Author: AydaK

Ayda Kulacoglu (10) | STAFF REPORTER 

At 9 PM, after taking a too-long nap and eating dinner, you abruptly remember you have an assignment due tomorrow. Ready to tackle it, you’re interrupted by a phone notification, leading to an hour-long chat with your friend. At 10 PM, you determine that you can finish the project in 2 hours and get a respectable amount of sleep, but then remember how frustrating it was to start it when it was assigned. Suddenly a persistent itch pulls you towards your phone again, and turning it on, a white musical note on a black background catches your eye, promising a blissful escape from your wretched assignment. Two minutes won’t hurt, you think to yourself as you open TikTok. Soon, two minutes turn into two hours and you close the app only to find that it’s midnight. Exhausted, you finally open your computer and two hours later, you submit an assignment that you -and unfortunately your teacher– will find incomprehensible with a well-rested mind. Congratulating yourself, you go on Instagram as a reward. At 3 AM, you finally find sleep, only to dream of scrolling through short form videos until the morning. read more

Ayda Kulacoglu (10) | STAFF REPORTER

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, a crucial question lingers: should schools bear the responsibility of exclusively providing healthy food? Scientific research underscores the profound impact of nutrition on children’s physical and cognitive development. However, economic challenges, such as the escalating cost of healthy food and the absence of subsidized food programs in schools, prompt us to grapple with this culinary conundrum. read more

Ayda Kulacoglu (10) | STAFF REPORTER

In the pursuit of higher education, the landscape of university applications has undergone a profound transformation, leaving behind the genuine pursuit of knowledge and passion. High school students, caught in the frenzy of impressing admission committees, are increasingly participating in and creating impressive-looking organizations, teams, and clubs, claiming to put time and effort into them all while juggling school, jobs, and all their other extracurriculars. Are young people capable of such an intense workload without being burnt out, or are they just adding impressive titles to pad their university applications? If so, are students really to blame?  read more

Ayda Kulacoglu (10) | STAFF REPORTER

The death penalty; arguably one of the most controversial topics in modern society– an unimaginable fate for most, and a reality for some. Formally known as capital punishment, the death penalty is a legal practice involving sentencing a person to death as a punishment for a serious crime, such as murder or treason. Existing since the 18th century B.C., the death penalty has been prevalent throughout history. It is only in recent decades that most countries have moved towards its abolishment, with ongoing discussions questioning its morality and effectiveness. read more

Ayda Kulacoglu (10) | STAFF REPORTER

In an age where boredom is the biggest non-problem trying to be solved, it is no surprise that literature, along with everything else, is being forced to adapt– by speeding up and shortening down. The largest not-so-secret perpetrator of this sudden rush in the world is none other than social media. This concept has taken society by storm– or more likely, chains– by expanding our perspectives while deteriorating our attention spans to the point where most people have likely already clicked off this article. This change is especially evident in modern literature where authenticity and poetic sequences are seen as fat that needs to be removed from books, only to leave popular clichés and recycled storylines to saturate bookshelves. With this magic profit formula and the ease of 21st-century publishing, the colossal increase in the number of books being published per year is unsurprising, begging the question of whether quantity truly equates with quality. read more