Rudy Chau '28 For most of the year, Shanghai is one of the loudest cities on Earth. However, for around a week, the noise slowly diminishes, with serenity taking the place of the cacophonous ensemble of car horns, shop advertisements, and voices on the roads. During the Lunar New Year, the Paris of the East witnesses a temporary exodus, as millions of migrant workers return to their hometowns to celebrate with their families. While many recognize the Lunar New Year as a fes

Kaelyn Yu '29 In 2022, an AI-generated artwork won the Colorado State Fair art competition, upsetting not just participants, but also its followers from around the globe. To an artist who has spent years upon years honing their skills and techniques, this medal is an insult, one in which a lifetime of human experience has been hollowed down to a cheap mimicry. The backlash materialised immediately: accusations of soullessness, theft, and disrespect were shot at AI companies b

Darren Li '29 Picture this: In school, Bob could prioritize his unique strengths more, though that is yet to be discovered. Or, he could follow whatever clubs that his friends are joining and constantly enroll in those competitions valued as “Ivy League pass”. In these crossroads, whether Bob should “be himself” has become a point of contention. This essay will examine the effectiveness of that advice and argue that “being yourself” remains more valuable than abandoning the

Kaelyn Yu '29 In 2023, approximately 18 million households in the United States experienced food insecurity. Of these, 6.5 million were families with children. For a 16-year-old, this is one of the hardest moments of their lives, one where they feel unsafe, unstable, and are desperate for a sense control. Standing in a grocery store’s aisle, the choice wasn’t between right and wrong, but between starving or curing hopelessness. When metal doors clang shut, the moment would s

Ikhee Lee '26 *Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Ask yourself this: why should you love your country? You may not have an immediate response. You may not love your country. You may disagree outright and hate your country altogether. After all, no individual was able to choose their nationality at birth. This begs the question: if nationality is arbitrarily assigned, why should we be patriotic? Patriotism denotes a feeling of