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Sanshray Vakkalagadda Week 1 - Losing Yourself

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     Identity is such a powerful tool that everyone possesses, but is so easily squashed under the influence of those with enough “power” to preach to others what to believe. I think that more of us need to start respecting our identities. I especially hate to see people replace their own beliefs with propaganda promoted by some slop media company.      At the same time, I’m not saying that people should have a rigid set of beliefs and thoughts, but people should think critically about the media they consume and persuasive ideas that they come across. When people let themself outsource their idea and belief generation to someone else, they lose important parts of their identity that they might not be able to get back. Once they stop creating their own sense of identity, are they the same person they were before, or are they nothing more than a product of their algorithm? Is their algorithm even tuned to them at that point or tuned to what a media company wa...
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Shon Khisti Week 1 - 🧿

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My grandma, who lives in India, came to stay with us this past summer, bringing various traditions and, most importantly, great snacks from my ancestral homeland. Even though I am ethnically Indian, all these traditions seemed foreign to me, since I have not visited India in the last fifteen years.  The one thing that stood out to me was one day when I was getting prepared to take my daily shower. While I was picking up my towel and outfit for the day, my grandma suggested that I mix in some kitchen salt in a bucket of water and douse myself in the mixture before starting my shower to remove my “nazar”.   Nazar, a Hindi word, directly translates to evil eye (🧿), or in other words, all the bad juju from all the jealousy, envy, and malice wished upon you by other people. Don’t worry, submerging yourself in salt water is not the only way. Through hearing my friends’ stories, I learned a couple more defenses : circling red chillies and lemons around your head then burning th...
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Dandelion Cycle

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  Audrey Huang  Mrs.Smith English 11AP 25 August 2026 Dandelion Cycle The dismissal bell rang on the first day of school, and I was headed towards my usual bus stop. Along the seemingly endless sidewalk, I spotted a few dandelions and blow flowers wedged into the blades of grass. The wind picked up, and I watched as the current of the wind blew against the pappus–grazing the edge of the soft feathered seeds attached to the blow flower. The seeds flew in different directions-all disappearing into oblivion. This made me think about the cycles of life, as well as the opportunities we miss–or take for granted.  <= The flower(s) I saw Each dandelion and blow flower was different in height, pigmentation, and shape. The small differences and intricate details of the flowers reminded me of the choices an individual makes in their life.  When the wind blows the seed away, a new flower grows where the seed lands. Each seed represents a singular decision, and after making yo...
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