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I have been skiing since I was too small to walk in ski boots. Every winter, my family would drive to Mammoth and drop me off in ski lessons while they skied on the actual slopes. Those trips became a constant in my life, and skiing is still one of the few things that…
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Bruno Shapiro: Reading Shakespeare’s works is, as he described life in “King John,” “as tedious as a twice-told tale, vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man,” or, plainly, repetitive and boring. The California Department of Education requires that public high school students learn to study and analyze a variety of Shakespeare’s works as…

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Every Sunday, millions of people go to church, praying and asking God for guidance in life. But my Sunday ritual goes quite differently: I place a collection of crystals in a circle and start shuffling a tarot card deck. While they might be more unconventional practices than going to church and praying, my spiritual…

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At least once a week, I find myself sitting in some of my classes struggling to stay awake, stressed with the never-ending list of assignments that pile on my Canvas. My attention drifts off as I daydream my after-school plans, and then my attention is once again grasped by two numbers. A slight smile…
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It seems that young people have been more critical of established systems than ever before. Unfortunately, the companies that have profited from such systems have been taking notice. When marketing specialists see how teenagers are trying to consume more consciously, all they see is the opportunity to greenwash their stores and website. Greenwashing is…
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It is a terrifying realization that each small online action made on a daily basis could harm someone’s future in a matter of years. In my own Generation Z, my peers and I have grown up with social media platforms, and it is harder than ever to avoid an online presence. What is concerning…
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As I sat outside Urban Plates for dinner a few weeks ago with my friends, we were enjoying our conversation until suddenly a baby began to scream and cry. Naturally, this is what babies do, so this is not the issue. The issue lies in the matter of their father. The father sat on…
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With the exception of a handful of snubs and questionable inclusions, the 2024 Oscars seem to have given artistic merit some genuine consideration. As anticipated, Oppenheimer received the most nominations with 13 categories. While much of this year’s Oscar nods seem to have gone the way cinemagoers have expected, there were a few surprises.…
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In third grade, I spent hours meticulously creating personalized valentines for each person in my class. I made paper dolls and cut out hearts and bits of lace to attach to my cards, only to receive corny store bought cards from my class mates with messages like “You rock my world” and “You have…

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Let’s go back to 2021. The album “Sour” was released, and people could not get enough of the breakthrough, ex Disney Channel-kid, Olivia Rodrigo. Fans nearly broke Spotify while helping her break the record for the biggest opening week of an album by a female artist. Every mainstream pop radio station was playing “Driver’s…