4. Stellar Sea Lions 2026

Week 1 Unlocking Oneself: How Language and Identity Connect in The Perks of Being a Wallflower – 08/26 Identity can be defined as a sense of self: a collection of one’s traits, beliefs, and qualities that define who a person is. Language is the fundamental tool through which we construct and understand our identity—it directs how we communicate, not only with others, but also with our inner selves. For this week's blog, I would like to talk about a book that resonated with me when I was an upcoming high-schooler trying to figure out my own identity—Stephan Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Written as a series of journal entries or “letters” to an anonymous reader, an introverted high school freshman, Charlie finds his voice as he navigates his identity. At the start of the novel, Charlie’s identity is defined mainly by his passiveness and silence. He is often referred to as a “wallflower”, or someone who only observes and never participates. Coping with repressed childhoo...

Week 1: On Being Biracial - 8/26 [8:58 PM] When telling people that my parents are from different countries and cultures, sometimes I get responses like, “Wow! It must be cool being from two different cultures.” To this, I typically think to myself, “I wish, but the reality is much different than what most people think.” Looking at the situation as an outsider, it is easy to see why being from two different cultures seems super unique and culturally flavorful. One plus one equals two, right? One culture plus another means a more diverse lifestyle. However, in my case, I’ve actually found it’s more like multiplying two halves together. One half times one half equals one fourth, which actually amounts to lesser nuance in my bonds with my cultures. Having such a small amount isn’t necessarily the case: I don’t really have one-fourth the cultural immersion as the general American has, but I have noticed that my connection to either side of my identity is weaker than that of some people who...

Week 1: Slang: Identity or Impersonation? - 08/26 [9:13 PM] Slang has always been an incredibly important factor in identity. Slang can be a defining factor on how people are perceived, the groups that people surround themselves with, and the individuality that is promoted within specific regions. This article by American University Magazine, titled “ 3 Minutes on Slang ”, explores the connection between slang and how it influences identity, generational language, and regional differences.  For a brief summary, the article starts off by characterizing slang as language that changes from below. Rather than learning language from teachers and institutions, slang comes from different youth subcultures and builds over time generation by generation. The article explains how slang creates individuality, whether it be generational differences in slang or culture-specific dialogue. The example cited is one we are all very familiar with, the “67” meme, coined by Gen Alpha to mark the shift ...

     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...

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...

25 August 2026 Blog Q1 Week1: Dandelion Cycle – 8/26 9:19PM 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.  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 your decision, the outcome symbolically grows in...