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All Photo Credits: Ruth Graham Our Vestavia Singers have had a great season. They hosted a successful Contempo at home, placed third in their division at the Hoover Showchoir Smackdown, scored second at the Albertville Diamond Classic, and landed third again at King of the Mountain—a special shoutout to Mary Pitts for winning best female performer! But honestly, show choir deserves respect and applause from the entire student body, not just this article. It might be one of

Photo Credits: Lily Xie The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools . Even though we’ve experienced of Vestavia’s coldest weather recently, many juniors and seniors at VHHS are already looking forward to a classic spring tradition: prom! From setting up groups to finding the dress, booking restaurant reservations to planning afterparties, a

Photo Credits: Claire Placzek New Orleans doesn’t know what’s coming for them, as French 5 from VHHS makes their entrance in The Big Easy. In order to learn more about French and Creole culture, French 5 went on a trip to New Orleans, where they would take part in learning about the culture, food, and history of New Orleans--a time filled with laughter, joy, and tours for native French speakers, as well as multiple visits to the original Cafe Dupont (where the beignets ri

Vestavia Hills Track and Field at the CrossPlex in Bessemer The Vestavia Hills Track and Field team delivered an outstanding performance at the CrossPlex Indoor Track State Meet that took place in Bessemer on January 31, 2026. The girls team claimed State Runner-up, earning 63 points with 9 girls in 17 events; additionally, the boys team, consisting of 12 guys in 16 events, won 4th place with a whopping 70 points!  Vestavia Hills’ outstanding track athletes competed in a v

Name: Tanya Athienitis Grade: 12th Fun fact: “I was born in Greece and lived there until second grade.” What’s your biggest hot take: I actually like exam week.  If you had a theme song what would it be: Lost by Frank Ocean What’s your roman empire: Sephora Where do you see yourself in five years: “I see myself in medical school five years from now” Name: Isabella Shunnarah Grade: 12th Fun fact: “I speak a little Arabic.” What’s your biggest hot take: “Oh easy, I do

Photo Credits: Linear Collider The Vestavia Hills Sadie Hawkins Dance took place on January 24 at the Civic Center, and it proved to be a huge success despite several obstacles leading up to the event. With unpredictable weather and concerns that the dance might be canceled, many students were unsure what the night would hold. However, thanks to careful planning and strong attendance, the evening turned out to be one of the most memorable school events of the year. This yea

During the spring semester, VHHS is excited for our new season of RISE. Each year, RISE brings students, faculty, and families together to support cancer research at UAB O’Neal Center. During this special season of RISE, it’s important to mark our calendars for some important fundraising dates.  First in January, the kickoff assembly featured Olympic-style performances and a torch lighting ceremony. After the kickoff assembly on January 24th, students danced and celebrated a

Photo Credits: Instagram, VHHS Rebel Marching Band at Mud Creek Marching Festival The new year, for many, is a time of self-evaluation and profound hope. The first of January inspires goals and promises of personal refinement (go check out our article on New Year’s Resolutions) and invites an excitement to leave the past year behind. Even so, our most popular anthem for the New Year, originally a Scottish poem, reminds us to step into the future with remembrance and apprecia

Every day, students pass through the hallways rushing to their next classes, leaving for early dismissals, or heading off to practice. In all of this constant movement, it’s easy to stay focused on our own routines without stopping to wonder about the lives unfolding around us.  While walking through the school one day, I felt this way about one of the fellow seniors in the class of 2026, Sally Grace Ward. Every single morning, she’s seen walking through the halls with her b

The second semester of school is always a whirlwind of varied emotions. We’re sad the break is over, tired from adjusting our sleep schedules, happy to see our friends, and stressed about our GPA. In this sense, school is really the same. But there’s a freshness that comes along with a new year—humans like a clean slate, after all. There’s a surge of motivation to embrace self-improvement and a sober determination to be the “you” you always wanted to be.  What better demonstr

By Audrey Kim and Aiden Billano It’s that time of year again: the time we get to decide how we’re all going to spend the next year. With course selection fast approaching, as you look at potential classes in Vestavia’s Next Steps Live Binder , you may notice a few new additions since last year. After listening to student interest, these new courses were proposed by teachers and approved by the Board of Education to be available starting this year. Unfortunately, these course

Photo Credits: dadot.com In early December, our Track and Field team began the official indoor season with the Magic City Invitational. Located at the Crossplex, our athletes spent their afternoons competing and supporting as they broke into the competitive season.  In the 60m ambulatory, Vaughan Rainer ran a 10.03, winning the event. In the 60m, Cance (Derek) Mills ran a personal record of 7.02, placing 7th in the overall meet and putting himself 2nd in the school’s record

Photo Credits: Astha Mehta On December 5th and 6th, the Vestavia Hills Speech and Debate team competed in Montgomery at Montgomery Academy. The Big GUMP Classic -- one of the most anticipated competitions in the region -- has always been a Vestavia Hills favorite. The adored clay trophies feature a variety of extravagant animals, and the competition is a great way for competitors to grow and learn. The team competed in a variety of events, including Public Forum, Congression

Photo Credits: Mrs. Hyde, several Math Team students involved with tournament preparation Each year, the VHHS math team hosts a tournament, garnering nationwide attention and over a thousand students, from 6th graders fresh off their first semester of middle school, to seniors in high school just about ready to leave. This year, on the weekend of December 6th, it was no different. With over half a hundred schools ranging from ASFA to West Point HS, a full alphabetical journe

Celebrate the Season Anyone associated with Vestavia Hills High School knows about one particular day in December reserved for a concert known as Celebrate the Season. This day is full of holiday-themed performances from the school’s arts programs---band, choir, dance, theater, and visual arts---bringing everyone together for an incredible display of holiday cheer. This year’s performance was just as spirited and fun-filled as the rest, adding to the many concerts that have

The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools Photo Credits: Tero Vesalainen / Getty Images To some degree, anyone who attends VHHS is privileged. And that is not a bad thing, necessarily, but it should be acknowledged that there are facilities, opportunities, and lifestyles we are accustomed to as Vestavia students that other students in our

Written by Bianca Lombo and Analiz Castellanos VHHS Poetry Out Loud What Poetry Out Loud Is, and How It Works Poetry Out Loud is a national competition designed to help high school students connect with poetry through its performance. Started in 2005 by the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation, which aimed to support schools in having a poetry program. By performing poetry aloud, the performer has a deeper connection to their emotions and the connotation the

Photo Credit: Sophia Chen FBLA, or the Future Business Leaders of America club, teaches students about business and leadership through many events and activities. From competing in local, state, and national tournaments to participating in leadership conferences, this group of students is expanding on skills necessary for the workforce by studying these key tools for events and learning from experienced speakers.  Their leadership team includes their President Emily Jin (se

Photo Credits: Shutterstock **The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools** 2025 was an eventful year both in Vestavia and around the world. At VHHS, notable events include the school shutting down due to busted pipes and the new FOCUS Act banning cell phones at school. In global news, a new pope was chosen, and Katy Perry supposedly went to

Photo Credit: Google Winter break is just around the corner, but before we get our long-awaited period of fun and relaxation, we have to get through the dreaded first-semester exams. Exams start in under a month, and unless you want to end up pulling an all-nighter the night before to cram, you should probably begin studying now. There are several useful study resources online: Quizlet for flashcards and quizzes, Knowt for practice tests (including free response questions),

Picture of the AHSAA Swim and Dive State Championship in Huntsville, Alabama This past weekend, heading into Thanksgiving break, the VHHS swim and dive team traveled to Huntsville, kicking off the week with their final meet of the 2025 season. The Lady Rebels entered with high expectations for a state title, while the young men’s team also had a strong chance to bring home a map. For the girls, state individual qualifiers included Rilie Reid (Sr.), Angela Zhang (Sr.), Emily

Photo Credit: Google In this drop’s Faculty Highlight, we will be putting the spotlight on Mrs. Grillo, otherwise known as Mrs. G! She loves Harry Potter, and she teaches (PLTW) - Principles of Engineering and Civil Engineering & Architecture at our high school.  Mrs. Grillo enjoys teaching Engineering to students because it “ is a truly hands-on, project-based curriculum.” She says that it creates “an environment that fosters creativity, encourages critical thinking, and i

Picture of Emory Bear on the left and Baker Stewart on the right. Have you ever gone through the hallways and seen the familiar faces of people you might have known from middle school, yet you never talk to them? You wonder what’s going on in their lives. how much you have missed, and how much has stayed the same for them. Well, lucky for you, we were able to catch up with two Rebel students right before Thanksgiving break and ask them a few questions about their lives an

Photo Credit: Ally Bryant  The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools . When it comes to book lovers, reading is always the go-to activity. Each reader has their favorites, and so does the community of readers as a whole. Every year, certain books rise above the others in terms of favoritism, and they ultimately become the most popular b

Written by Grace Ding, Hannah Chen, and Sophia Chen Photo Credits: Grace Ding The VHHS Robotics team competed at their first signature event: a robotics competition that has direct qualifications to the VEX Robotics World  Championship. With a season so far of local tournaments and getting used to this year’s game, all four of our teams worked hard to prepare for the Smoky Mountain Forge. The tournament began on Friday, November 14th. Since it was a longer drive there, most

Photo Credit: National Geographic Kids It’s that time of year again! As the holiday season is upon us, many Rebels have holiday traditions they do with their friends and family to celebrate the festive season.  Many students take advantage of the long winter break to go on fun trips. Some even do annual trips, like Nathan Xavier (sophomore), who “plan[s] a trip with [his] family friends from Georgia.” These annual traditions give students something to look forward to after

Photo Credits: Savannah Schmidt (Vestavia Voice) The Vestavia Hills Rebels entered the season with high expectations, a veteran core, and a coaching staff intent on building on the momentum of recent years. What followed was a thrilling and resilient campaign—one defined by explosive offense, breakout stars, and a team identity forged in some of the toughest matchups in the state. The Rebels opened the year with impressive confidence, showcasing an offense that could strike

Photo Credits: Hannah Kate Huner The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools. With Christmas around the corner, this holiday gift guide is sure to help with gift-giving. From teenage girls to grandparents to stocking stuffers, this guide has it all. For Teenage Girls: Bionic Curling Iron: perfect for all hair types and lengths  JBL Speaker:

Vestavia Hills High School isn’t a perfect place, but there’s one thing we all can certainly take pride in: our school’s commitment to service . On August 28, it was announced that The Lovelady Center would be our 2025 Fall Charity. Since then, we—the Rebel Family—have been dedicated to raising money for that worthy cause. There’s been fun, competition, dancing, and football—but what has been lighthearted fun for us will have an immense impact on our community. While you wer

The cross country program enjoyed an exceptional season on both the boys’ and girls’ sides. Each varsity squad concluded the year by bringing home a state-level award: the boys captured the State Championship title, while the girls earned the State Runner-Up title. These achievements reflect months of disciplined training and collective dedication. The season opened with strong performances at the Thompson 2-Mile meet, where both the boys’ and girls’ teams secured fourth pla

Written by Jeffrey Zhao and Aditya Sheelavant Credits: leotoday8 on FaceBook Curious about our fellow Vestavians, we researched the rules that guide their existence—personal mottos, mindsets that maintained their sanity, and, for some, Flying Spaghetti Monster mantras. Take Ms. O’Kelley, who reinvigorated our understanding of gratuity by spitting straight facts: “ Kindness matters .” Porter Hottle channelled his inner Mr. Horton, professing that we should “ Treat people wit

Credits: Katherine Terino The full history of Vestavia Hills High School’s boys cross country team is long and complex, so for the sake of brevity, our story will start in the fall of 2017. Senior James Sweeny and junior Bryce Hutchinson were poised to lead the team. There was also a phenom freshman aging onto the team, his name was Ethan Strand. The team had a strong season opener at Chickasaw Trails with James Sweeney taking second place in a time of 15:40 narrowly losing

**The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools ** Image courtesy of Mean Girls Wiki I remember having an army of tabs open, searching up everything I could on Vestavia Hills High School the week before I transferred here. I found an impressive amount of information, from VHHS’s old mascot, to notable alums, and even my way to Pillar. It was a

Photo Credits: Vestavia Hills Magazine Mr. Sinnott is a teacher who has made a meaningful impression on a large portion of our student body. He’s been mentioned a few times here on the Pillar website—most recently as he received the most votes in a “favorite teacher” poll—but I’m here to dive into a special part of the Mr. Sinnott persona: his eclectic hobbies and interests. Something struck me on the very first day I spent in his class: Mr. Sinnott seems to be able to talk

Credits: Jennifer Dalton, Pictured (left to right): Annika Dalton, Anna-Sophia Le, Davidson Smith, Colin Strevy, Autumn Berry, Andy Sheng, Herbert Bryant, Ella Palmer, AJ Rembert Today, the Vestavia Hills High School Jazz Band is playing at the city’s Salute to Veterans Day Celebration. Gigs like these are common for the Jazz Band, which often gets invited to play at community events. Immediately following, the Jazz Band will prepare for their Fall Concert, which is next Mon

Credits: Kathy Forte on Pinterest The Vestavia Hills High Schoolers got their spooky on early at the first annual Trunk or Treat that was hosted at Vestavia Hills High School, led by the VHHS Student Government Association (SGA). Many groups entered the Trunk or Treat, with their themes being diverse and creative, from a circus theme to an under-the-sea theme and even a hippie-themed car.  Trunk or Treat was created to support the Lovelady Center, which is the charity that

Photo Credits: Getty Images What is literacy, and why is it important? According to Britannica, literacy goes beyond recognizing letters and words. It includes being able to read, write, and interpret different types of literature. A person who is literate should be able to understand, evaluate, and use written material to engage with society and achieve their goals (National Center for Education Statistics). When students suffer with reading and comprehending what they read

Credits: David Bartus If you are anything like me, you probably associate certain songs, albums, and artists with certain seasons or periods of your life. Music is an important part of many people's daily lives, so over this week, I decided to find out what fellow Vestavia Hills High School students and faculty are listening to. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the answers I received from interviewing people from multiple grades and classes. Each answer I got was uniqu

The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools ** College is stressful; of that, there’s no doubt. Whether by human nature, the systematic-pressure-inducing educational experience, or “just because,” we stand at the precipice of the unknown—otherwise known as everything college—and cannot help but worry. In reality, there have been college stud

Trick-or-treating, dressing up, and eating way too much candy are all traditional activities commonly associated with Halloween: the adored October holiday. No matter what activities you participate in on Halloween, everyone seems to celebrate this holiday in some form. It is a well-known favorite throughout America, but most people only know Halloween in its modern form.  Just like other holidays, Halloween has developed significantly over time, and many fans of this holida

Photo credits: Bama Preps On Friday, October 24, Vestavia Hills Varsity Football, ranked as the number two seed, faced their rivals, the Hoover Bucs, ranked number five. The Rebels needed school spirit to pull off the win, so Friday began with a morning pep rally. Each grade level dressed according to its theme: freshmen wore camo, sophomores dressed as celebrities, juniors wore black, seniors wore togas, and the band wore their Halloween costumes. David Leon took senior to

Credits: @vhhsfrenchduslay on Instagram Leah Dupre, affectionately known by her students as “Madame DuSlay,” is one of two French teachers at Vestavia Hills High School. She teaches French level 1 and 2 at the Freshman Campus, as well as level 2 classes at the main campus. Every high school French student at Vestavia will take her class at some point in their study. In French 1 and 2, her students learn the intricacies of the French language, how to read and write in French,

Photo Credits: Literacy Club The Literacy Club is at the heart of Vestavia. Not only do they impact the Vestavia Youth, but they also have encouraged adolescent reading throughout Birmingham. The Literacy Club at Vestavia bridges educational gaps and boosts the reputation of reading. Children are not reading now more than ever, and statistics prove it. The latest comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, which states that in 2022, only 39% of 9-year-old childr

Photo by Alan Hardman  on Unsplash The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools . This week looked a little different than normal, featuring an e-day on Tuesday and an unexpected event on Thursday. On Monday , the lunchroom kicked off Halloween week with pizza crunchers and baked ziti. Many people consider this meal mediocre. Between two su

Credits: Vestavia Hills Magazine The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools There you are, in the school lobby, observing the hundreds of students trickling in. It’s another Monday morning, and what do you see in many a teen’s hand? Caffeine. Some are sipping on Alani and Celsius. Some have just gone on a quick run to Vestavia Hills Nutri

Written by Grace Ding, Hannah Chen, and Sophia Chen On Saturday, October 25th, the VHHS Robotics Team kicked off their season at the Spooky on the Plains Tournament, located at Loachapoka High School. Keep reading to learn a little bit more about this extracurricular, the results of this tournament, and what more of the season will look like! A bit about robotics This year, there are four VHHS teams: Awesome Sauce! (99040A), Blackout robotics (99040B), Botanical Bots (99040

Credits: liahonaacademy.com Senior Year is filled with fun traditions and memories, from iconic school dances to some more tacit ones, including senior skip day. When the senioritis or the stress is hitting too hard, some seniors will skip school to catch up on schoolwork or take a breather. Senior skip day began in the 1930s as a way for students to feel rebellious and celebrate the end of their academic career. It was popularized by the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Alth

Credits: Emily Jin This past weekend, a select few from our track and field team visited the Alabama 4-H Center for a leadership retreat. This group consisted of every grade level found at the main campus (sophomore to senior), as well as every event group in both genders, except for distance due to their upcoming Sectionals meet.  At 9 am Saturday, the team met up at the dorms to begin the quick one-day retreat. The coaches communicated their expectations, excitement, and

Credits: Katherine Terino On October 30, the Cross Country team fought for their spot at the State Championships. It was a chilly morning with overcast skies and intermittent drizzle, around 50 degrees. The team had raced on the same course on October 18, which helped the athletes better gauge the terrain and develop stronger racing strategies. At sectionals, teams compete against others in the same division and area. In Alabama, there are four different sectional sites for

Photo Credits: Stranahan High School On Tuesday, October 28th, Vestavia Hills High School’s sophomores and juniors took the PSAT, a standardized test meant to prepare students for the actual SAT, one common college admissions test, and allow eligible juniors to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. For sophomores, the PSAT was a low-stakes exam. Unless their parents were treating their scores as life or death, the only thing on the line for them was a couple