The student-run online newspaper for Starr's Mill High School

The Prowler
The student-run online newspaper for Starr's Mill High School

The Prowler
The student-run online newspaper for Starr's Mill High School

The Prowler
Sophia Bender

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer

Senior Sophia Bender is a two-year member of The Prowler staff.  She is a staff writer.

All content by Sophia Bender
Real Talk

Real Talk

Sophia Bender and Caleb Hicks
April 13, 2020
Angelo observes the field during the GHSA A-AAAAA State Championship game. Angelo scores twice in the contest, helping lead the Lady Panthers to an 11-8 win. She will attend Winthrop University in the fall to play lacrosse.

[Photo] Putting the ‘star’ in Starr’s Mill

Rilee Stapleton, Editor-in-Chief
June 9, 2019
Lady Panther lacrosse team raises the championship trophy. Starr’s Mill defeated Blessed Trinity 11-8 to win the GHSA A-AAAAA State Championship, becoming the first team south of I-20 to do so.

[Photo] Redemption

Rilee Stapleton, Editor-in-Chief
May 20, 2019
Adam, Jack and Ryan of AJR pose for a photo to promote the tour of their third album. “Neotheater” is clever, insightful and fun, proving the growth of this up-and-coming band.

Next stage of AJR

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
May 17, 2019
Real Talk

Real Talk

Sophia Bender and James Hindy
May 17, 2019

The B19 Ten

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
May 13, 2019
Shazam! and Freddy take a swig of cola together in DC Universe’s newest movie. The film is full of action, humor, and heart that anyone can enjoy.

Shock through the heart

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
April 14, 2019
In our third installment of Panther Reads, science teacher Robin Huggins talks about her newest read, “The Lying Game” by Ruth Ware. This story is about four women and the secrets they have kept since they were in boarding school.

Panther Reads

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
April 13, 2019
It’s hard to write a romance novel, but it seems especially hard to write one that’s extraordinary. Romance tastes best when it’s little something extra rather than an integral part of the book.

The one where they master romance

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
March 28, 2019
Real Talk

Real Talk

Abri Hausman and Sophia Bender
March 26, 2019
A student enjoys one of their books during a period of downtime. Everyone should be free to enjoy what they want during their freetime and should not be put down for their likes and dislikes.

OPINION: Cliché hate

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
March 6, 2019
Released on Jan. 29, “Come Find Me” is the newest novel by author Megan Miranda. This thriller boasts heaps of suspense, loads of mystery and more twists than a Twizzler.

Megan Miranda strikes again

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
February 12, 2019
Real Talk

Real Talk

Abri Hausman and Sophia Bender
February 12, 2019
The stunning live action set of “Beauty and the Beast.” Live action can be visually stunning when done right, but shouldn’t be competing with animated films in terms of audience appreciation.

Live action not intended to replace

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
January 23, 2019
Real Talk

Real Talk

Sophia Bender, Grace Maneein, and Jordan Owens
January 16, 2019
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” was one of several successful blockbusters of the 2018 holiday season. The Christmas movie scene this year was a blend of family friendly flicks like “Spider-Man” and last-minute potential Oscar nominations.

2018’s holiday hits

Ian Fertig, Blythe Terry, Ryan Allen, Sophia Bender, and Grace Maneein
January 11, 2019
The cast of the drama department’s rendition of “The Snow Queen” present the beginning of their play. “The Snow Queen” tells the story of a young boy named Kai whose heart is frozen by the Snow Queen and the adventure of his best friend to rescue him.

Cast of ‘The Snow Queen’ sparkles

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
December 20, 2018
Real Talk

Real Talk

Abri Hausman, Sophia Bender, and Kathleen Stephens
December 10, 2018
Real Talk

Real Talk

Abri Hausman and Sophia Bender
November 28, 2018
The “Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald” cast poses for a picture in their characters to advertise the release of their newest movie. This movie continues the narrative that began with “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and brings back all of the fan-favorite characters for an intense continuation of the story.

‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchise continues in spellbinding sequel

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
November 21, 2018
Senior Luke Presley dressed as the robot from “The Incredibles” destroys a city of cardboard boxes to fill his role in this year’s foreign language plays. It’s a tradition at Starr’s Mill for fourth-year language students to put on plays for their fellow classmates and this year brought about four successful and hilarious performances.

Dedication is a universal language

Sophia Bender and Kathleen Stephens
November 21, 2018
Real Talk

Real Talk

Sophia Bender, Hayeon Choi, and Grace Maneein
November 13, 2018
Junior Sydney Turnier delivers an absolutely stunning performance as the title character of this year’s one-act play. “The Insanity of Mary Girard” is sure to do well at the one-act competition, just as its predecessor, “These Shining Lives,” did last year.

Drama department presents an insanely amazing performance

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
October 25, 2018
Firefighters and empty promises

Firefighters and empty promises

Sophia Bender and Grace Maneein
October 20, 2018
To save the world from some generic forces of evil, reporter Eddie Brock suits up with an alien symbiote in Sony Pictures’ “Venom.” Although reviews of this movie are split between positive and negative, we conclude that “Venom” is mostly a failure.

‘Venom’ cannot merge expectations with reality

Ian Fertig and Sophia Bender
October 16, 2018
Real Talk

Real Talk

Abri Hausman and Sophia Bender
October 10, 2018
Former Starr’s Mill English teacher Dr. Robert Covel recently released his first novel, “Twilight of the Gods.” The story follows Kris, a protagonist who discovers that all of the old mythological gods are real and living among ordinary people on Earth.

Former Starr’s Mill English teacher releases first novel

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
October 10, 2018
When two students disagree, the best response is to not let their opinions divide them. Instead of facing a difference of opinion with hostility, we encourage people in high school and out of it to greet these differences with respect and kindness.

Agree to disagree — it’s not a debate

Ian Fertig, Sophia Bender, and Grace Maneein
October 6, 2018
Real Talk

Real Talk

Abri Hausman and Sophia Bender
September 25, 2018
The Mansfield family from Austin, Texas, a predominantly deaf family, pose for a picture in front of their home. In this special episode of ‘Born This Way’ by A&E television, viewers are able to follow the lives of the Mansfield’s and two other families and see what challenges they face in their daily lives.

Deaf finally heard

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
September 19, 2018
Real Talk

Real Talk

Abri Hausman and Sophia Bender
September 12, 2018
#Murdertrending tells the story of teenager Dee Gurerra and her televised fight for survival after being accused of murder. Written by Gretchen McNeil, this novel raises some serious questions about our own society.

Fiction not far from fact

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
August 30, 2018
Real Talk - Season 4, Episode 1

Real Talk – Season 4, Episode 1

Abri Hausman and Sophia Bender
August 29, 2018
The implementation of the Chromebooks this school year is sure to improve learning in and out of the classroom. The Chromebooks create a classroom that can do so much more than before.

Not worth the complaints

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
August 27, 2018
“Carry On” tells the story of Simon Snow and his place in the magical World of Mages. This book was Rainbow Rowell’s first attempt at a fantasy novel, and it exceeds expectations at every turn.

Beloved author crafts her first magical adventure

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
August 16, 2018

Real Talk – Season 3, Episode 12

Abri Hausman and Sophia Bender
May 29, 2018
Taking effect July 1 is a new distracted driving law that will prohibit drivers from using their phone in all forms except for navigation. House of Representatives Josh Bonner was an integral part of writing this bill.

Governor deals new driving law

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
May 27, 2018
Shocking stories add to saddening senior send-offs

Shocking stories add to saddening senior send-offs

Jacob Hunt, Abri Hausman, Sophia Bender, and Brock Spence
May 18, 2018

Real Talk – Season 3, Episode 11

Abri Hausman, Sophia Bender, and Mitchell Smith
May 15, 2018
Space explorer and the youngest Robinson, Will, stares at an alien robot whom he befriends by saving his life. The robot is one of many changes made for Netflix’s new reboot of ‘Lost in Space’ that might not be for the better.

The future was better in the past

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
May 4, 2018
“Incarnate,” Jodi Meadows’ debut novel, unfortunately falls flat due to inexperienced writing. The novel is about a girl named Ana who is the first “New Soul” to be born for thousands of years in the fantasy world in which she lives.

Debut novel fails to take flight

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
April 24, 2018
Hectic headlines heading into Milestones

Hectic headlines heading into Milestones

Jacob Hunt, Sophia Bender, Liza Eubanks, Ashton Long, Mitchell Smith, and Valen Yeager
April 20, 2018

Real Talk – Season 3, Episode 10

Abri Hausman and Sophia Bender
April 15, 2018
Back from break, back to headlines

Back from break, back to headlines

Jacob Hunt, Sophia Bender, Saijleen Chawla, Hayeon Choi, Caylee Cicero, and Ashley Irizarry
April 15, 2018
Multicultural club

Multicultural club

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
April 10, 2018
Ecology club

Ecology club

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
April 10, 2018
Headlines for the start of spring

Headlines for the start of spring

Valen Yeager, Sophia Bender, Saijleen Chawla, Caylee Cicero, Liza Eubanks, and Jacob Hunt
March 23, 2018
Released on March 9, 2018, Ava Duvernay’s movie “A Wrinkle in Time” is a visually stunning interpretation of its book counterpart. Both the book and the movie consider the idea of instantaneous space travel, hope, and the darkness within us all.

Visually stunning, comparatively disheartening

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
March 20, 2018

Real Talk – Season 3, Episode 9

Sophia Bender and Liza Eubanks
March 15, 2018
Fifty-three years after its publication, Philip K. Dick’s alternate history novel had been developed for the silver screen as an Amazon original series. For once, the show is better than the book it is based on.

Fascist fiction fails in novel form

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
March 12, 2018
Slow school week meets huge headlines

Slow school week meets huge headlines

Jacob Hunt, Valen Yeager, Sophia Bender, Saijleen Chawla, Ashley Irizarry, and Kyle Soto
March 9, 2018
Loveless week in news

Loveless week in news

Jacob Hunt, Liza Eubanks, Saijleen Chawla, Sophia Bender, Mitchell Smith, and Luke Bennett
February 18, 2018
Post-Super Bowl week brings super headlines

Post-Super Bowl week brings super headlines

Jacob Hunt, Dana Gould, Sophia Bender, Kyle Soto, Ian Fertig, and Valen Yeager
February 9, 2018

Real Talk – Season 3, Episode 8

Sophia Bender and Ian Fertig
February 4, 2018

Real Talk – Season 3, Episode 7

Sophia Bender and Liza Eubanks
January 26, 2018
Endings bring new beginnings

Endings bring new beginnings

Sophia Bender, Ian Fertig, Ashley Irizarry, Mitchell Smith, and Saijleen Chawla
January 26, 2018
Chaos throughout the universe

Chaos throughout the universe

Jacob Hunt, Valen Yeager, Sophia Bender, Liza Eubanks, and Ian Fertig
January 15, 2018
A week of eruptions, rejections, and combustion

A week of eruptions, rejections, and combustion

Jacob Hunt, Sophia Bender, Saijleen Chawla, Caylee Cicero, and Kyle Soto
December 9, 2017
JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, is known all around the world for her magical children’s books. In spite of this fame, Rowling has several weaknesses in her writing that leave some readers frustrated and possibly even confused.

Everyone’s favorite author may not be so magical

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
December 5, 2017
Return from break, return of headlines

Return from break, return of headlines

Valen Yeager, Sophia Bender, Caylee Cicero, Liza Eubanks, Ian Fertig, and Ashley Irizarry
December 2, 2017
A negative news week

A negative news week

Jacob Hunt, Valen Yeager, Sophia Bender, Ian Fertig, Ashley Irizarry, and Brock Spence
November 18, 2017
A week that totally ‘rocked’

A week that totally ‘rocked’

Sophia Bender, Saijleen Chawla, Ian Fertig, Ashton Long, and Brock Spence
November 13, 2017
The cast of “These Shining Lives” poses while on the stage of the Willie Duke Auditorium. The group won the regional One Act Play competition and the AAAAA state competition for the first time in Starr’s Mill history.

Advanced Drama II class shines at state competition

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
November 13, 2017

‘Fall’ for local writer’s newest novel

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
November 4, 2017

Real Talk – Season 3, Episode 4

Sophia Bender and Liza Eubanks
November 4, 2017
News before the Battle of the Bubble

News before the Battle of the Bubble

Jacob Hunt, Sophia Bender, Caylee Cicero, Ashley Irizarry, and Brock Spence
October 16, 2017

Real Talk – Season 3, Episode 3

Abri Hausman and Sophia Bender
October 11, 2017
Weeping news from around the world

Weeping news from around the world

Valen Yeager, Ben Barkley, Sophia Bender, and Ian Fertig
October 8, 2017
A long week of news

A long week of news

Jacob Hunt, Ryan Allen, Ben Barkley, Sophia Bender, Ashley Irizarry, and Brock Spence
October 1, 2017
“The Dazzling Heights” continues the story of Avery, Watt, Leda, and Rylin in their home, The Tower, and the relationships between all of them as well as starting the journey of a new character. Published on Aug. 29, 2017, Katheryn McGee’s new book is the second part of a planned trilogy.

McGee returns with a riveting sequel

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
September 29, 2017
Mother nature strikes again

Mother nature strikes again

Ben Barkley, Sophia Bender, and Ashley Irizarry
September 24, 2017
Kathryn McGee’s novel “The Thousandth Floor” is another amazing book that is centered around a thousand-story mega tower whose inhabitants have many dark secrets to hide. The sequel, “The Dazzling Heights,” just came out on Aug. 29, 2017.

Readers will get caught in this web of lies

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
September 7, 2017
Junior Caitlyn Gloriod celebrates a win with her horse Bailey. She and several other girls at Starr's Mill spend a considerable amount of time riding horses. A win like this makes it all worth it.

Excellence beyond the classroom

Sophia Bender, Staff Writer
August 30, 2017
A dark week in news

A dark week in news

Ben Barkley, Sophia Bender, Jacob Hunt, Brock Spence, and Valen Yeager
August 26, 2017
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