valuable to the agriculture industry. In Texas alone, bats eat enough insects to save producers over $1.4 billion annually in just pest control costs. Currently, more than 15 bat species in the United States are currently listed as federally endangered, threatened or under review in the candidate or petition process under the Endangered Species Act. The above graphic was made using Canva.

Column: Bats — misunderstood animal faces endangerment, extinction

August 31, 2022
Students walk from the portables to the main building of Prosper High School. It is the third official week of the 2022-2023 school year. Passing period is still seven minutes long, although some portable teachers are letting students out a few minutes early.

Eagle Brief: Aug. 29 – Sep. 4

August 25, 2022
New Prosper High School principal Nicholas Jones gives a welcome speech at Meet the Eagles. Jones is a UT Austin alum. Before coming to Prosper High School, Jones was the principal of Hays Middle School.

Eagle Brief: Aug. 22 – 26

August 18, 2022
Students walk through the hallways of Prosper High School on the first day of school, Aug. 10. The daily school-wide schedule has been changed from last years. The school day will now start at 8:45 a.m. and end at 4:10 p.m.

Eagle Brief: August 15 – 19

August 11, 2022
A digitally constructed image introduces this weeks weather brief. Next week will be mostly sunny with no rain. Average temperatures stay around 95 degrees Fahrenheit, dropping to high 80s on Sunday after potential rain showers.

Weather Brief: May 16 – 22

May 16, 2022
Set together, junior reporter Kalyani Raos three study books for the U.S. History, AP Art History and AP Spanish Language and Culture exams are pictured. Study books, although not free, are not very costly. Amazon offers many at decent prices.

Column: Study tips to ace upcoming AP exams

April 29, 2022
A graphic introduces this weeks weather brief. Temperatures will drop to mid-70s for the first half of the week. After Wednesday, temperatures rise to mid-80s with a mix of sunny and cloudy weather.

Weather Brief: April 25 – May 1

April 25, 2022
A graphic introduces this weeks weather brief. Temperatures will start high and end low, according to the Weather Channel. Rain is expected Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, but skies will be clear by Wednesday afternoon.

Weather Brief: April 19 – 24

April 19, 2022
An infographic made on Canva by junior and reporter Kalyani Rao summarizes the new developments of the Russia-Ukraine war. Five weeks after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, more than four million refugees have fled Ukraine – almost 10% of the population. Most have fled to neighboring countries in the European Union, with over two million seeking safety in Poland.

Analysis Follow-Up: Russia-Ukraine war continues

April 4, 2022
A classic collection of short stories written by L.M. Montgomery, Along the Shore was published after her death in 1990. This collection connects stories of characters whose first love is ultimately the ocean. In it, Montgomery captures the haunting beauty and drama of living on Prince Edward Island surrounded by the sea.

Review: ‘Cottagecore’ – Books from the past to read this spring

March 28, 2022
For Spring Break, junior Kalyani Rao went to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, a small colonial town from the 17th century. Cobblestone streets and detailed buildings were the highlight of her trip. The sunset there was also one of the most beautiful ones she said shes seen.

[Photo] Students share Spring Break activities

March 15, 2022
In Fort Worth, Texas, protesters stand against the Russia-Ukraine war. With a sign that reads No War - Glory to Ukraine, Ukrainian mother Elizaveta Gryshchenko, mother of freshman Sofia Ayala, stands tall. I am so heartbroken to see all of these people go through this tragedy. My country and my family suffering, Gryshchenko said. I can’t imagine how all of these innocent children and people have to go through this.

Ukraine under attack as Russian troops advance into Kyiv

March 3, 2022
In figure skating’s team event last week, Valieva became the first female skater to land a quadruple jump at the Olympics, and her performances in the short program and free skate helped the Russian Olympic Committee win the gold medal. The International Testing Agency (ITA) confirmed that she tested positive on Feb. 8 for the banned substance trimetazidine, a heart medication, from a test taken in December. Medals were delayed as the Olympic committee debated whether she should receive the gold medal she earned. (Ice rink photo courtesy of Wikimedias Creative Commons.)

Olympics permit Kamila Valieva to compete

February 24, 2022
Focusing past the air pollution, junior Kalyani Rao captures the night sky from August 10 2021. I got incredibly lucky to end up with a photo that showed off the stars in such an incredible manner, Rao said. I saw a TikTok video on how to take really good photos of the night sky - you just need to have a good camera and know how to edit the exposure and black point. I just turned up the exposure, black point, and contrast until the outlines of the stars started to show. I was beyond excited that it actually worked, since its hard to get good amateur photos of the stars now because of air pollution.

Analysis: Strides in space – NASA shares latest achievements

February 16, 2022
Women choose to wear a hijab for many reasons, but the main reason is that the hijab allows them to retain their modesty, morals and freedom of choice. They choose to cover themselves because, for them, it is liberating, and the hijab allows them to avoid harassment and unwanted attention from men. It is also a symbol of their relationship with God and with their faith. Images used were taken from ShutterStock and inminds.co.uk with the understanding that they are available for editorial usage.

Editorial: Women should have the right to wear a hijab – anywhere

February 1, 2022
A closed girls restroom stands in the math hallway. Administrators originally closed the restrooms because of damage from the devious lick TikTok trend, where users defaced school restrooms for video content. Principal Dr. John Burdett has said that he hasnt seen any reports of bathroom vandalization after the school closed the bathrooms. As of now, there are no plans to reopen the closed bathrooms.

Restrooms to remain closed, leaving 1 set per core-class section open

January 31, 2022
Above, Kalyani captured the low-light atmosphere of her room while she writes. Recently, shes had a love for taper candles and the old-fashioned vibe that they give to her writing atmosphere. I like journaling, Rao said. Its an easy way to wind down after a long day.

Opinion: Forgotten penpalling hobby brings teenagers across oceans together

January 19, 2022
Above, fruits and vegetables sit in a bowl in the sun. The Grow-your-own-food movement, also known as the Grow Your Own Movement, has always existed, but the COVID-19 pandemic has seen it grow more rapidly than before. Due to product shortages, people are becoming more interested in being self-sustainable and growing their own fruits and veggies.

Opinion: Grow-your-own-food movement increases self-sufficiency for Americans

January 18, 2022
Around the podcast table, seniors Christi Norris, Alyssa Clark, Gabriella Winans and Amanda Hare record Episode 6 of their Over the Popcorn Bowl podcast. In the podcast series, they discuss and review movies. In this episode, they shared their favorite holiday movie and popular holiday movies. (Photos by Kalyani Rao, digitally constructed image by Amanda Hare, icons courtesy of Vectors Market and Pixel Perfect).

[Photo] Over The Popcorn Bowl - Season 1 - Episode 6 - Holiday Special

December 17, 2021
The digitally constructed image above shows the movie trailer for Thappad on a blazing background. Thappad, which means the slap in Hindi, is an Indian drama film that surrounds the decisions of three women after main character Amrita is slapped in the face by her husband at a party. The movie is a very emotional look into the thoughts and feelings of a woman who is wondering whether she deserves to live a life of unhappiness, junior Kalyani Rao said. I felt like I knew these women and their stories intimately by the end of the movie.

Review: ‘Thappad’ portrays how domestic violence shapes lives of women

December 8, 2021
A FujiFilm FinePix digital camera image blends into a photo of the sunset, taken by Kalyani Rao. The camera screen holds a photo taken earlier of stuffed animals and a plant in a vase. I love taking photos of small things, junior Kalyani Rao said. It just makes me happy to capture moments in time.

Column: Photography helps junior view world through rose-colored glasses

December 7, 2021
Driving a toy car, senior Riley Smith heads to second period. Students joined together Nov. 19 for “Bring Anything But A Backpack day, bringing items from shopping carts to toy vehicles. “I thought it would be a fast way to get to class, Smith said. “And, its just fun.

‘Bring Anything But A Backpack’ day sparks creativity in students

November 29, 2021
Pictured next to various flowers are two perfumes, Chanels Gabrielle and Diors Miss Dior, two of Kalyani Raos favorite perfumes. The Gabrielle perfume is one of the first perfumes I ever bought, Rao said. I found out about it all the way back in 2015, when I heard Kristen Stewart had recently become a Chanel ambassador. I loved her, so of course I had to save up and buy the perfume that she was the face of. On the other hand, the mini Miss Dior sample is one of my new favorites. I love the subtle floral scent.

Column: Perfume through ages, self-confidence from scents

November 16, 2021
Due to COVID-19, a few large Diwali festivals were canceled this year. Kalyani Rao, the author of this article, ended up celebrating Diwali inside her house. She created this small portable altar for Lakshmi puja, using a tea light, varieties of garden flowers, a pear and grains of basmati rice as prashadam, aka an offering, for the goddess Lakshmi. The gathering also includes incense sticks and coins. A picture of Lakshmi sitting on her lotus flower rests in front of the offering plate, decorated with flowers at the base.

Column: Diwali – Here’s what to know about Hindu festival of lights

November 5, 2021
A black and white painting of a pelican rests upon a wicker cabinet. Two delicate hand painted clay pots sit beside the painting. This simple room decor is a style typical to the minimalist principles of home decor. Minimalism clears your space and creates an environment where energy can flow through purposefully empty space, writer and junior Kalyani Rao said. its all about using what you have and appreciating the small things in life.

Opinion: Minimalism, benefits of simple living

November 3, 2021
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