The Student News Site of Community School of Davidson

CSD Spartan Media
The Student News Site of Community School of Davidson

CSD Spartan Media
The Student News Site of Community School of Davidson

CSD Spartan Media
Max Shealy

Max Shealy, Editor-in-Chief

Max Shealy is a senior and a CSD lifer. A lifer is a Spartan who has attended CSD since kindergarten. Although this is his first year taking Journalism, he chose to take the role of Editor-in-Chief due to his long history and experiences in the school. Additionally, he is currently the leader of the Allied Achievers and Comrades Association (AACA), a leadership club, and also participates in the CSD Mock Trial club.

Max has had experience in a variety of sports, including baseball, tennis and cross-country. This year, he’s experimenting with volleyball, too.

A fun Max fact is that he’s currently editing a short film with one of his friends. In his free time, he’s been getting more into running, as well as playing guitar and piano.

Quote: “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find true strength.” – Marcus Aurelius

Walk-up song: New Person, Same Old Mistakes – Tame Impala

All content by Max Shealy
Maxwell Shealy, Liam Hogan, Akhilan Kumaran (all ‘26) ordered from left to right, sit on the Spartan Park field during graduation pictures. (Photo by Bailey Rowles (‘26))

AACA founders graduate, new leaders chosen

A leadership club spawned from procrastination gains momentum and transfers leadership
Max Shealy, Editor-in-Chief
May 5, 2026

At the Community School of Davidson (CSD) High School, there are days when study sessions should stay on topic, and there are days when it is just fine to deviate from the course. May 3, 2024, was...

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As viewed from Roosevelt Park in Davidson, a line of cars wait to proceed at the left turn signal at Griffith St right before arriving at CSD High School. Well, North Carolina construction is underway, the project faces delays and traffic continues.

Young drivers behind the wheel

Some of the challenges that new drivers face after earning their license go beyond their control
Max Shealy, Mario Hardy, and Kennedy Donley
April 12, 2026

Many conditions increase stress for new student drivers in an environment where they are already adjusting to the pressure of responsibility and the risk of crashing. Among them are risks of traffic, weather...

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An Auvi-Q is a type of epinephrine autoinjector that is needed during an emergency allergic reaction. Doctors recommend that people with anaphylaxis (to food or other allergens) carry two epinephrine injectors with them at all times. This is among the many responsibilities people with allergies learn to manage, but allergy management doesn’t look the same for everyone. For example, Cheez-Its contain milk, but baked in. Some people with dairy or egg allergies can have baked goods containing dairy. This is because of the chemical reaction that changes the composition of the allergen. However, this is not an option for some people with more severe allergies.

Food fighters

Editorial: For high school students living with food allergies, learning self-management and advocacy teaches life lessons
Max Shealy and Elena Cunningham
February 22, 2026
The first day of school can be overwhelming for somebody with an allergy. Even the food celebrations for spaces such as advisory lunch and senior sunrise require navigation on the first day for individuals with allergies. The stress in potentially life-threatening allergic reactions can be overwhelming. So what is it like to have a food allergy?
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Snowbanks in the south are rare in the winter, but CSD had two in the span of a week. 11 inches of snow paralyzed the Davidson community has school shifted to remote.

Dear winter, we give

Second winter storm in a week dumps record amounts of snow in the Charlotte area. Schools close and learning shifts to remote as neighborhoods shovel out
Elena Cunningham, Mario Hardy, Carter Burch, Akhilan Kumaran, Max Shealy, Liam Hogan, and Dylan Sherman
February 22, 2026

(Compiled and edited by Dylan Sherman and Carter Burch) When Community School of Davidson (CSD) students woke on Saturday, January 31, 2026, and saw nothing but the heavy snowfall brought on by winter...

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CSD families awoke on the morning of January 25, 2026, to see snow and ice covering everything from front walkways to sidewalks and roads. The storm, which was forecast to cause major damage, was largely underwhelming.

Winter storm Fern barrels through the Southeast, largely spares the Carolinas

Ice, sleet and snow closed schools and altered daily lives, but did the preparation and abundance of notice match the outcome?
Carter Burch, Elena Cunningham, Liam Hogan, Akhilan Kumaran, Max Shealy, and Dylan Sherman
January 28, 2026

North Carolinians awoke on Sunday, January 25, 2026, to a soft blanket of snow covering the ground. A rare winter wonderland had transformed the otherwise winter grey and dormant surroundings into something...

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Pounding the gavel goes hand-in-hand with CSD’s Mock Trial club. Despite a change in curriculum law and subsequent scheduling complications, morale remains high for club members.

Pounding the gavel

CSD’s Mock Trial club continues despite a change in North Carolina curriculum law and subsequent scheduling challenges
Max Shealy, Editor-in-Chief
December 14, 2025

At the Community School of Davidson (CSD) High School, you can hear many students yelling “Objection!” in the American History room after school a few times a week. It’s not students upset over test...

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CSD senior, Liam Hogan (‘26), applies to college using the Common Application. Especially in the fall, the deadlines that come with applying to colleges make the beginning of senior year even more challenging and stressful.

The leaves are falling, and so is senior morale

Student stress levels fluctuate as college application deadlines come and go
Max Shealy, Editor-in-Chief
November 16, 2025

Stress is always an issue that plagues high school students across the country, and it’s no different within the walls of the Community School of Davidson High School (CSD). Student stress manifests...

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A larger than life Spartan mural along the gym hall welcomes students daily and serves as a visual reminder of the spirit and energy that fill the school. From pep rallies and advisory to service learning and sports (and lots more in between) it’s a great time to be a CSD student.

26 reasons why the 2026 CSD school year will be a special one

Welcome back, Spartans. Here’s what the Journalism team believes makes the cut.
Max Shealy, Elena Cunningham, Dylan Sherman, Akhilan Kumaran, Mario Hardy, Kennedy Donley, Liam Hogan, and Carter Burch
September 2, 2025

As CSD students come back and prepare for another year, excitement is high in one of the most unique high schools in the state. Here are the Journalism staff’s picks for 26 things that will make this...

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