-
Valentine’s Day hate is performative
•
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, and despite the fact that it is a day meant to celebrate love, I have noticed with each passing year that it brings up many negative emotions for those who do not have a romantic partner. Indeed, I would venture to say that many people feel a distinct…
-
Growing up means rediscovering who I am
•
Growing up, I was a really good kid. Not just in the listening to my parents or getting good grades kind of way, but in the sense that I was good at being a kid. The spirit and magic of childhood were at the core of my identity, and I leaned into it completely,…
-
Rewatching shows builds lasting comfort
•
Rewatching a TV show might seem as exciting as reheating leftovers, but it can end up being more satisfying and worthwhile than risking your time on something new. The concept of revisiting a show admittedly be more enjoyable and meaningful in this day and age where the number of TV shows and series available…
-
Reliance upon AI prevents beneficial mistakes
•
With an exhale of breath and a cross of my fingers, I hit the dreaded blue rectangle in the bottom corner of my screen reading “submit.” As the bell rings, I feel a sense of relief, thinking back to my countless days of studying and reviewing. Yet under this sense of relief, a stronger…
-
ICE actions reflect a change in intentions
•
ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] was designed to keep America safe, but today, it works nearly unregulated, endangering American citizens and non-citizens alike. Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old poet and U.S. citizen, was killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 7 while leaving a protest. On Jan. 24, ICE agents shot and killed…
-
The pro-life movement is rife with deceit
•
If the political American right loved children as much as they preach that they do, the world might actually improve. However, the pro-life movement is steeped in scripture and sanctimony. Supporters seem enamored with the biblical idea of a fetus, rather than helping the children who are suffering in the world today. As more…
-
My new year’s resolution: to rediscover myself
•
I have long been a philosophical child. I always had more questions than my parents or teachers had answers, and gathered knowledge to hoard it away in the cracks and crevices of my mind. When I was little, I did things because they were fun, because they brought me joy. In my most vivid…
-
Human connection dies with online shopping
•
As I walk the desolate beige alleyways on my way to my job at the Janss Mall with jazz music softly floating around me, I cannot help but feel melancholy for the empty stores and days of customerless stretches for a mall I frequently shopped at growing up. Restaurants and stores are struggling to…
-
Proximity does not equate to closeness
•
When my brother, Duncan, left home for UCLA, many cautioned me with horrified expressions and a constant echo of comments like “just wait for how lonely you’ll be” or “I can’t believe you’re an only child now.” Initially, these remarks scared me into thinking that I would suddenly become an isolated, sibling-less individual. But…
-
Slice of Life: Hiking provides the cheapest form of therapy
•
Growing up in Newbury Park for most of my life, I can say with a full chest that I do not take advantage of it enough. In addition to In-N-Out and Potrero Road late at night, there are miles and miles of trails that curve and switchback like our own patchwork. I have attempted…