5. Spaghetti 2025

The way in which we speak can impact how we are perceived in America. Language plays a large role in our society —from job interviews to every-day conversations. The way we present ourselves, meaning the words we say and our body language, affect how we are treated.  While this fact is not inherently bad on its own, people may hold prejudice against those who present themselves differently. For example, someone who speaks in a thick accent may be viewed as unintelligent or unable to complete tasks, even though that assumption is incorrect. Likewise, some may be viewed as immature or informal for using slang in a professional setting. These instances prove that language has power over our circumstances in society. While the saying, "actions speak louder than words," is often said, it ultimately disregards the power language has over us. Harsh and excluding language can push people away thus isolating ourselves, while kind and motivating words can alternatively bring people to...

As high school juniors, taking a break must be quite a foreign concept for you all. And by a break I mean a real break. Not scrolling on your phone, stressing about the assignment that you’ve been procrastinating. Not hanging out with your friends and thinking, I have to go home and study for that test in a few days . And definitely not overworking yourself to the point where you are so tired and stressed that you get sick. During the second semester of sophomore year, I got extremely burnt out and found it really difficult to force myself into doing work. I was constantly tired and didn’t want to do anything productive (even more so than usual), and I ended up constantly scrolling through Instagram reels and finding other ways to waste my time while there was a constant reminder that I was wasting my time ringing in my head, keeping me from relaxing properly.  Summer break eased this slightly, but the first semester of junior year seemed to be hurtling in the same direction, as I ...

Self-control is one of those things that's easy to talk about, but hard to practice. We don't often realize how much power we have over our actions as well as behaviour until we are faced with the decision. It's the choice you make when you are sitting on your phone, about to waste another hour, but then you change your mind and decide to work on your homework instead. It's those moments when we realize that the actual issue is not what we want at that time but what matters the most.  There is a saying my mom often repeats to me: "سب سے بڑی فتح اپنی نفس پر ہے" which means "The greatest victory is over one's own self". To me, it means that the real problem is not about facing external obstacles, rather mastering control over the desires and impulses that come from within. It is the temptation to give in, even on little things such as watching another video, scrolling aimlessly, eating unhealthy or when not even hungry, or skipping workout just bec...

Overthinker? Misunderstood? Pessimistic? These are all qualities that are influenced by our own perception. Our perception of how our small tiny actions impacted others' perception of us. Our perception of a statement that's intention was misconstrued. Our perception that under no circumstances will things go our way. These are all the ways perception influences our thinking and can slowly spiral into things that are far often not what they seem.  It was not very apparent to me just how much perceptions influenced the way in which we viewed all aspects of our life, until I was reading an article about how perceptual thinking has  influenced the way nuclear war plays out and how it even affects individuals and societies alike. The statement, at first left me a little confused because oftentimes it is a concept that goes untouched. I thought how could the way we think about something have so much influence to the point it starts a nuclear war, yet the more I began to mull over t...

Our choices are often dictated by the laws and policy that surround and control us. However, submission to power lacks sustainability and is less effective than steering an entire population or nation, which is where discrete approaches begin to develop in the form of soft power . In spheres of influence where simple judicial control cannot be applied, governments resort to subtly controlling the information and media people consume to consolidate their power, and such practices affect our daily lives in ways that are imperceptible. The distinction between soft power and hard power is a fine balance maintained by governments to build a common belief system among the people; the perfect example of such balance being disrupted was during the Cold War. At the height of the conflict between democracy and communism, the Soviet Union and the United States became beacons for each belief system, not only creating a national image among its own people, but attempting to conform the world to the...

Kaden Khau 12 - Powerful Parents February 26, 2025 I have always viewed parents as something loving and they always wants the best for you. This was my support for their reasons being portrayed as " controlling " or "strict." But I do think it is for a reason, and that reason was definitely not without purpose and just them abusing their authority. But as I grew up, I realized their power is like a double-edged sword, even when they wield it love. Power is definitely a prominent part of a family dynamic and complex. They hold authority over their children, shaping their values, futures, and choices. Their power can be a protective force, providing their children with the safety and guidance through all the chaos in the world. But it can also be a harmful force of a controlling and ill-witted that can stifle independence and impose expectations that might not align with their children's true values. But the tricky part is deciding what is best for their child, a...

An alcoholic father who is the sole caretaker of twin brothers. Sounds like a recipe for inevitably hopeless futures for the children, right? Yet, while this proves true for the brother who became a destitute alcoholic in his later years, the same cannot be said for the other twin, a successful, sober businessman. Two brothers, two wildly different futures, both of which they attribute to their pasts and the way they grew up. It begs the question though: What was the difference? It clearly can't be the environments that shaped them, a factor many often blame for the outcomes of their futures. In fact, it can only be attributed to the power behind changing one's mindset. Indeed, the first brother, who became an alcoholic, believed that because his father was an alcoholic, he was only destined to follow in those same footsteps. In his view, his circumstances were so powerful that they determined the course of his future. The second brother, however, though faced with the same cha...

     Just a week ago, the badminton team finally started tryouts, and the roster came out today. When I first joined the team back in freshman year, I was repeatedly told that one of my biggest weaknesses is "bad mental." Initially, I had absolutely no idea what it meant, but what everyone around me said is just to stay positive. Looking back, they were definitely right about me because whenever I made a really dumb mistake or missed an easy shot or just messed up in any other way, my confidence would take a big blow. And so, usually once I make a mistake, my entire gameplay just goes downhill, and I play a lot worse. Since then, I do think that I have made more progress on fixing this problem, and I have seen my performance getting more consistent. the racket  I use      Although oftentimes people like to just look at the more concrete, physical side of things, I believe that a having a better mentality can be pretty powerful too. Of course, just bein...

The power of advertisement impacts how we view products and what we decide to spend our money on. Companies meticulously choose words that make their products sound more appealing, trustworthy, and/or important.  A common technique used in advertising is the use of positive adjectives such as “fresh” and “organic” which make products sound high-quality, even if the products are not those things. Many companies often use terms such as “limited-time” and “exclusive” to create a sense of urgency about their products, making people feel more inclined to participate in sales. Another common way companies increase their clientele is by using vague language in their advertisement. Examples of this can include using phrases such as “scientifically proven,” “better,” and “healthier” to sound more convincing -- even though they often lack specific evidence to back-up these claims. These phrases boost the product without technically committing false advertisement which would involve legal in...

 I used to hate having to learn Chinese (I still do). Ever since my childhood, I have talked to my parents in Mandarin, while also taking classes. Although I still do not like learning it, I have grown to appreciate being bilingual. The ability to use language itself is a type of power. My proficiency in it has given me a meaningful and stronger connection to my other Chinese peers. It also helps to be able to understand their conversations, almost like a "secret" (but not really) method of communication. I can listen to Chinese songs, understand goofy Chinese references, make silly Chinese jokes with friends; there is so much value to be found in a language.  a kind of dumb meme i saw a while ago link I remember yesterday, during our awesome and totally very fun one hour forty minutes of note taking, I encountered a question that asked me if I would be able to leave the United States and live somewhere else. My initial reaction was a very vehement no, but as I thought about ...

Typography is not just simply choosing a font that looks good, it is a psychological tool that possesses the ability to completely change the way we feel and think about what we're reading. I noticed this when I was working on a poster for club on Canva , and everytime I changed the font of my title, modified its appearance, bolded, italicized, even a simple shift, made a big difference. Different tones can be conveyed through appearance alone, as Svaiko mentions in his article, "Serif fonts convey a traditional and reliable tone" while "Bickham Script conveys a sense of luxury", both are used for different purposes. The "Bickham" font, with its soft and welcoming display, is often used for wedding invitations and by luxury brands. On the other hand, Serif and Impact fonts are "bold and heavy" and are often used in headlines and logos, catching audience's attention first.  This reveals the role of fonts in advertisements and campaigns. Fo...

Having lived through more than a decade's worth of experiences, there are times where we are bound to get words of encouragement or words that make us question our self worth. While some words can be taken with a grain of salt, many resonate with us far past their spoken time. Whatever those words may be, they are the words that consume our shower thoughts, our sleepless nights, or even our late night conversations with our friends. For me, a phrase that I heard years ago in a video that deeply resonated with me were the words “I have walk away power.” To me this phrase brought about a level of comfort that I have never found simply because it consolidated to me the idea that it was okay to fail and not consequently be a failure.  Now what is “ walk away power .” I imagine it is the ability to know that within a second's thought that if a situation or a circumstance does not sit right with me I have the power to walk away and never come back.  A lot of my belief within this ph...

I have often been described by my friends as slightly delusional, or overly optimistic. I cannot seem to remember a time when I was not this way, as my default mindset is “hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” However, recently, I found myself pondering why I am this way. Well, for starters, I read. A lot. This may seem entirely unrelated, but hear me out. For the most part, I read cutesy romance novels with no real conflicts, simply a happy story of a couple falling in love and living happily ever after— I surround myself with such positivity in the form of the literature I consume that it filters into my ideologies. One of my friends also reads quite a bit, but the novels she reads are much more grounded and realistic, with the issues that life throws at people included in their fullest and as important parts of the plot, rather than momentarily involved then mysteriously gone as they do in the books I read. This may have influenced her ideologies, as she has a much more grounde...

  Society today runs on power. From our phones to our cars, almost no aspect of our day is untouched by a man-made energy source. While debates in popular media today focus on the arguments between oil and renewable methods like solar and wind, a single, reliable, and scientifically marvelous energy source lies in the background powering 9% of global energy needs today: nuclear power. Nuclear power produces far fewer air pollutants, requires less natural resources, and is reliable regardless of weather conditions. Adding to the list of advantages, the abundance of resources needed for nuclear power keeps it separated from global politics and supply chains, and its prospect of mass employment in construction and operation means that a nuclear power revolution can benefit all of society. The benefits are limitless, yet some factors force this energy source into the background.  Although nuclear power is considered safe and sustainable, its impacts on the environment are still si...

Kaden Khau 11 - Teachers influence Students February 12, 2025 I used to love math. I always thought math was fun and everything just clicked together. But that was until I got one a specific math teacher who completely changed the view on had on the subject during freshmen year. I had already learned geometry in my eighth grade year and went on to double accelerated my freshmen year. I thought it was going to be a breeze through it until they handed me a packet and just started solving problems without really explaining any of it. It was way different than the way I was taught and it really started to confuse me.  This was like that one video of the long haired blonde guy who talked back to his teacher about handing them "freaking packets" and saying that some kids don't learn that way. But then the next year after, I got a teacher who really explained the steps and how to do the math problems step by step and that really helped me learn. That experience taught me just ho...

If I had to write about the toxicity of fandoms in general, this blog post would easily go over 500 words. So, instead of going down that rabbit hole, I made a list of the ten most toxic fandoms, asked a friend to pick a random number from one to ten, and ended up with sports fandoms. And that right there shows just how many fandoms can turn to toxicity. What starts as a simple debate can quickly spiral into something much darker, where people go from disagreeing to dehumanizing others seemingly instantly. It is not just one type of fandom either—it’s almost every single one, with radicals who shape and define the toxic culture that’s unfortunately expected in today’s world. Sports fandoms are a prime example of how passion for a team can quickly become toxic. While there are many fans who remain enthusiastic and just enjoy supporting their teams, there is always a group who takes their beliefs much too far. It ends up being these radical fans that often transform games, rivalries, and...