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Long Ways to Go

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Looking around, I get this nagging feeling that the world is hellbent on taking reverse strides. Just as we come together to fight long drawn social battles, we find ourselves teetering between hard-fought, deserving victories and frustrating stalemates. The latest being the most astonishing stalemate and pushback on LGBTQ+ rights across the country. Our current government’s efforts to literally throw the term ‘transgender’ out of existence by corroding protections for transgender students and workers, and removing access to gender-affirming health care, clearly shows that the euphoria over marriage equality in 2015 may have been very premature. Growing up in a liberal California, the government has taken progressive steps in protecting LGBTQ+ students by preventing schools from outing their students’ sexualities to parents and other authorities without consent. These are moves that have prioritized safety, respect, and young children’s autonomy; however, the intensity of these develop...
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The Search for Common Ground

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The hallways of our schools have always been cherished as places of learning, growth, and acceptance. They hum with familiar rhythms: the slam of lockers, the muffled chatter of exhausted students ready to go home, the distant monotonous bell signaling the shift to the next class of the day. But underneath the surface of what are seemingly common routines, a different tension, being pumped into schools exists. It’s in a tension that centers, in part, around something as seemingly mundane as a restroom door, and the complexities it represents for a select number of students. As our times become more modern, and political issues divulge into the sweet purities of our schools, the issue of transgender bathroom access, coupled with increasing discussions about when and how we introduce topics related to LGBTQ+ identities in the classroom, has ignited passionate debates, dividing communities and raising complex questions about identity, safety, and belonging. At its roots, both of these de...
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Dear Diary

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  Dear Diary,  I don’t really know where to start. Today was one of those days where the academic grind mentality just did not hit. Instead, I think the world might explode and end, because I just don’t know what I’m doing with my life right now. I went to my first meeting with a college counselor- she’s going to help me get into college- and it just feels like all the weight in the world is going to get thrown at me. One by one, my list of programs to apply to, books to write, business ideas to work on, it just grows and grows and I want it to stop. Everywhere I look, there’s people that are doing insanely incredible things: internships at large firms, starting not one, but TWO non profit organizations, volunteering or partnering with a major business. When I started high school two years ago, I knew that I would have to work and always be on the grind, but I’m so stuck now. It feels like college is just a fingertip out of reach, and I’m stuck suspended in the air, trying to ...
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2023

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2023: A Year of Quiet Growth Part 1 Seeds Sown in Stillness I remember when my sister first got accepted into APAAS in early May . We got a letter, my parents played with her a little and told her it was a letter from Mr. Stonebarger, the Turtle Rock Elementary School principle, because she was in a lot of trouble. 6 years ago, they used that exact same trick with me, when I got my letter too. She walked upstairs, and read the letter, all of us watching from outside, with our knowing smiles. Her delayed reaction surprised me a little, but her understanding of what the letter meant posed a question for us all. She was accepted at Westpark Elementary School, not at Turtle Rock. Going into 5th grade the following year, with two more years left in elementary school, did she really want to switch to a new school, with a different schedule, and leave behind her friends and teachers? Her two weeks of contemplation left me wondering what her decision would be. The mind of a 10-year-old is so u...
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The 2024 Elections: A Gauntlet of Ghosts and Grappling with the Future

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The 2024 presidential election looms like a thunderhead on the horizon, charged not just with the usual electricity of ambition and policy clashes, but with a disquieting undercurrent of anxiety and dread. This time, the contenders face a gauntlet of lingering issues – growing immigrant policy concerns, healthcare, inflation, as well as more practical and ongoing topics including the specter of Biden family, the simmering anxieties of foreign conflicts, and the long shadow of Donald Trump's legal battles – all vying for a starring role in the drama unfolding before the nation's eyes. This upcoming electoral contest arrives at a time when the nation is facing an array of pressing challenges, demanding comprehensive discussions during the upcoming 2024 presidential debates.  Currently, the US is characterized by a confluence of issues spanning from a continued economic recovery post-pandemic, open border related immigration issues, to systematic inequalities, climate change mitig...
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“X” Marks the Spot

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Image courtesy- Emin Sansar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images In an announcement, leaving the world in shock, Elon Musk, the maverick entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and other companies, announced his personal decision to rebrand Twitter as “X,” quickly changing the logo and company name soon after. This unexpected name change has sparked some heated debates among tech enthusiasts, and avid users of the platform, with many making their decisions to leave the app. However, as an observer of the event, I think that this rebranding could ultimately have profound implications for how Twitter has supported free speech, and the company’s overall image and reputation.  The rebranding of the company to “X” signifies somewhat of a radical departure from Twitter’s long-term established identity. For years, Musk has been known to be a firm believer and supporter in the idea of free speech, using Twitter as a method to communicate his theories and thoughts to the world and his millions of...
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One Door Leads to Another

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One door always leads to another... Journal Entry 2; October 2 PERSON 2 Twinkles flashed in the bleak, black midnight sky, illuminating the world above. I sat on my balcony, thinking wistfully- wishing I hadn't been stuck in this palace. A gown adorned my body, hugging my curves in all the right places; it was pearl white, with delicate flower embroidery lining the bottom of the flowy skirt, gliding gracefully whenever I walked. It was the most captivating, stunning garment I had ever laid my eyes on. If only I had been wearing it under different circumstances.  Image courtesy- Pexels Suddenly, I went stiff and felt an overwhelming sensation, feeling the weight of the world being mercilessly thrown at me. My heart hurt and my face became wet with streams of tears flowing down my cheeks. No one in the world could help me, and it didn't feel like anyone cared either. I was kidnapped... thrown and imprisoned in a room of a palace I loathed. Starved for days because I refused a mar...
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