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Growing up with the decline of movie theaters
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I saw my first movie in theaters at age five. I’m aware that’s pretty late to achieve that milestone, especially for someone as passionate about film as I am. Additionally embarrassing was the film itself, that being “Cars 2,” a monumentally stupid movie that I wholeheartedly adored. Seeing the fast movements, colorful animation and…
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State laws should not be overwritten by cities
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City wide governments should never be able to override state protected rights. This problem was brought up when certain cities in California attempted to ban abortion while the rights for this procedure is protected by state law. When abortion was denied as a federal issue when Roe v Wade was overturned June 24, 2022,…
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Becoming comfortable in my own skin
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From a very young age, I knew I was gay. To be exact, I am a nonbinary pansexual, which means I don’t identify as a boy or a girl, and I am attracted to everyone. As a kid who grew up in a very heteronormative household, I never thought about anything outside of that.…
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Mental health support needs to help the mentally ill
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According to my medical history, I have never had major problems with my health aside from appendicitis and the occasional flu. However, when looking closer you will see a history of mental illness. Notes from therapists and psychiatrists, hospitalizations for suicidal ideation and an attempt and admittance to a psychological facility in west Torrance.…
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Creativity drives intelligence
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There is a scientific theory, the idea of being “left-brain or right-brain dominant.” Left brain thinkers are analytical or methodical, and right-brain thinkers are said to be more creative. The left-brainers use logic and the right-brainers use subjectivity. AKA, good at math and not good at math. Normally, people are one or another, which…
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South Asian culture affects youth
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As much as I love South Asian culture, the traditional and conservative mindsets it carries have impacted many as they have grown up, myself included. “Be as smart as your brother. Why aren’t you skinnier? Your skin is far too dark,” my mother would always repeat. South Asian parents have instilled westernized values as…
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My journey through mental illness
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“It feels like I am in my own mental prison, I can’t escape the thoughts inside my head.” That’s what I wrote in my journal from last summer. I am not the same person from a year ago. Although my anxiety and depression can still feel like a battle, it no longer feels like…
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Old technologies are irreplaceable
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Most teenagers crave play stations, laptops or the newest iPhone, but for my thirteenth birthday, all I wanted was a typewriter. A lot of people may think it’s silly to have something so old. After all, there’s nothing an old typewriter can do that a computer can’t, and the machine is bigger, heavier, louder…
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Mindset means everything
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Every morning, I wake up to the sun glinting at me through the blinds along my windows and an alarm clock graciously reminding me that I have another 24 hours at my disposal. Another 24 hours that I can fill with beautiful moments and mold in such a way that makes me happy. I…
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The AP Art History course is far from diverse
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In the spring of 2020, I signed up for the AP Art History course with high hopes. I was looking forward to the “investigation of diverse artistic traditions of cultures,” which the course and exam description so relentlessly emphasized. I am halfway through the course and can confidently say that the word “diverse” was…