6. Pretzels 2025

Nearly every time I open the camera app on my phone, a warning notification pops up on my screen saying “Iphone Storage Almost Full.” Although I am aware that the photos app takes up more than 80 percent of my storage, I still refuse to delete photos or videos from the past years.  I find it meaningful to document my experiences—whether big or small—through the lens of a camera. It’s almost as if it gives the power to “time-travel” since you are able to capture, or trap your memories and revisit them anytime you desire. No matter how long the photo or video was taken in, you are able to vividly re-experience those memories. However, I do acknowledge that it is dangerous to dwell on the past. Being obsessively nostalgic about old memories could cause one to form serious regrets and yearning to go back to the old times. This severely hinders an individual’s opportunities for growth as their view is limited to the past, which blinds them from seeing the amazing, fantastic, wonderful,...

“Um, so like–” Stop, stop, stop. Stop . Let’s try that again. “You know, like the, uh–” Ugh, I’m hopeless . In the span of a few words, that used to be what my conversations sounded like. Every time. Whether it be in the middle of a class, at recess, or at home with a friend. Every. Single. Time. It was quite frustrating to have more filler words in my sentences rather than the ones that carried actual essence in my speech. Now, I’ve always been more reserved and drawn back—unless I’m with friends, of course. But that doesn’t even nearly begin to justify my almost stuttered speech with a heavy reliance on filler words. "Filler words kind of, like, kill your credibility." - Courtesy of WordPress.com While I do remain grateful for the cultural connections that form as a result, I can’t help but hold my multilingual past liable for my wavering speech. When I freshly moved here at the age of nine from India, I thought that the English spoken here could sometimes be a bit rapid t...

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could read minds? You would know if your feelings are reciprocated instantly. Apparently if someone likes you, they naturally point their feet towards you. They mimic your actions and subconsciously adjust their posture whenever they see you. Their pupils dilate in your presence. This is what I learned when I came across TikToks from @spicycokezero , who extensively covers “psychology facts about crushes.” Even though psychologists can’t scientifically prove that someone likes you through their behavior, they have a higher chance of knowing—knowing if they like you, if they dislike you, if they are lying… Actually, it kind of creeps me out. What do you mean you can tell when I’m lying by the way my eyes are moving around? What do you mean you can just tell if someone dislikes you through their body language? I mean everyone can tell to a certain extent, but I think analyzing feet positioning and pupils to understand someone’s feelings is sort of creepy…  B...

Let's go back 12 years now. You are 4, maybe 5 years old now. Life is simple. The most difficult decision of the day is choosing what crayon to color in the flower classwork assignment. And then, every afternoon, something magical happens. Somebody, maybe your parents or daycare teacher, tells you "It's nap time." Initially, you dread it, but soon enough you fall asleep drooling onto your pillow. When you wake up you feel refreshed and full of energy.  However, at some point, we decided that napping was for babies. We became older and could "push through" exhaustion. But did we? Maybe four-year-old us had it all figured out. Many adults today consume exorbitant amounts of caffeine, staring blankly at their computer screen, wishing for a quick break—wishing to lie in bed, recharge, and head back to work.  This personally has worked for me. As soon as I get home, I hop into my bed take a quick nap and recharge. Considered to be "weird" by my friends,...

Two phrases that are often said every day: when I want to get takeout, or when I need help on a math question, or when someone picks up my pencil. Simple yet short phrases. Capturing what could be said through long, thoughtful stories in just a few concise words. Two phrases I never really understood yet stuck to me like glue.  It’s a complimentary gesture to respect those around you–whether you feel immense adoration or extreme contempt. The shallow and complicated feelings that can be similarly portrayed or left out makes the idea special. From family to strangers, “Please” and “Thank you” can be used in various situations to alleviate the seeming discomfort and stiffness in the air, washing over people like a breath of fresh air through the respect they are given.  At the same time, “Please” can be commonly seen in contexts of desperation. In many theatrical shows, characters often cry relentlessly as they beg for mercy, as commonly seen in shows where a villain or hero beg...

Why did you click on this blog?  You probably have better things to do. But since you’re here now, you might as well keep going. That’s exactly how clickbait gets you! It drags you out like a toddler with a secret and never gives you the candy you thought you would get from that stranger.           A Hook and a Click Yeah, I think everyone’s experienced this. We’re just minding our own business and then something pops up saying: 📢 "You Won’t Believe What Happens Next!" 📢 “This One Secret Hack Will Change Your Life!” What? What’s gonna happen? What’s the hack? My life could probably use some changing.  And guess what? Now you’re in, and the answer doesn’t show up until you’re 15 minutes down a rabbit hole.           Mindgames… If I had to humanize clickbait for an APENG assignment, I would say it’s like a friend who goes like, “OMG I HAVE TO TELL YOU SOMETHING RN!!!........nvm.” Like now I need to know. This is calle...

In most of our English classes in both high school and middle school, there has always been a pretty clear emphasis on written language as opposed to verbal language. If we look at the AP Exam for this class, it requires us to write three essays and complete MCQs that assess our reading comprehension and rhetorical skills. However, none of the AP exam tests our verbal communication skills, and instead assesses our English ability solely on the basis of reading comprehension and writing. This raises the question, however, regarding whether this is the right move for English classes around the country. Although most English classes involve some group work or presentations that involve spoken language skills, it is never assessed in a standardized way similar to the AP Exams or the SAT. I got the idea to write this blog post from my friend who’s currently a senior at AHS, Stavya Gaonkar (12). He asked me about what I thought regarding the annotations and other written work we do for AP E...

Earlier this week, I was having a conversation with a friend–a conversation which inevitably turned into complaints about school and comparisons of workloads, as it usually does. Forever searching for a way to romanticize school and capture our love for learning, we endeavored to find a metaphor that might represent our relationship with school as students: “It’s kinda like a parasite feeding off its host ,” my friend mused. I made a face. It definitely felt like the pressure had been draining me recently, but of course I had to get technical about it. “But the school’s so much bigger than us, so who’s the parasite in this scenario?” She huffed a laugh. “Alright, then we’re the parasites, and the host is feeding off of us?” We shared a good laugh over it, but the analogy still stuck with me. As much as I would prefer not being called a parasite, we technically are–and I mean this in the broadest, most ecological sense that we as students are meant to benefit from school by gaining know...

As I was doing my AP Spanish homework, I was struck with a deep revelation of what I can use these skills for. I will never communicate in Spanish to someone and if I go to a predominantly Spanish-speaking country, then I could rely on my sister who can speak broken Spanish. It caused me to recall my trip to Cancun where I stayed in an all-inclusive resort and visited the local parts and ate there. I realized that if I could have understood the language, life would have been a lot easier as we would have not been dropped off in the wrong location or we could have removed the meat from our food as my family is vegetarian. In addition, locals would warm up to us once they heard my sister talk in Spanish about locations or directions or just good spots to hang out and eat food. In Cancun there are a lot, and I mean A LOT, of people who try to scam you (happens at almost every tourist destination in the world) and the locals told us to avoid those areas and warn us about scammers. Tourists...

I’ve always loved to watch the various episodes of My Little Pony , featuring their catchy theme song and their memorable cutie marks. I’ll admit–I am rather biased towards Fluttershy – her baby pink hair and light Credits: My Little Pony Fandom Wiki yellow coat instantly captured my attention. Her shy personality made me feel rather sympathetic towards her in times when she was afraid to speak up. However, none of the ponies could work alone; they often depended on each other, coming to the conclusion that “friendship is magic.” Their cooperation together to defeat the evil dragons and traverse intimidating mountains and terrains brought them so much closer together, and their individual powers all combine together to make every mission a success. Captured in a short three-minute theme song, their personality traits each encapsulate the qualities that create the best team; specifically, it beautifully illustrates the kindness in Fluttershy’s heart that brings the entire team of ponie...

(Source: NPR) In this blog post, I’d like to deviate a little bit from what we normally consider as part of the theme “Power and Language.” Instead of focusing on an aspect of language and how that relates to power in our current society, I’d like to focus on something that may seem, at first, completely the opposite: silence . Silence, although it may seem to have nothing to do with regard to the power of language, is a powerful form of communication. By staying silent, one can send an implicit message to those around them, which can mean many different things in many different situations. For example, people who are being oppressed may choose to stay silent instead of acting violently, because that could potentially send a message to the oppressors saying that what they are doing isn’t working. Furthermore, silence can be used to assert dominance in certain situations, or even gain control in certain conversations. This can be seen in what many call, “the silent treatment.” If you ...

Throughout the thousands of years that humans have been on Earth, different cultures have popped up, developing as points of unity for people. From language to religion to music to media, these shared references of tradition have been what has held us together during times of societal division. But culture has also been a source of that same division. With globalization, however, it has become evident that culture and language have been weaponized for the marginalization of certain populations. Colonists staked their flags in the soil of foreign lands and decreed that all native people must now assimilate into the motherland’s “proper, more civilized” culture. Even now, many countries consider certain languages, such as English, to be a standard of higher education. Different aspects of culture have served as points of stigmatization against minority groups by identifying and labeling them as different–as “less than”–an idea perpetuated by authoritative powers.   But it’s not ...

 Growing up as a Korean in America, I got asked the question “North or South?” more times than I can remember, both jokingly and in serious ways. I still distinctly remember in my first year in Fremont, I was in the playground during recess when a girl approached me and asked, “Are you from South or North Korea? And why are there two Koreas? Aren’t they the same?”  Despite having lived in South Korea for the majority of my life, it's a little embarrassing to admit that I actually don’t know much about North Korea. The border that crosses the middle of the Korean peninsula creates a complete blockage of communication between the two; therefore, I’ve only learned about what it’s like there through Youtube videos and interviews of those who had successfully escaped.  North Korea is best-known for its totalitarian dictatorship. With its one-party-rule power structure, all authority flows under one, single supreme leader. Since the end of World War II, three generations of the...

“I hate you, Mom!” The bitter words ring out like the sharp cries of an ambulance rushing down the street with much fervor, seemingly silencing everything in their path as the surrounding world plunges into a state that is deathly reticent. Cue laugh track. If I could point out a glaring difference between my personal life and the lives led in American television shows, I would likely bring up the observed discrepancy between how I answer to my parents versus how kids in American sitcoms do. Growing up as a second-generation immigrant in an Asian and strictly religious household limited my words—to put it bluntly. Being born as the oldest daughter to such a family, I had to follow a set of unwritten and unspoken rules to present myself as reserved, yet well-spoken. Calm, yet thoughtful. Caring, yet never overly passionate. As such, when I first laid my eyes and ears on the loud and defiant teenage girl on American TV, my jaw quite literally dropped. My eyes widened as I took in the he...