In 2021, admitted Harvard student Abigail Mack's personal statement went viral, accumulating over 28 million views on TikTok.  In the essay, Mack writes about her resentment of the letter "S" because...

Recent layoffs and departures in the radio industry — most notably from significant conglomerates like iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media — have sparked questions about the medium's future. However,...

Entertainment should be accessible to everyone, not a costly luxury with a growing price tag.  Streaming was supposed to simplify entertainment consumption, an industry built on accessibility that...

One size fits all is possibly one of the most universally disagreed with statements. But what about one size is not the same? Over time, the average size of an American has increased, yet sizing has...

Air travel is the most fundamental mode of travel -- connecting people, businesses, and cultures worldwide. However, despite its various benefits, aviation is one of the most significant contributors to...

The United States had a turnout rate of 63.25% of its voter-eligible population in the 2024 general election, a dip from 2020’s 69.9%, the highest recorded turnout in the nation’s history, according...

Many students aspire to attend an Ivy League University, but low acceptance rates and high tuition costs often discourage students. Yet, achieving an Ivy League education is worth the challenge. Receiving...

In a society where heavy reliance on vehicular transport has become the new standard, it is more important than ever for cities to promote alternative ways to get around by making walking, biking, and...

Fans shouldn’t need to worry about their safety when going to their favorite concerts, yet poor concert behavior continues to persist, resulting in what should have been avoidable fatalities and injuries...

America’s obsession with turning a high-profile criminal case into a TV series that boosts the original felon into a future of fame needs to stop. The latest examples of this phenomenon are Anna Delvey...

Many students have been late to class at least once this year. However, most students are unaware that the tardy policy at Carlmont is different this year -- what they do know is that the administration...

“No seats available.”  These seem to be the only words flashing on the screen when trying to find a test center in the Bay Area to take the infamous Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). According...

If you are vegan, lactose intolerant, seeking to lower your carbon footprint, or prefer the taste of plant-based milk, expect to pay around $0.75 more for your coffee than those opting for dairy milk. Coffee...

In the age where social media has become an integral part of everyday life, it becomes ever more important to safeguard young users. Instagram has started rolling out its new teen policy, and it shouldn’t...

Concussions only account for 5% of football-related injuries in the U.S., according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Still, they produce some of the most severe and life-changing effects. The...

Imagine you just got rejected from your dream college only to log onto Instagram to see all of your classmates who got in. This scenario is all too familiar for many Carlmont students as they watch post...

America's youth is severely undereducated on the current state of politics in the United States (US) and across the globe. The problem lies in American high schools' insufficient modern political education. While...

The role of teachers in high school education is monumental. They can be student mentors, wisdom couriers, and role models.  Yet, within Carlmont High School, the variance of course content, grading...

As Carlmont students and staff start to prepare for the 2024-2025 school year, it is easy to miss the new changes made to the Carlmont Course Catalog. The most controversial change? New allowances for...

With its implementation on April 1, California’s Assembly Bill 1228 raised fast-food workers’ minimum wages to $20 per hour, $4 higher than the state’s minimum wage of $16 per hour and $12.75 higher...

As Generation Z teenagers, we know that politics can feel like a lost cause.  We've heard many of our peers complain about the people in power --  they're often either really old or really corrupt,...

As every major holiday approaches, it’s impossible to miss the symbols that adorn our homes, supermarkets, and streets: pumpkins for Halloween, eggs for Easter, and turkeys for Thanksgiving. While...

The fate of the popular social media app TikTok is now in the hands of the U.S. Senate as on March 14, the House of Representatives voted 352 to 65 to advance a bill that could ban the app nationwide.  If...

For many graduating high school seniors, the step into higher education is coupled with one of the most crucial financial decisions they will ever make. With attending a four-year university being a target...

Question, hypothesize, experiment, analyze, and conclude — the five fundamental steps of the scientific method. Designed to help scientists produce accurate results, the scientific method is considered...

In the 2021-2022 school year, Carlmont students without a seventh period started at 8:57 a.m., and students with a seventh period began at 8 a.m. No one left school at 3:45 p.m.; everyone would end simultaneously...

Throughout March and April, seniors will receive most of their decisions from the colleges they applied to. Theoretically, everyone should be excited and supportive of each other as we are all ready to...

Artificial intelligence must be carefully integrated into journalism to keep up with the modern world.  Dating back thousands of years, reporting the latest information is nothing new to humans. From...

“Buy her roses.” “Buy her jewelry." What about him or them? According to Brittanica, the initial origins of Valentine’s Day begin with Valentinus receiving a death sentence and being imprisoned...

The Electoral College is over 235 years old, and a makeover is long overdue. Shortly after gaining independence from Great Britain, politicians in the United States realized the Articles of Confederation,...

There will always be a set of guidelines we are presupposed to follow, whether from parents, peers, or society. Don’t wear that, don’t flaunt wealth, don’t smoke, and smile when you talk, to name...

“It’s murder.” “They’re just giving up.” “Doctors are helping them commit suicide.” Euthanasia, the practice of ending a patient’s life to limit their suffering, is a widely...

"Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge that Carlmont High School sits on the traditional lands of the Ramaytush Ohlone People... and honor and respect the many diverse indigenous people connected to this...

After a long day of school, a student has a few moments to shove food in their mouth before heading off to warmups. Despite the immense time and energy, practice is rewarding. It's dark outside when they...

In the upcoming presidential election, Americans find themselves navigating a political landscape that seems eerily homogeneous. The lack of diverse options for voters raises questions about the authenticity...

Hamas executed a sudden insurrection of Israel on Oct. 7, with militants storming blockaded areas of the Gaza Strip as they shot people in small towns and communities. The attack culminated in more than...

Sure, we’ve all heard that we should reduce the amount of time we spend on TikTok and Instagram. Parents try to intervene often or have already given up on telling us to put our phones away, arguing...

In the Bay Area, there's an unmistakable fervor surrounding education. While there's no denying the importance of education, the extreme emphasis on being a high-achieving student often comes at a significant...

The American government is amid significant political turmoil, with Senator Dianne Feinstein’s death and Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as Speaker of the House shaking up Congress. These events and the upcoming...

“I need caffeine to get through my day” is a sentence uttered by students all over the globe. No one's surprised when you walk around campus and see a cup of coffee in someone’s hand or an energy...

It was not just the stress of tests or the excitement for the upcoming weekend that filled Carlmont’s atmosphere last week; it was the poor air quality. As confirmed by the Bay Area Air Quality Management...

When prompted to generate a movie script, ChatGPT produced the following: "Title: 'Marshmallow Mayhem' INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT SUSAN screams as marshmallows grow and giggle menacingly. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD...

The Supreme Court, in the case Marbury v. Madison, gave itself the power to conduct judicial review or to declare certain legislation unconstitutional. Recently, however, the court has used this power...

Further integrating the internet into our homes robs our human autonomy. The internet has become a basic necessity for our daily lives. Since its birth in the 1980s, it has become a valuable resource...

Affirmative action's future is in jeopardy, as the Supreme Court is expected to rule on its legality in the coming months. While race-based affirmative action has proven controversial among the American...

Capable of writing essays, solving complex math problems, producing computer code, and more, ChatGPT is truly a renaissance… bot. While powerful, the chatbot is highly polarizing, especially in educational...

COVID-19 forced innovation in many aspects of our educational system. From teachers figuring out the potential of Zoom for lesson plans to students doing what they could to focus while their parents talked...

Recycling has long been touted as a solution to our planet's growing waste problem, but as markets for used paper and plastics have dried up, overconsumption looms as something problematic. According to...

The term “pandemic pet” may sound familiar to many people who have recently brought an animal into their home. According to a Rover survey conducted in January 2021, almost half of Americans said they...

The internet is always right.  Most people have heard this phrase tossed around before in their lives. The speaker might have jokingly tossed this remark around, but a certain danger arises when the...

Vaping, while initially developed to deter adults from conventional smoking, has become an accessory of teenage life. Since 2014, vape pens have been the most commonly used tobacco product among middle...

Recently, the town I live in, San Mateo, was left without a mayor. I discovered this almost by accident when, while scrolling on Instagram, I saw a post from a local politician I follow demanding that...

The United States is a proud beacon of freedom, of justice, of democracy. We wave our flag high and proud, especially come election time. And when you’ve walked out of that poll booth, donning your “I...

Warning: Article contains links to vulgar content that may be distressing for some readers. Fake news is everywhere. It is the disappointing reality of our society.  Not every news outlet spreads...

You’re asked, “Hey, did you read the news?” as you’re taking a sip of your morning coffee. “Yeah,” you respond because you have. You briefly skimmed through the New York Times’ front-page...

While reaching adulthood, often synonymous with graduating high school, comes with new freedoms, it also comes with new responsibilities, especially financially. Having financial freedom, and freedom...

Books are portals to fictional worlds. In flipping through their pages, one can traverse the galaxy with The Little Prince, gaze out to sea alongside Santiago, or enjoy breakfast with the March sisters.  For...

The internet has become a hub for all types of information as 46% of Americans use internet searches to inform their decisions. However, since not all internet sources are created equal, information inequity...

Earlier this week, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, a government-appointed health panel, posted their final recommendation that kids ages eight and up should be screened for anxiety. While...

Casting a voice is a demonstration of democracy– a practice utilized by Americans for centuries. Although the notion of democracy has faltered a couple of times in history, the system is still essential...

Tipping when ordering takeout or getting a coffee was considered a perhaps unnecessary nicety prior to COVID-19; now employees rely on takeout tips. While it has long been the case that diners tip on a...

Outside of Carlmont High School, a flashing message has appeared on the electronic announcement board for almost a month: "September is Attendance Awareness Month." But there has been no mention of...

When many students graduate from high school, they are often already committed to a 4-year college or university that they plan to attend. A lot of high school graduates don't consider attending a community...

Today is day 148 of 2022. In 148 days, the United States has experienced 214 mass shootings. A mass shooting occurs when four or more people are shot, not including the shooter. With more than half of...

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Once a glamorous couple driving around in a red, vintage car, they are now fighting in court over allegations of domestic abuse. The court case began in 2016, when Heard...

Almost a week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a preliminary report that revealed a sobering statistic: 107,622 deaths in 2021 were the result of drug overdoses. This...

Every year, 60 million tons of produce in the United States is thrown away. That’s $160 billion worth of fresh fruits and vegetables that end up in landfills, wasted.  Do you ever wonder why almost...

Twenty-three years ago, Columbine High School became a global name. Twenty-three years ago, 12 students and one teacher were killed. Twenty-three years ago, school shootings became a national reality. And...

High school students are chronically stressed, and it doesn’t take a genius to see why.  Students sprint through jam-packed schedules stocked to the brim with homework, sports practices, test prep,...

Schools in California are chronically underfunded. As of the 2016 -17 school year, California’s yearly amount spent per student was $2,410 below the national average once adjusted for the cost of...

When we go out for a snack, a drink, or for a meal- there’s an expectation of cleanliness. We expect our food to not only be well-made but to be free of any bad bacteria, mold, flies, and hair. Restaurants...

Colin Kaepernick kneeled in solidarity with police brutality victims. Soon after, he lost his job as an NFL quarterback. As Black Lives Matter became a national movement in June 2020, the NFL apologized to...

The eyes of the world are on Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an attack on the nation. People are constantly glued to their news feeds and TV screens, watching for updates as missiles...

Columbia. Harvard. Yale.  Household names, and names needed to get a household.  Education now defines a person’s worth and success. This is especially true in the Bay Area, where high costs...

She was known throughout the skating world as "Miss Perfect," due to her flawless routines and gravity-defying jumps. At only 15 years old, Kamila Valieva, a Russian figure skater, had solidified herself...

Glass shatters as representatives quickly evacuate the House. Ushered away, the same people that represent the pinnacle of American democracy hide from a mob of insurrectionists who sought to “stop the...

Racism permeates every aspect of our society. May 2020 saw an explosion of protests, riots, and anger towards the injustice that individuals like George Floyd experienced because they were a shade darker...

Ever since you were little, your parents have likely instructed you to look both ways before crossing the street. At first, you may have been hesitant to heed their instructions, for what could be so dangerous...

Classes have swaths of empty seats. Teachers and students alike are continuing to test positive for COVID-19. Rumors are flying through the halls of Carlmont.  Are there over 600 positive cases in...

In the wake of recent arguments in the Texas and Mississippi abortion cases, critics of the U.S. Supreme Court have publicly questioned its legitimacy as its members consider overturning long-standing...

Principal Ralph Crame announced that he will be stepping down at the end of the semester in an email sent to the student body on Nov. 10.  After 15 years at Carlmont and seven years as principal, Crame...

If you’ve been around corporate America any time in the past decade, you might’ve heard the term “imposter syndrome” floating around. It’s a pop-psychology diagnosis that leaves the people affected...

Chants of “I’m with her,” “Love Trumps hate,” and “P-ssy grabs back” rang out across the country as millions of people took to the streets in bright pink beanies in protest of the inauguration...

Go on The New York Post's website and scroll through the headlines. Click on a few articles and read through them. Then do the same for MSNBC. For coverage of the same events, the content produced is drastically...

A year and a half of virtual school may not seem that long, but it will be a time that is never forgotten for too many high school students. Carlmont High School is now back in person! Shouldn't students...

It might seem fun to start your holiday shopping months in advance, but there are downsides to this activity. When businesses display holiday-related goods early, consumers are likely to buy more goods...

Our digital footprints are becoming more important now than ever, and many people, especially adolescents, are refusing to heed the warnings. The recent demise of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden...

The land we stand on is stolen land. It was never ours to begin with. It was stolen from the Indigenous peoples that had lived on it for centuries before European explorers arrived and forcibly displaced...

Giving a voice to the unheard sounds great on paper but fails to be as black and white when put to the test. Oftentimes when those coming from privileged positions act on behalf of marginalized communities,...

Whether you were closely following the California recall election that ended Sept. 14 or not, you likely saw at least one advertisement for it while using your streaming services.  Throughout California,...

Content warning: this editorial discusses topics that may be triggering to certain readers.  Messages with warnings about subject matter within posts, movies, shows, and more have been popping up on...

Vigorous attacks on affordable healthcare and environmental protections. Justifications and sympathy for white supremacy by our nation's former leader. A riot at the capitol building. The list goes on....

In an age where each like, comment, and repost is public, people feel more and more pressure to assimilate into the majority. At the same time, the issues we contemplate are simultaneously being reduced...

As AP testing nears its final weeks and graduation is just around the corner, it’s impossible not to reflect on what high school truly means. There’s, of course, the dictionary definition: a period...

“On October of 2019, Daunte Wright, who was a child, smoked a single joint of weed and was given a ticket for it. It was a petty misdemeanor […] if anybody tells you ‘he had warrants,’ this is...

Amidst the pandemic, people are told to put their lives on hold, stay home, and take care of themselves. For many in the Bay Area, this idea has been logical; however, some continue to struggle, as they...

Go to school. Get a job. Be successful. “Good morning!” It’s the Monday back from Spring Break for a classroom of kindergarteners. The teacher greets all of the students as they enter the...

On March 17, 2020, CBS correspondent Weijia Jiang tweeted that a White House official discussing COVID-19 called it the “Kung-Flu,” a derogatory term mocking the virus’s inception in China. While...

“It’s putting my life in danger.” “This should never have happened.” “No one should want to go back.” The reopening of schools amidst the pandemic has been a source of discord among...

As we approach a full year into distance learning, the current situation has exacerbated the barely-hidden problems with the schooling system. According to EdSource, a Californian education non-profit,...