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CSD Spartan Media

CSD Spartan Media

CSD Spartan Media
Macy Balmat

Macy Balmat, Student Life Editor, Opinions Editor

Macy Balmat is a sophomore who came to CSD in third grade. She joined Journalism with the hopes of making a change and getting more experience in voicing what she believes needs to be spoken. She is part of CSD’s Student Government and has always enjoyed taking a role in the community that can help others.

Macy wants to write about the issues of the world and find ways to spread awareness about the suffering that exists globally right down to her local community. She wants to inspire others to reach out and help. Macy hopes to make a difference through her writing and to push for change when she sees others in need of help.

In her spare time, Macy enjoys reading, playing music and riding horses. She hopes to one day become a veterinarian and use her writing as a method to voice the needs of pets and pet owners as much as possible. She shows in Academy Saddleseat and loves to go to shows even when she’s not participating in order to help with the preparation and care of the horses.

Quote?

“I’ll live my life if it kills me.”

-E.E. Cummings

Walk-up Song?

“19-2000”

-Gorillaz

All content by Macy Balmat
Math teacher, Gurpreet ‘Guppi’ Berger, stands atop the Davidson Fire Department’s Engine 1 during Spartan Day 2023. She uses the fire hose to spray students with water on the Community School of Davidson field during the outdoor activities.

Cranking it up then signing it off

Community School of Davidson’s year-end high school traditions arrive on the calendar
Macy Balmat, Student Life Editor, Opinions Editor
May 19, 2025
The activities begin even before classes end and continue until the final student leaves for the summer and seniors graduate. From final advisory senior send-offs, senior golf, senior flex week (that even includes seniors spending the day in caps and gowns at the lower school), pranks, final theater and music performances, powder puff then Spartan Day, there is literally something for everyone.
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Gavin, a show horse, enjoys his time outside in his field. This pasture time is necessary for the mental and physical health of a horse, especially while they are young.

From the history of the sport to the modern day horses and riders, Thoroughbred racing kills

Exposing the secrets that hide in the shadows of the horse racing industry is the first step towards change
Macy Balmat, Student Life Editor, Opinions Editor
May 12, 2025
While extremely profitable and entertaining to many people, Thoroughbred racing is a risky and dangerous industry that disregards the health and safety of both horse and jockey. Thoroughbred racing is overall a highly toxic industry that survives off of the abuse and death of horses and riders.
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Community School of Davidson (CSD)’s front parking lot is packed full of various vehicles, several of which can often be seen parking without much care for guidelines or other drivers and regard for reserved spaces.

Cars here, there, everywhere, nowhere

Parking at CSD is an issue but, thankfully, the issue has the attention of those who may help find a solution
Macy Balmat, Student Life Editor, Opinions Editor
May 10, 2025
Many first time and young drivers get overwhelmed by the complexity of the school parking. With cars surrounding all four sides of the building, side street parking lining the neighborhoods, and empty lots at nearby establishments left unmarked, it can be difficult to determine where you are wanted and where you’ll get in trouble for leaving a car.
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VIDEO: CSD’s Fresh Take Conference 2025 Introduction and Overview

Macy Balmat, Student Life Editor, Opinions Editor
May 4, 2025

Journalist Macy Balmat interviews administrators and teachers as she introduces viewers to CSD's long running "Teachers for Teachers" Fresh Take Conference in this student created and produced news piece.

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Community School of Davidson Student Life Leader, Leslie Bragg, stands behind her desk on Learning Street, the school’s busiest hall. It is an appropriate location since her job entails listening to the voices of students and serving as a bridge between students and administration with the help of the building community.

Spartan Questionnaire* (#12) featuring Leslie Bragg (*where we take a break from AP Style writing and get right to the good Q&A stuff with CSD people)

Macy Balmat, Student Life Editor, Opinions Editor
April 22, 2025
Often found at her desk on Learning Street, her job is to listen to the voices of CSD students and implement suggestions on an administrative level, to hear what works and what doesn’t.
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Community School of Davidson sophomore Katelyn Casiday (‘27), clearly in distress, sits alone and works in a school hallway surrounded by flashcards. With both scheduled and unplanned changes, it is often difficult to get into a steady rhythm.

Beware of burnout

Balancing workloads, maintaining mental health and navigating the school year (especially around school breaks and vacations) can be a challenge when next to nothing seems normal
Macy Balmat, Student Life Editor, Opinions Editor
April 7, 2025
The science behind burnout is fairly simple. Caused by stress, it is essentially a mental block against continuing your work.
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While the Huntersville, North Carolina, DMV may seem like your standard, run-of-the-mill building on the outside, to some license seekers, including CSD students, the building is more akin to a portal to Hell.

DMV disasters

Three Community School of Davidson (CSD) Spartans from the class of 2027 share their stressful DMV experiences.
Macy Balmat, Student Life Editor, Opinions Editor
January 8, 2025
While the Huntersville, North Carolina DMV may seem like your standard, run-of-the-mill building on the outside, to some the building is more akin to a portal to Hell.
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Just a month into his new job, Craig Smith agreed to sit down with the Journalism, Media Productions and Photography classes for a first ever, student-driven press conference. Filling the band room, Smith shared his history and motivated students to be their best selves.

A new voice, a direction, a challenge

CSD’s new Executive Director, Craig Smith, takes questions at a student-led press conference and challenges Spartans to be their best selves
Macy Balmat, Ben Gallagher, Kate Saussele, Evan Mulligan, Callie Hobbs, and Elena Cunningham
November 10, 2024

During the summer of 2024, Craig Smith was hired as Community School of Davidson (CSD) new Executive Director, replacing founder, Joy Warner, and subsequently a team of three administrative leaders. He...

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Akhilan Kumaran (‘26) shows sophomore JT Peterson (‘27) an AACA shirt and tells him about the club. The idea for this new club came after three classmates bonded in AP Government class and decided other students might benefit, too.

Club culture adds to student learning

Clubs play a major role in a CSD education and three juniors are putting a new idea to the test
Elena Cunningham and Macy Balmat
October 7, 2024
“We just started out helping each other outside of class, in class, and then we wanted to spread that across the school,” Akhilan Kumaran said.
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