• Urinetown Wins Cappies "Ensemble of the Year"
  • SJHHS Theatre Arts Wins Cappies "Play of the Year" for Animal Farm
  • "Every 15 Minutes": Held on April 22nd / 23rd.
  • Prom 2025 - "Top Gun" - Tickets on Sale Now in the ASB Office and Webstore. $95 w/ ASB Ticket and $105 w/o.
The story of San Juan as told by its students

The Express
The story of San Juan as told by its students

The Express
The story of San Juan as told by its students

The Express
Kaiah MacLeod

Kaiah MacLeod, Staff Writer

Kaiah MacLeod is a Sophomore at San Juan Hills High School and is excited for her second year on The Express. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, playing scrabble with her dad and grandma, baking cheesecake, and watching movies that she reviews on Letterboxd. In the next three years, she wants to continue developing her two self-founded clubs, keep up good grades, and get more experience in cinema. At her future university, Kaiah plans on pursuing Film and English, as well as being a big time film director long-term.

All content by Kaiah MacLeod
There are both pros and cons for being on and off social media. In this graphic, the left represents the effects of being socially online, while on the right it represents being offline. Each life comes with its own challenges and positive outcomes.

[Photo] Life On vs. Off Social Media

Audrey Tillotson, Staff Writer
May 23, 2025
Alongside assistant teacher Mr. Anderson, physics student Connor Leycauf (11) sets up his self-made bottle rocket as one of his final projects of the year. Physics classes are instructed to build rockets out of 1L bottles to demonstrate multiple laws of physics and pressurization.

[Photo] Stallion Roundup 5/5 – 5/23

Sydney Hogancamp and Sofia Bello
May 23, 2025
The owners of Alohana Acai Bowls & Coffee, Robert OQuinn, Lucy Williamson, and Casey Rydzeski, stand outside their Capistrano Beach location. Small businesses such as this one have been impacted by the recent tariffs imposed by President Trump. According to OQuinn, he has seen the cost go up on basic necessities such as “bowls, fruit, and acai.”

New Tariffs Pose Threat to Small Businesses

Kaiah MacLeod, Staff Writer
May 14, 2025
Isabella Padilla (11) hypes up the crowd during the Clash of Classes pep rally. Performing with the SJHHS pep squad, she shows her school spirit by wearing purple to represent the junior class of 2026.

Clash of Classes Slideshow

Reese Whitehead and Kaiah MacLeod
April 4, 2025
Conductor Dean McElroy guides his group of Symphony Orchestra musicians through the final songs of their music festival evening. In focus, senior Jason Wright alongside his fellow cello section and the entire orchestra stage finished their last piece, the Hungarian March by H. Berlioz.

[Photo] Stallion Round Up 3/17-3/28

Sofia Bello, Sydney Hogancamp, and Domenica Peloso
March 30, 2025
Celebrating counselor appreciation week, guidance advisors from left to right, Mayra Luna, Lisa Cassarino, Kathleen Levinson, Carley Yegsigian, Justin Elenes, Kasey Kessler, and Maureen Scherf, all come together to spread their love for their jobs and students.

Appreciating the Impact of School Counselors

Kaiah MacLeod, Staff Writer
March 14, 2025
Where a celebrity goes, paparazzi follows. The growth of celebrity culture has led to a rise in these notorious photographers, known for invading the personal space and boundaries of famous individuals. While there are paparazzi that engage with celebrities respectively, often their pursuit to snag a photo can lead to objectifying behaviors in how they capture their photos, and even what they capture. The violating nature of paparazzi is heavily targeted towards young female celebrities, including Emma Watson and Chappell Roan who have both spoken out upon this issue.

The Price of Fame

Kaiah MacLeod, Staff Writer
February 28, 2025
During the final minutes of the boys basketball game against Tesoro High School, Jake Strand (12) attempts to tie up a close score of 57-61. Blocked by the Tesoro defense, SJHHS offence continues to bypass the defense and to score.

[Photo] Stallion Round Up 2/3-2/12

Claire Stafford and Gabriella Bello
February 19, 2025
After everyone dies of thirst due to the lack of control over water consumption, the cast joins for one last pose.

[Photo] Urinetown the Musical in Photos

February 10, 2025
MacLeod - Urinetown 8

Performing their prepared routine Free, the beginning intermediate dance group including Charlotte Paxton (9), Hannah Sedgwick (11), Alex McNutt (9), Lila Jackson (10), Elie Degroot (10), Holly Brando (11), Queanna Nguyen (11), and Audrey Chi (10), all take off their propped costume for the crowning end of their dance as a metaphorical symbol of breaking free from conformity.

Fusion: Winter Dance Showcase

Kaiah MacLeod, Cadence Henss
December 6, 2024
Beginning from left to right, Ruby Baker (11), Summer Rice (10), Holly Brosch (10), Ellie Iwamoto (10), Zoe Pollei (11), Ellie Johnson (10), Amelia Mui (12), Daphne McMillan (10), and Kayla Tran (12), carry out a choreographed modern styled dance, Reactor, with abstract contemporary movements and formations during the 2024 Winter Fusion Show.

[Photo] Stallion Round-Up 11/15 – 12/6

Sofia Bello and Sydney Hogancamp
December 7, 2024
Multi-sport high school athletes are among the busiest of all and the most driven, balancing between academics, family, friends and sports.

[Photo] Multi-Sport Student Athletes: Juggling Sports, School and Life

Audrey Tillotson, Staff Writer
December 6, 2024
Hair dye isn’t just about changing your appearance, but about continuing your self-journies and embracing your personal transformation. Each bottle represents a different color, signifying new chapters and hair psychlogy, which is a bold step toward discovering who you truly are.

Dyeing For a Change: An Inner Rebirth

Kaiah MacLeod, Staff Writer
November 15, 2024
Beginning level dance (BLD) classes, grades 9-12, focus on their big multi-person lift in their current lyrical dance unit. Four students in each group create a triangle shaped position and simultaneously raise their “flier”, Callie Hirt (9), up in the air. All BLD students must implement this lift at some point during their choreographed routine.

[Photo] Stallion Round-Up 10/21-11/4

Sofia Bello, Arts & Entertainment Editor
November 3, 2024
Filmmaking inaccuracies have faced prominent feedback, most often towards directors, for altering and misusing their creative powers to emphasize their artistic message. This has become a popular issue generally concerning historical or real-life entertainment that’s over-dramatized, resulting in misrepresentation and untrue adaptations.

Inaccurate Interpretations Among Film Directors

Kaiah MacLeod, Staff Writer
October 20, 2024
Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) decides to take “The Substance”, a cell-replicating serum that literally creates a better and younger version of herself, because she is no longer appreciated in the industry due to her age. “REMEMBER YOU ARE ONE” represents the repeated phrase for Sparkle and her replicated self that developed this biological horror film.

The Substance: A Gripping Tale of Body Horror and Scientific Cinema

Kaiah MacLeod and Caoimhin Grothe-Brinton
October 20, 2024
Being a student athlete working towards being a college athlete is time-consuming and challenging. The journey is challenging, but it is also rewarding in the end.

In July 2024, California became the first state to prohibit school districts from outing students without their consent. It is important to remember that school should be a safe space for all students. By spreading kindness and showing inclusivity to all, we can make a difference.

New Law Bans Outing of Students

Kaiah MacLeod, Staff Writer
October 4, 2024
Pep rally MC Zack Smith (12) celebrates his win after a previous push-up contest with a randomly selected crowd member. He roamed around the center of the rally arena, glorifying his win and the Homecoming theme as Mr. Incredible.

Conductor Dean McElroy leads San Juan Hills’ Chamber Orchestra through their collective musical performance. Alongside Symphony Orchestra, Concert Orchestra, Intermediate, and more, they played for a full audience in the theater.

[Photo] Stallion Roundup 3/11-3/22

Maureen Pike and Claire Stafford
March 22, 2024
Cadence Henss (9) takes a break from class during early morning storms. As she walks through a vast number of puddles, she holds the orange vest representing E building.

[Photo] Stallion Roundup 1/29- 2/9

Maureen Pike
February 9, 2024
Love bombing is a manipulation concept that can be used in any form of a relationship. If you or someone you know experience the dangers of love bombing, call 1.800.799.7233, TTY 1.800.787.3224, or chat National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org.

[Photo] Love Bombing: Affection Becomes Manipulation

Caoimhin Grothe-Brinton, Staff Writer
February 9, 2024
Young Sala, Gemma Butler-Woodhouse (12), helps her sister pack for her departure to Geppersdorf, a concentration camp. Sala struggles to convince her sister to allow her to take her place at Geppersdorf. After much debate, her sister complies.

Letters to Sala Performance Taken on the Road

Kaiah MacLeod, Staff Writer
January 26, 2024
Rounding up plastic bottles, Ryan Hickman stays after school to clean up the campus of SJH. He owns his self-made business: Ryan’s Recycling Company to which he brings these mass collections.

Prophet of Plastic Seeks Sustainable Future

Kaiah MacLeod, Staff Writer
December 18, 2023
This classroom's monitoring system displays the current CO2 levels, rh (relative humidity), ppm (parts per million), and temperature in the space. On the side of the monitor, it has facial symbols to clarify if the space is healthy and safe for its occupants. A green light will turn on next to these symbols to indicate where the classroom’s atmosphere levels are at.

New Grant Funded Air Monitors Installed Over the Summer

Kaiah MacLeod, Staff Writer
November 6, 2023
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