The Ritual of Refusing Oranges
In my family, you can never and I mean never show up at someone’s house empty-handed. Even if it’s just a quick visit, you’re expected to bring something. Usually it’s food: a box of pastries, a bag of fruit, maybe some tea. To arrive with nothing is really bad form. But here’s the twist: giving the gift is only half the story. What follows is a ritual that looks, to outsiders, a little bit like an awkward standoff. The receiver must first resist: “Oh no, this is too much!”
Nov 15, 20252 min read
Mock Trial: More Than Just a Fake Courtroom
When most people hear “mock trial,” they picture teenagers pretending to be lawyers in a fake courtroom. And technically, that’s true. But if you look a little deeper, what’s happening is more like a ritual. Anthropologists use that word to describe repeated, symbolic performances that give meaning to how a culture sees the world. Clifford Geertz, a well-known anthropologist, once said that culture is like a “text” we’re all constantly writing and reading together. Mock trial
Oct 15, 20253 min read
Everyone I Know Is Stressed”: A Teen’s View on Mental Health
I'm sixteen, and honestly, it feels like stress has become a normal part of life. Between school, college applications, extracurriculars, the news, and social media, there's always something to worry about. I don't even have to ask my friends if they're stressed because I hear it in our conversations all the time. It comes up in late-night FaceTimes, texts about homework, and jokes about having a "mental breakdown" before a test. When I saw that a September 2025 Blue Shield o
Sep 30, 20253 min read
Sacred Concrete: The Wall That Time Protects
Driving through Oakland, you see walls alive with color. Fresh paint one day, graffiti the next. It feels like part of the city’s rhythm, a constant conversation between artists, taggers, and property owners. Sometimes the work looks like art. Other times it feels chaotic. Often, you just feel sympathy for whoever owns the wall. Yet there is one wall that stands apart. It remains completely bare. Not a single tag, not a splash of paint. Just a smooth surface with one quiet li
Sep 20, 20252 min read
The A-List Effect: How a Name Might Shape Your Place in the World
Are A-names more outgoing than Z-names? While studying psychology at USC, I explored whether alphabetical order shapes personality. After all, the last name of “Alexander” is called on before “Zimmerman" most often. My small study didn’t prove the link, but it revealed something bigger: how early visibility or invisibility can shape self-perception. Sometimes, research is not only about finding the answers but also asking the questions in the first place.
Aug 9, 20252 min read
What Freeways Teach Us About Culture—and Maybe Mental Health
LA vs SF: The War of Words — What can a tiny word like “the” reveal about culture—and even mental health? This summer at USC, I discovered that how Angelenos talk about the 405 says more than you’d think. Language is more than labels; it shapes identity, connection, and even how we view healing. A freeway quirk turned into a lesson in cultural anthropology, one word at a time.
Jul 26, 20253 min read
