6. Schnitzel 2025

The annotations we did in class were on a really personal topic, the article with its express title “Not by Math A one” hit a bit too close to home. I will always be a stem student for all of my life, the boons of mathematics will be ingrained inherently throughout my core, but I’ve also come to understand that STEM is not the only way to success. The article is clearly a well thought out and effectively persuasive argument for the salutary effects of the arts. Yet, I felt attacked personally while reading the article. This is because I never thought that I would never be on the side against mathematics in any issue. Therefore to play the devil's argument, I will express my belief that mathematical knowledge is hated by wider society because it is misrepresented society. Mathematics is treated as a subject of express rigidity and inherent limits of prognosis, yet if you were to ask a mathematician I believe that they would answer that Mathematics is a tool for creativity. Mathe...

Promotional poster for Season 2 of Dance Moms. Source: Dance Moms Wiki In all eight drama-filled seasons of Dance Moms , only one episode has been deleted. Season 2, episode 9: “Topless Showgirls.” For those unaware of the trashy masterpiece that Dance Moms is, the show revolves around competitive dancers from the Abby Lee Dance Company and follows them (and their mothers’ clashes with creative director and head choreographer Abby Lee Miller) as they prepare for the national competition. In season 2, most of the girls’ ages ranged from seven to thirteen years old. The oldest dancer hadn’t even reached high school; what business did S2E9 have for topless showgirls? As it turns out, Miller had choreographed a routine for the girls to act as Las Vegas showgirls, giving them flesh-colored tops as costumes. Obviously, the episode was soon taken down, but the damage had already been done. There are still images and even videos of the routine circulating online, some with camera quality so p...

  “A 400-meter run can’t be that bad, trust me,” my friend told me in my freshman year . We’ve all been influenced before, in one way or another; through family, friends, teachers, coaches, and popular figures we look up to. Influence can be good or bad, depending on the result of our actions. Branching off of my last blog, I briefly mentioned how external factors play a role in shaping our decisions. For instance, I would not take my daily walk outside if it is raining at the time; I would either walk later or do some physical activity from home during that period of time. I talked about time and weather, but I never talked about people. So allow me to introduce (arguably) the most influential external factor of them all: humans.  The closer someone is to you, the greater influence they have on you. Why? I’m not a psychologist, but I assume it is because you would trust someone’s advice more if you’re close to them, whether you’ve known them for a long time or recently starte...

I knew the concert was going to change me. The date was marked on every calendar I had, the setlist was memorized, and my outfit was decided weeks in advance. Cigarettes After Sex, my favorite band ever, was finally touring, making a stop in Oakland, and I was going to listen to their music in a way that I had dreamed about. Even before my friends and I arrived, it was a battle. We spent hours on calls trying to get the perfect seats, not too far in the back but not too expensive either. After constantly refreshing pages, jumping between ticket sites, and nearly giving up, we managed to secure our tickets. From there, the countdown started. What I didn’t know was how much the concert would really affect me. Their music is sad, but I never anticipated crying 9 times in 90 minutes. Cigarettes After Sex’s music isn’t exactly the type you would imagine at a concert, it’s soft, dreamlike, almost hypnotic. Somehow, that made the experience more intense. Every note lingered in the air, sweepi...

I don’t hold in my tears well; I’ve been told many times that I wear my heart on my sleeve. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I’ve cried everywhere. By everywhere, I mean everywhere. In my house, at school, even at a crossing stop on the road. I know that I’m sensitive and vulnerable, but isn’t everyone? Don’t our tears make us human? There’s been a large shift in culture to look nonchalant and effortless. From “natural” makeup (can makeup ever really be natural?), “natural” success (is it success if no effort was made?), to “natural” love—we prioritize the aesthetic of not trying. Source: Pinterest When I say “natural love,” I mean love as something passive, something to “fall into” rather than diving headfirst; this video essay details exactly what I mean. I agree that love is active; perhaps it is not a choice, but love is seen through actions and the clear execution of intentions. I feel like an old lady whining about how back in the good old days, people still cared—but I don...

  I do not have a Social Security Number. Don’t worry, it’s not what you think. A person dependent on someone with a work visa (H-1) gets a dependency visa (H-4) which makes you ineligible for a SSN. I was born in India and do not have a green card yet, so I get to have an ITIN . Lengthy introduction for a single point, but I was born in India. Even though I only lived in India for the first 3 years of my life, Hindi was still my first language. It's my mother tongue, the language I use to converse with my family. This language places me in a position where I feel like I am in a tug-of-war, a push and pull where I lack the control to feel accepted in either culture. First, let me address the culture behind speaking Hindi. We underestimate the influence language has on your life. I never was viewed as an “American child” by my classmates, but to Indian uncles and aunties, I was a typical “American child.” Expecting me to be an ABCD (American Born Confused Desi), five-year-old Ruhika...

Capitalization is such a powerful tool (or at least I think so).  I do not know if it's because I am Chinese so I find capitalization to be such a fancy thing. In Chinese, there is no capitalization, when I look at Chinese text it is just flat ( Important things need to be said three times in chinese ). I think written Chinese is so so boring, and it will never be the same as English. Especially when in English, I CAN EMPHASIS something through capitalized letters.  For example, imagine receiving a text. Would you rather see ‘omg’ or ‘OMG’? In my opinion I would prefer the latter, OMG is just so much more fun and dramatic then ‘omg.’ Capitalization of it added so much more drama and excitement into the word as opposed to its uncapitalized form. I think this rule goes for so many more words too.  I particularly really like how capitalization can act as a megaphone and create an illusion of SHOUTING. It can make certain statements so much more impactful and memorable. Like,...