All I had was hiking boots and bright red Chacos. We showed up at 7 and in Spain, that’s an hour before opening.

During my sophomore year, I lived in Spain for the second semester. Towards the end of the school year, ASB, (American Schools of Barcelona) did a hiking trip for each grade to hike 1/4th of the Camino.

But who cares about the beautiful views and amazing friends I made, what I will remember forever will be the paella I had.

It was one of our last nights on the hiking trip, we stayed in Santander in hostels and we had free range of the whole city. I was completely unaware of what attire to wear to dinner that night so I wore what I had available: white socks with red Chacos, a sweatshirt, and white jean shorts. Completely too casual. But after meeting up with my friends, I realized we were all in the same boat.

The boys had a plan, the owner of the hostel recommended a restaurant that we all decided to go to. But it was 30 30-minute walk across the tracks in a quiet rundown place in the city on a rainy foggy night. We trudged through the rain and awkwardly laughed when we had to take a rickety elevator down to be able to cross the train tracks. After we passed an adult intramural soccer game (or football as they call it 😉 ), we finally made it to the hole-in-the-wall restaurant, La Gruta de Jose, that the too-friendly hostel owner recommended. but we were too early…

Finally, after waiting in the square where the restaurant resided, an old man opened the door and let us in. Luckily we had a native Spanish speaker with us because the old man only spoke it. He eagerly let us in, excited to have young people in his traditional Spanish restaurant. He brought his wife to come see all of us hungry for a meal, she laughed and smiled at us and hurried away to prepare the best meal I’ve ever eaten. We all sat at a long dining room table, a dozen of us awaiting what my friend ordered in Spanish, I had no idea what was coming. Then it started, the first course: clams. Unbelievable, one of the best crustaceans I have ever eaten. Next freshly baked bread that the old man plopped directly on the table. No need for any spreads, not even a plate. But then, and oh wow my mouth is watering just thinking about it, the paella. Perfectly seasoned, perfectly baked shrimp and jamon. The crispy rice paired with the smooth sauce. Just wow, it took me 5 months to have this good of paella.

Don’t judge a restaurant by its hole-in-the-wall appearance, it may just be one of the best meals you’ll ever eat.

I often get hyperfixated on certain foods and go through periods of two or three months eating the same snack every day. So now that 2023 is officially over, I thought I would share the ranking of my snack fixations of the year.

1. Coming in first would have to be Goldfish. You can’t go wrong with Goldfish. I like the extreme cheddar flavor, but I avoid things that get my hands messy since I mostly snack when I’m on the go. I usually go with the classic cheddar, but if I’m feeling spontaneous, I’ll get rainbow. Overall, I would rate Goldfish an 8.5/10.
2. Second, are the RITZ toasted chips in the original flavor. They are very salty, which I personally love. Overall, they make for a wonderful snack, and I would rate them a solid 8/10.
3. In third place is Cheerios (honey nut, of course). This may be an unpopular opinion, but Cheerios are in my top three favorite cereals. They are a great classic, especially if I’m looking for something on the sweeter side. Overall, I would rate them an 8/10.
4. In last place is Saltines. Saltines come in sleeves, which is super convenient to just grab on my way out the door. I would usually eat about half a sleeve throughout the day and save the rest to either share with the people at my lunch or eat the next day. I would rate these a 7.5/10 only because they can get a bit plain after awhile.

 

Her eyes fluttered open and she was again met with the familiar blue walls, poorly hung pictures, and a cluttered desk. Her sheets smelled the same as always and the carpet felt the same on her tired feet. That day, like every day, she got dressed and read books, played music, wrote stories, and re-watched the same DVDs that could barely be heard through the clunky old DVD player. Every day she repeated the same mundane tasks and once bored, she would sleep. A cycle of sleep, dreaming, and reality. Every day over and over again for weeks or months or years (She didn’t know time anymore). She could force herself awake for 10 hours or it could be 10 minutes, but at this point, she didn’t care how long it was. Every second awake she craved to be asleep “to sleep perchance to dream”, right? To dream was to escape. To live. To leave the boring blue walls, the drooping photos, and the repetitively messy desk. In dreams, she could dream of before. What she had instead of what she was stuck with. Even the rub, the nightmares were reminders of a life where she wasn’t stuck in her own head. Left in an imaginary prison where all she held onto was the old, cluttered boring bedroom from her teenage years. Even in her own mind, she wasn’t in control until she slept.

I often think about perception and how everyone’s mind is programmed differently due to our environment or heredity. While listening to a Huberman Lab podcast episode, I realized the importance of self-defining concepts that are generally already defined for us.

What I mean by this is to create our own perception of what a concept means to us without societal pressure to better ourselves or self-scrutinize while also allowing change in our perception. Take the word balance for example. Balance used to mean something completely different to me than it does now. Perhaps it’s easy to get caught in a general worldview of what something means, wanting to fit in with new trends or relate to something unattainable. After years of self-progress, I’ve been able to redefine balance and what it means for me to fit the phase I’m at in my life. This doesn’t mean my perception of balance won’t continue to change. When that change comes again, I’ve learned to embrace it instead of fearing it. The beautiful thing about change is that it builds our character and strengthens us. I keep this in mind when I feel uncomfortable due to change because I know it’s for the better!

Professor Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist who is based at Standford School of Medicine. His podcasts take immense brain power, so I recommend a good night’s sleep and maybe a dose of caffeine before listening, but his episodes are 100% worth the time and effort. He gives so much insight into why the human mind does the things it does and how it functions. If you also find mental health interesting, Huberman Lab is a must-listen.

 

 

 

 

There was a long weekend recently, and instead of catching up on the variety of school work that is imminently due, or starting research on colleges like my counselor asked, I watched TV. And read a little bit. Dabbled in TikTok, sprinkled in some winter activities with friends. Hers a reflection of my long-weekend activities;

Swimming 4/10: I could write a small novel on my love-hate relationship with Swimming. When I wasn’t lounging around in bed doing nothing, I had practice. This sport takes up so much of my time and is the main reason I spend my free time exhausted. During the five-day weekend, I had practice 4 of those days, and a meet as well. The practices were hard, and at odd hours of the day, but I somehow kept going back. Mainly because of the pretty suits. I could write a small novel on my love-hate relationship with Swimming. Nevertheless, I try not to make it my priority because it has a tendency to take over one’s life.

TV (Psych)/Embroidery 8/10: I have been watching Psych, a comedy about a pair of friends who assist in police cases by pretending to be psychic. This weekend was a perfect opportunity to binge a season or two. Thankfully I did, because after 5 seasons of tormenting will-they-won’t-they, the two main romantic interests finally got together. This activity would be rated higher, but I knocked off a couple of points for the slow burn. While I watch TV, I usually embroider. Right now, I am working on a pair of pants I hope to put in the Scholastic Art Competition, but I don’t know if they are going to be finished by the due date. More reason to watch Psych!

I also watch SNL. Hence the title. (EDIT: ❤Jacob Elordi and Renee Rap ❤)

Clean 9/10: After doing nothing for so long, cleaning made me feel so productive. I put away Christmas decorations, did some laundry, all the household chores one might need. Also, I was home alone, so I had free rein to blast my cleaning music throughout the entire household. When I am home alone, pretending to be the owner is so exciting, the only downfall is its lonely. Which leads me to the best activity:

Miscellaneous Friendship Activities 10/10: This includes (but is not limited to), Ice-skating, going to see a play, and coffee. There is no question I am extroverted. My favorite part of the weekend was doing random activities with my friends. Even just the mundane chat-and-study felt so good. On Sunday, I got all dressed up and traveled to Play House Square to see Ms. Doubtfire. We nearly missed our Uber and had to book it in heels across the city streets, fluffy fur coats bouncing about. I felt like I was in The Great Gatsby. No matter what or where, the weekend was better when I spent it with friends.

Now I only have 24 hours to complete all my homework, but I think it was worth it.

As a senior immersed in the painful and stress-inducing world of college applications, it’s not surprising that this past semester has been a rather torturous one. Surrounded by the pressures of financial aid, writing supplements, standardized tests, and, oh yeah, trying to figure out my LIFE PURPOSE has led to a constant feeling of unmotivation and exhaustion. Coming into this new semester (and my last semester of high school yay!!), it has become increasingly difficult to motivate myself to do my work as the world of college becomes more real. Take this blog, for example, which may or may not have been hastily completed the night before the due date (shout out to our editor Addie you’re a real one). It was only recently that I truly accepted the affliction that has been plaguing me: senioritis.
Senioritis is a term that has been passed down through generations of stressed students. According to Merriam-Webster, it was first coined in 1907, and it is described as “an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades”. Essentially, after three long years of high school, it’s difficult to see the point of high school anymore, especially with the sparkling promise of college on the horizon.
There are a couple of factors that contribute to senioritis, according to an article from the University of the People. The first three years of high school demand a high level of achievement for students who want to go to a competitive college. After years of stacking on AP classes, volunteering, and participating in every club known to man, it makes sense that seniors would be burned out from such a high level of productivity. Additionally, once a senior has committed to a specific university, it can seem as though high school doesn’t even matter anymore. Senioritis could also be a response to the anxiety that comes with the future. Most seniors have never been away from home before, and are now faced with questions about their majors and careers. It is understandable, then, that they would want to fry their brains with four consecutive hours of “Millionaire Matchmaker” rather than face the uncertain future.
But why is senioritis so important to address? I mean, if you’re a senior and already committed to a college, who cares if your grades and attendance slip a bit? Well, according to CollegeBoard, there is a significant impact if your grades slip during your senior year. Many colleges reserve the right to refuse admittance to a student if they see that the student’s grades are slipping. It doesn’t matter if you got that fancy acceptance letter on your application portal; the university can reverse its decision faster than you can say “existential crisis”. Additionally, failing grades and missing hours can jeopardize a student’s diploma if they’re not careful.
So, what is the cure for this mysterious affliction? Don’t worry, dear reader, I have some suggestions. Deadlines for both homework and applications can become overwhelming very quickly, which is why it’s important to have some sort of calendar or planner to record your deadlines- both short-term and long-term. You should also avoid obsessing over the admission process. I know that seems impossible, but I’ve found that attempting to ignore the stressful thoughts about college decisions instead of fueling the anxiety fire can be very helpful for day-to-day stress. Personally, a daily journaling session has been an effective way for me to put all of my existential worries on paper. Finally, try to enjoy being a senior as much as possible. Go to football games, do the school spirit weeks, and enjoy your senior privileges. Pretty soon we’ll be at the bottom of the food chain again, so we might as well take advantage of this while we can. Be kind to yourself. Give yourself breaks. I believe that all of us will make it to the finish line, even if we have to crawl on our hands and knees to get there.

Sources because I’m very professional:

“Senioritis.” College Board, counselors.collegeboard.org/college-application/senioritis.
“Senioritis Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senioritis.
“What Is Senioritis? Need-To-Know Causes And Cures.” University of the People, www.uopeople.edu/blog/what-is-senioritis/.

Horror has always been my favorite genre of movies. I love horror movies because of the thrill and adrenaline rush you receive when watching them. I crave being able to watch these intense experiences; especially in the comfort of my own home – and I love talking about and educating people on horror movies; so in this blog I will be giving you a full rundown of my favorite horror/thriller movies and why they’re my favorite! (These are not in order)

Number One: Smile

Smile is classified as a psychological supernatural horror movie. In this movie we follow a therapist named Rose. Rose witnesses a patient’s death and she begins to have terrifying experiences and delusions. Many horror movies made in the 2010’s will be associated with trauma metaphors the way the ‘80s are with slasher movies. Smile fits right in with its PTSD-induced kin. The difference here is that the monster is barely a metaphor at all: the demon, or evil spirit, or whatever it is—the movie is vague on this point—literally feeds on, and is spread by, trauma. The reason I love this movie is because is suspenseful, having a heady atmosphere of dread throughout. The suspense keeps you engaged in the movie at all times. Although the ending is a little underwhelming, the rest of the plot makes up for it. I heavily recommend this movie if you enjoy suspenseful movies.

 

Number Two: The Conjuring

The Conjuring is one of the most popular horror movies ever made. It is classified as a supernatural horror and is an amazing classic. The movie tells the terrifying true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Ed and Lorraine are world renowned paranormal investigators and they were called to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse, where a supernatural presence had made itself known. Though the events that first take place are benign, things soon escalate in horrifying fashion, especially after the Warrens discover the house’s macabre history. Though its been several years since the movie was released, the quality is still there. The story immediately hooks you in, and although it takes time to unfold, it never gets dull. The Conjuring is genuinely terrifying – tapping into our biggest childhood fears. It also has the presence of strong willed and well-developed characters throughout the series.  I recommend this series if you’re into paranormal movies.

 

Number Three: Saw

Another amazing classic. I classify Saw as a slasher thriller movie, but it is also horror. The series revolves around the fictional serial killer John “Jigsaw” Kramer and his apprentices. Jigsaw tests his victims’ will to live by putting them through deadly “games” where they must inflict great physical pain upon themselves to survive. These games consists of traps that the victims are put in, but they are given an opportunity to survive if they beat the trap. Jigsaws selects only those individuals that, in his view, waste their lives in some way. Now you may be asking: “If there’s so many of these movies how can they be good?” – and I have an answer for you. With every new Jigsaw killer comes not only the possibility of unexpectedly enormous traps, but the possibility of tenuous flashbacks to prior films. The connecting of dots that no one knew existed is what separates Saw from most horror sagas: the franchise’s winding, looping lore has become its central facet. It’s an extremely unique movie and has a compelling plot.

Vintage audio formats have been making a comeback in recent years. Fans are spinning new releases on vinyl before hearing them on a streaming service, 80s CD players are going viral, and even cassettes have gotten some new fans. I, myself, have fallen victim to this new collective obsession. Vinyls and CDs, at the least, make sense. Listening to a vinyl or a CD of your favorite album can be a wonderful experience – the sound quality is better than anything you can get from your phone; you’ll probably even hear details you’ve never heard before. Cassettes, on the other hand, are difficult to deal with. They’re hard to repair, they get dirty easily, and their sound quality is subpar. So why, why oh why, do I love them more than any other format?

To start, they’re more portable than CDs or vinyls. With vinyls, the most portable you can get is carrying a Sound Burger playing and some 7-inch records. But a “Burger” is 11 inches wide and bulky – it’s not something you can just throw in your bag. For CDs, you can use an old Sony Walkman (you’ll need headphones too), but the square shape of CD jewel cases makes them an awkward fit in any modern bag. Cassettes, on the other hand, have a similar footprint to a phone. And tape players aren’t too bulky either! You can quickly grab your player and throw in a few tapes in any bag with no worries.

Second off, the whole setup is so much cheaper. A new vinyl will cost you usually $20 or up, and CDs similarly sit typically at $15. On the other hand, I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than $10 for a cassette. Plus, CD players and especially record players will set you back a lot! Cassette players, on the other hand, are maybe $30. If you want to collect physical media, cassettes just make sense financially.

Finally, once the apocalypse comes, you won’t be able to stream any music, and CDs and vinyl records will snap in half eventually. On the other hand, cassettes are the opposite of fragile. If there’s anything left after an event of total civilizational collapse, I’ll bet you it’ll be cassette tapes. They’re the Nokia phones of physical media.

Bonus point: Cassettes were the go-to for discrete recording. Everyone loves a good live show, but it’s not like I could’ve been at the front of the crowd for the Velvet Underground in 1969. But, someone, likely with a big coat with a tape recorder in a deep pocket, was – and their tape of the show, preserved in a wrapping of an old magazine advertisement, has been passed down to me.

Oh – and uncovering the Watergate scandal? That wouldn’t have been possible without tapes. Cassettes for the win!

Climbing is pretty difficult, but no cliff or crag could ever compare to the difficulty of learning all the lingo. I work at a rock gym and climb all the time and even I am constantly hit with sentences that make me want to climb over the top of the wall and hide. To help out new climbers (and experienced ones who are too afraid to ask), I’ve put together a list of key climbing lingo to know before you climb for the first time.

Traverse

If you’ve never climbed before, “traversing” is a great way to start! You’ll never need to worry about the height, because in traversing you only climb sideways. It’s a great way to warm up or get acclimated to being on the wall. 

Top Rope

Once you feel ready to start going upwards, top rope is how you’ll do it. This kind of climbing is named as such because the rope you use is attached to the top of the wall. Top rope is very common in indoor climbing and less so outdoors. 

Lead

More experienced indoor and outdoor climbers often forgo top rope for lead climbing. In this kind of climbing, climbers bring their own ropes which they clip into “draws” on the wall as they climb. Draws are the clips that lead climbers attach their ropes to. In indoor gyms, these will already be on the wall, but if you’re climbing outside you’ll have to bring your own. When you fall on lead, you fall to the last place you clipped into. As long as you remember to clip and do so correctly, you’ll be okay! 

Whipper

A whipper is a large fall taken while lead climbing. Whippers cause a falling climber to swing in a whip-like arc, which is where their name comes from. Some people love the adrenaline of taking a big whipper, but I am not one of them. The way lead rope systems work, if the climber is heavier than the belayer, a whipper can cause the belayer to fly up into the air, possibly within high-fiving distance of the climber. These kinds of falls are often very dramatic and loud, but injuries are rare as long as the climber and belayer have done their jobs well. 

Heel Hook

We now come to my favorite climbing move! Climbers heel hook to anchor themselves into a strong position when just grabbing on tight isn’t enough. Heel hooks (my pride and joy) are especially common on overhung routes where the climber is nearly parallel to the ground. To avoid slipping out and becoming vertical again (“cutting feet”), you can wedge your heels into a hold to make use of the natural shape of your body.

The objectively worse little brother of heel hooking is toe hooking. It’s not fun, it’s not cool, and it is definitely not endorsed by the Shaker Writing Center. 

Flagging

Sometimes a hold is just out of reach! To potentially close the gap, climbers will “flag” by standing on one leg, stretching out the other leg, and reaching with the opposite arm. This stance kind of makes the climber look like a flag (where the flagpole is the hold being reached for), but I don’t really see it. 🏳️

Dyno

Fly, my pretties! “Dyno” is short for “dynamic movement,” which basically translates into a giant leap. The difference between a dyno and other dynamic movements like a deadpoint (the use of core and hip strength to propel your body weight upwards) is the number of points of contact on the wall. Other moves have the same explosive look as a dyno, but it only counts if all four limbs are off in the wall (in the air). 

Static

Basically the opposite of a dynamic movement, a static movement or “static-ing it” is separating each move rather than chaining them together. What static climbing loses on momentum it makes up for in control. Taller climbers are generally able to static moves that shorter climbers would have to climb dynamically to make (that is to say: tall climbers are cheating).

Dual Tex

This one puzzled me for a very long time before I was able to work up the courage to ask what it meant. Dual tex are a kind of climbing hold in indoor climbing that can simulate the feel of certain kinds of smooth stone found in outdoor climbing. “Dual” means “two” and “tex” is short for “textures.” A dual tex hold consists of a slippery plastic piece and a more traditional rough piece. It’s easy to get a grip on the rough part, but watch out for the plastic! They’re hard to grab with your hands and downright lethal to stand on. I guess a singular dual tex hold is called a dual tek? I’ve never actually seen it spelled out, so that might not be quite right. I’m 90% sure it’s something like that.  

Bonus Round: Miguel’s Pizza

This isn’t verbal lingo, but the logo of Miguel’s Pizza, a pizza shop in Kentucky, is very common in climbing-related spaces. This mysterious symbol with no obvious connection to climbing haunted me for years before I finally figured it out. Miguel’s Pizza’s location in Kentucky, near a popular outdoor climbing area called the Red River Gorge, has made it a pilgrimage destination for climbers. The ubiquitous smiling face of Miguel shines down on all climbers regardless of their understanding of his origin.

I’ve realized while writing this how much lingo there actually is and how little I’ve been able to cover, so if you want to learn more I suggest going climbing and picking it up in real life. But be warned! None of this makes more sense in context.

The other day I was talking to my brother when he, for no reason at all said, “Rizzal me this gyattman.” This got us talking about how the new generation is ruined and how they are awful – the same thing that everybody says about the newer generations. At some point, I mentioned that I wished that I was the one that came up with the slang for the new generation because it would be funny. He then said that all I had to do was get popular and I probably could put a few words in the Gen Alpha dictionary. This had me feeling very sick and twisted. SO, here is my very devious, maybe a bit silly, and slightly evil plan to corrupt the vocabularies of the youths.

1.Become goated at Subway Surfers

2.Make a Tik-tok account and start posting semi-brainrot content

3.Branch out into streaming and become friends with whomever the big new streamer is

4.Get very rich and Very famous from the “content” I am producing

5.Use my fame (and money) to get into politics

6.Become president of the USA

7.Use the FBI and CIA to develop brain wave technology that lets me plant words into peoples vocabularies

8.Come up with the words that I want the children to say

9.Plant the slang into the most popular influences with large child audiences

10.Profit(?)

As you can see there is no way that this plan doesn’t work. Some might say that this is stupid, bad, hilarious, and inefficient, but I will have everybody know that this is the best way to do this. I have to become president and very rich and famous before I can make kids sound stupid, otherwise it doesn’t work. Now what am I going to make these kids say?