by Aanya Mittu (’25) | March 22, 2024 The power of language often goes unnoticed in our daily lives, especially in casual conversations with our friends and family. Unfortunately, many words and […]
Beyond breakouts: is acne only skin deep?
by Mollie Jones (’27) | March 22, 2024 Many claim acne as one of the most commonly stigmatized skin conditions in the world, stereotyping those with it to be unhealthy, unattractive, unapproachable, […]
Why are teachers quitting?
by Selah Dorn (’25)| March 22, 2024 My TikTok feed is a mixture of music recommendations, political commentary, consumer culture, and week after week, teachers throwing their hands up in surrender and […]
Why doesn’t anyone read anymore?
by Myra Malhotra (’26) | March 22, 2024 In an age where digital distractions abound and the demands of daily life seem ever-increasing, the simple act of reading has become a challenge […]
How Russia changed from a enemy to an ally: changing political beliefs in conservative politics
by Rithvik Chavali (’24) | March 1, 2024 The Republican Party. The Grand Old Party. Since the Reagan Era, the conservative party of the United States has represented the quintessential “American Party.” […]
Debunking white feminism and Taylor Swift
Kylie Chen (’24) and Kiana Allard (’24) | March 1, 2024 Over the past year, Taylor Swift has experienced a meteoric rise in fame, performing over one hundred shows and earning over […]
The People Problem: crude comments about curly hair
by Aanya Mittu (’25) | March 1, 2024 Growing up, I absolutely hated the idea of going to get my hair cut. No matter how many times my mother tried to explain […]
The dying art of hobbies
by Semira Arora (’25) | March 1, 2024 My eyes began to droop as the dull glow from my phone fried the last shred of my brain power, but I could not […]
On Ayodhya
by Sarav Desai (’24) | February 2nd, 2024 Let’s talk about Ayodhya. Ayodhya, for those unaware, is regarded as the birthplace of Ram, an immensely important figure in Hinduism and the famous protagonist […]
The People Problem: the “rustic” charm of farmers’ markets
by Aanya Mittu (’25) | February 2, 2024 In the heart of Berkeley, California, Alice Waters’ world-renowned restaurant, Chez Panisse, has attracted various customers since its opening in 1971. Waters, an award-winning […]
Puerto Rico’s increasing number of C-sections sparks concerns over healthcare
by Jasmine Salgado (’26) | February 2, 2024 Puerto Rico’s alarming healthcare statistics show firsthand the dangers of life in poverty. Considering that Puerto Rico is poorer than Mississippi (the most impoverished […]
Hair bows: embracing femininity
by Mollie Jones (’27) | February 2, 2024 Hair bows, a popular twenty-first-century symbol of femininity, have not always been associated with sophistication and youth. Bows have existed for much of human […]
Connections: the best NYT game
by Katherine Winton (’25) | November 17, 2023 As one of the most popular news sites in the United States, The New York Times is well known not only for its daily […]
Why can’t we stop mass shootings?
by Sarav Desai (’24) | November 17, 2023 On October 25, a gunman in Lewiston, Maine killed 18 people and injured 13 more, resulting in yet another mass shooting in America. After […]
The People Problem: the harms of collateral damage in war
by Aanya Mittu (’25) | November 17, 2023 As news headlines flood with recountings of battles fought across the world, the term “collateral damage” seems to keep popping up—specifically in reference to […]
College admissions on the limb: the affirmative action ruling
by Thanisha Kapur (’25) | November 17, 2023 College admissions season is in full swing, and no one is more stressed than the seniors who are finishing their applications and stacking their […]
McCarthy’s ousting unpacked
by Claire Marcellini (’26) | November 17, 2023 In an unprecedented move in early October, the House of Representatives made a historic decision, voting to remove a Speaker of the House as […]
The People Problem: social impacts of antihomeless infrastructure
by Aanya Mittu (’25) | October 6, 2023 Casual remarks made in passing can have profound effects on how we view the world, and they simultaneously speak volumes about our privilege. Based […]
Smoky shutdowns: school closures in the face of fire
by Selah Dorn (’25) | October 6, 2023 Bright orange skies, the sun blazing through an omnipresent gray haze, the overwhelming smell of campfire. Unfortunately, this visual seems to be an increasingly […]
The “girl-ification” of TikTok trends
by Thanisha Kapur (’25) | October 6, 2023 The rise of social media platforms has had enormous impacts on daily lives, especially for teenagers who spend most of their time scrolling endlessly […]
Exploring controversies in Disney’s upcoming Snow White remake
by Myra Malhotra (’26) | October 6, 2023 Disney, a global entertainment giant, has a history of creating cinematic classics cherished by generations. Currently, the company is at the forefront of the […]
Trend Z: modern celebrity culture
by Semira Arora (’25) | March 31, 2023 Nowadays, when scrolling through Instagram, it’s becoming more difficult to differentiate who is a celebrity and who is an influencer. With the rise of […]
Hope for the high-speed rail
by April Beyersdorf (’24) | March 31, 2023 Commuting from the Bay Area to Los Angeles either means a very long drive or a very short flight. The highways and airports are […]
Breaking down the Silicon Valley Bank collapse
by Kasper Halevy (’24) | March 31, 2023 One million dollars a second. That is how fast clients of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) withdrew deposits on March 10, causing the Federal Deposit Insurance […]
On the Frontlines: Unveiling the hegemon’s toolbox
by Alexander Chang (’23) | March 31, 2023 This final edition of On the Frontlines deviates from its traditional format to illustrate a broader geopolitical situation that has only grown more and more […]
Rethinking diversity training
by Sarav Desai (‘24) and Semira Arora (’25) | March 31, 2023 Recently, terms like “diversity, equity, and inclusion” are populating 9-5 company culture. Although the terms within diversity training may sound […]
The prognosticator’s prediction: true or false?
by Claire Marcellini (’26) | March 10, 2023 Art by Megan Wang (’25) Every February 2, the faithful enthusiasts of groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, also known as the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, gather around […]
Why the earthquake should be the end of Erdogan
by Sarav Desai (’24) | March 10, 2023 On February 5th, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Southern Turkey and Northern Syria; it was followed by two massive aftershocks, bringing further destruction […]
Loving your life: the romanticization of the everyday
by Smriti Vijay (’25) | March 10, 2023 romanticize: to deal with or describe in an idealized or unrealistic fashion; to make (something) seem better or more appealing than it really is In a […]
Trend Z: perception vs. peace
by Semira Arora (’25) | March 10, 2023 Congratulations! Your personality type is…exactly what you filled out for ninety questions. With the rise of personality questionnaires like the Myers-Briggs sixteen personalities test […]
On the Frontlines: The story behind the DRC’s two decades of war
by Alexander Chang (’23) | March 10, 2023 On November 4, 2022, President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced the establishment of military recruitment centers across the […]
McCarthy strikes a deal for Speaker
by Sarav Desai (’24) | February 3, 2023 Early on the morning of Saturday, January 7, Kevin McCarthy breathed a sigh of relief, as he was finally elected to be the fifty-fifth […]
You’re toxic, I’m slipping under (the alt-right pipeline)
by Claire Marcellini (’26) and Elsa Ying (’23) | February 3, 2023 In recent years, the term “toxic masculinity” has entered public consciousness. The concept was first introduced by the American Psychological […]
If Republicans truly care about “fair” elections, they should expel George Santos
by Nikhil Dewitt (’24) | February 3, 2023 In a year where Democrats managed to largely stave off a massive Republican wave during the midterm elections, New York stood out as a […]
Trend Z: the evolution of self-care
by Semira Arora (’25) | February 3, 2023 As the cold, flabby sheet mask marinated my skin, I sat with my own thoughts for fifteen minutes. While staring at the ceiling, I […]
On the Frontlines: A nation in the pocket of twenty-four families
by Alexander Chang (’23) | February 3, 2023 Weighed down by the ashes of the Korean War, the largely agrarian South Korean economy entering the 1960s was anything but successful. Nearly eighty […]
Lights, camera, no action: examining award show culture
by Jasmine Salgado (’26) | February 3, 2023 The list of award shows seems endless: Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, Golden Globes, and, more. Most see award shows as a momentous occasion for actors, […]
Affirming or denying: Supreme Court’s affirmative action cases
by Anika Bastin (’23) | November 18, 2022 The Supreme Court has become an increasingly controversial body in the last couple of years. The current Court demonstrated its boldness in its recent […]
Franny Flu: Why is everyone getting sick?
by Selah Dorn (’25) | November 18, 2022 My religion class normally has around twenty-five kids. Yet these past couple of weeks, barely half of them were here at the same time. […]
On the Frontlines: how social media decided a Philippine election
by Alexander Chang (’23) | November 21, 2022 On May 9th, 2022, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) won a landslide victory in the 2022 Philippine presidential election, securing roughly fifty-nine percent of […]
A red wave… more like a red ripple
by Nikhil Dewitt (’24) | November 18, 2022 Over the past few weeks, news channels began emphasizing the red wave that would occur on election day. Republicans would take back the House […]
Post-pandemic life: Gen-Z concert culture
by Jasmine Salgado (’26) | November 18, 2022 A year and a half of pandemic-related anxiety and isolation has left society hungry for forms of entertainment that used to be commonplace in […]
Trend Z: authenticity on social media
by Semira Arora (’25) | November 18, 2022 In the past six months, the app BeReal has achieved virality and become one of the most popular apps for Gen Z. Alexis Barreyat […]
Hectic Halloween: Moving the festivities to Saturdays
by Hadley Fay (’26) | October 7, 2022 Ghouls, ghosts, and pumpkins galore. Staying up late. Laughing with friends while devouring buckets full of candy. Halloween is inarguably one of the best […]
On the Frontlines: LGBTQ+ Erasure in Uganda
by Alexander Chang (’23) | October 7, 2022 On August 7, 2022, Ugandan officials shut down the Sexual Minorities Uganda Group (SMUG), claiming that the group had failed to register with the […]
Why we need accountability after Mar-a-Lago
by Nikhil Dewitt (’24) | October 7, 2022 In the midst of the chaotic transition of power between Donald Trump and Joe Biden after the deadly insurrection on January 6, many Americans […]
The unsustainability of TikTok trend cycles
by Anika Bastin (’23) | October 7, 2022 Social media has been omnipresent since the Internet itself emerged. Starting with more casual forms of communication, like MySpace, social media has now grown […]
Trend Z: the dark sides of dark academia
by Semira Arora (’25) | October 7, 2022 The romanticization of education is certainly not a new niche within media. Entertainment gave us Dead Poets Society as early as 1989 and more […]
Media coverage of Ukraine-Russia conflict highlights double standard
By Rohan Sinha (’23) | April 8, 2022 When Russian forces began their invasion of Ukraine in late February, the international community hastened to demonstrate solidarity with the Ukrainian people. The day […]
Wheels vs. doors: a once insignificant debate now sparking social media outrage
by Semira Arora (’25) and Anusha Jain (’25) | April 8, 2022 In addition to debates on many viral phenomena such as the audio of Laurel and Yanny or the infamous black […]