The Truth About College Essays
The college application process isn’t as stressful as most high school students think.
The dangers of Doctor Goodle: stop self diagnosing
In recent years, it has become far more common to find teens and young adults self diagnosing- as the stigma around mental health has begun to melt away… but this can be far more harmful than one may believe.
The blatant truth about Brandy Melville
Inside almost every young women’s closet, you can find the highly questionable and controversial business of Brandy Melville. This fashion symbol of our youth’s culture has held a distinctive grasp on women for the past decade through their minimalist and effortlessly fashionable clothes.
The College Admissions is Raising its Bar
This year, the looming anxieties that seniors must face when applying to colleges didn’t budge, and neither did the privatized aspect of most Ivy and UC institutions. It seems as though highly regarded colleges are only accepting students who have essentially accomplished career-level achievements, such as writing books and creating start-ups, and even then, these kids are being rejected from their dream schools.
Inside inclusive on Victor the Viking
A quick bit from an interview I had with Victor the Viking yesterday.
The unfiltered truth about social media
As discourse about the most desirable body image, bullying, grooming, self-harm and unhealthy beauty standards flood our feeds on social media, tech giants seem to find themselves entangled in messy court cases regarding the safety of their apps for teenagers.
Lights, Camera, Recycle: Is the movie industry running out of ideas?
Movies are arguably a foundation of today’s society. People generate much of their ideals from the information perpetuated in the media, especially when it comes to film. This presents a pressing problem when today, the film industry has increasingly refused to be original and daring. How will this travesty change our society to come?
Is it possible to be a “girl’s girl”? Exploring female friendships and stereotypes (Copy)
A girl’s girl is the confident girl that helps other girls out and is there to uplift and empower women. Being called a “girl’s girl” is a newer term but the root of the term is about supporting other girls rather than bringing them down. But like most trends, is being a girl’s girl too good to be true? Are there actually women like this?
Tiktok is the new tireswing
Generation Alpha is the first generation to have a hand-held smart device for the entirety of their lives. 10-year-olds flooding Sephoras all across the nation are making news because they are purchasing extremely expensive make-up and skin care products designed and marketed towards adults. This led to the “Drunk Elephant 12-year-olds'' trend on TikTok, where pre-teens purchase unnecessary skincare products.
From print to pixel: the digital dawn of news consumption
As society descends deeper into the digital age, our youth becomes progressively more media illiterate and desensitized to misinformation. Gen-Z often mocks older generations for falling victim to false information on platforms like Facebook, yet we are indifferent to this. Teens are immersed in a life that revolves around information they intake on the internet that the line between fact and fiction begins to blur.
Music- In With the Old, Out With the New
It is widely known that particularly in the US, there is a fad for older music. Why? It is simply due to the fact that this nostalgic fascination is far superior to that of the new generation’s. Old music has facets not contained in new music, like; originality, variety, and skilled vocals. These advantages of old music make it incomparable to the songs of today.
The Benefits of Diverse Perspectives On Campus
Student news plays a vital role in spreading important information, opinions and ideas throughout the community at Samo. It is seminal to creating an environment where knowledge from within our campus and across the globe is shared, creating room for open dialogue and educated conversations. Not only does student news ensure that attendees of Samo are kept informed, but it allows students to be aware of every aspect of student life on campus.
Should we separate the art from the artist?
The age-old question of whether or not someone should separate the art from the artist has been raised once again. Despite music that may be entertaining to listen to, the actions of an artist are often far too severe to excuse by supporting their music.
College applications are... easy
From K-12, my teachers, parents, counselors and peers have all worked the idea into my head that college was the end goal. The final destination. All of my work from elementary through high school was with the main purpose of applying to college, right? But, as I now sit as a high school senior writing my college applications, it feels like I am still waiting for the stress and anxiety that was promised for me as I began my application process.
Your spotify wrapped doesn’t define you
To the songs of my childhood, I’m sorry. To the Disney, Hamilton and Glee soundtracks, Pitch Perfect Riff-offs and Justin Bieber, it is time for me to let you all go. The tint you leave on my spotify wrapped is a burden that I cannot bear to carry.
It’s time to reframe the idea of new year’s resolutions
With the New Year encroaching, millions around the world set off to better themselves using one set of ideology: New Year's resolutions. These resolutions can entail many self-set goals, from exercising more to spending less time on social media. While seemingly a good motivator, these resolutions work counterproductively, with many people abandoning their goal, and having fallacious reasoning to wait until the New Year to start improving themselves.
Out with the old, in with the new: dress codes and their place in schools
At Samo, many students use the way that they dress to express themselves. Self-expression is an excellent way to build confidence and lets adolescents explore their personal style and identity.
Volunteer hours: an unnecessary expectation
Unsurprisingly, volunteering is a good deed that benefits the community. In fact, many Samo students spend their free time participating in a wide range of volunteer organizations. However, should these good acts of service be a requirement within schools?