When You’re Kind of There, But Not Really There by Shuxuan Chang

 When You’re Kind of There, But Not Really There

         At the beginning of school, I was too shy to talk with anyone, even my teacher. I tried to talk to people who seemed nice to me, but most of the people already have their group, I don’t know how people get into friend groups so fast.

         This happened to me so many times, and honestly, I still don’t know how to fix it. I remember I thought I was getting closer with their group. They talked to me like a normal classmate, and maybe they even thought of me as a friend, but I still felt left out. One time during lunch, I sat with people I thought were my friends. I tried to join their conversation, but they just kept talking to each other like I wasn’t really there. I was sitting with the people that I think I’m their friend. I try to talk with them, they just annoy me, talk with other people, It made me feel like I was there physically, but not really part of the group. I finished eating and left early.

        After that, I started noticing that many people around me were also sitting quietly or staying alone. I just heard what they were talking about, but I didn’t make any comments. I didn’t say much because I was scared of sounding annoying or awkward. For now, I think being alone is sometimes better than forcing myself into a group where I don’t feel comfortable. Being around people but still feeling left out can feel even lonelier.

Nobody Wants to Be “The Weird One” by Shuxuan Chang

 Nobody Wants to Be “The Weird One”

       “Wait… where are my friends? Are they all absent today? No way, I don’t want to be alone in gym class. That feels so weird. Maybe I should find someone I know to play with.”

        When I walked into the gym alone, I suddenly felt like everyone could notice me, even though they probably didn’t care that much. Sometimes being a teenager feels like everyone is secretly judging each other, even when they are probably thinking about themselves instead. I put my stuff in the girls locker room, went to find the person I was thinking of. I talked with them, and they said we can play together in the gym.

       There are so many times when things happen at the gym, not just at the gym. I think maybe being alone is awkward, but some of my friends don’t think so. Some of my friends actually enjoy being alone, and they don’t think it’s awkward at all.

 That is the way they do their life and they just like it. My other friends are the same as me, thinking being alone is so awkward. I think many people around me feel uncomfortable being alone because we worry other people will think we have no friends. 

         But maybe that’s not the real question. Maybe the real question isn’t why being alone feels awkward for some people. Maybe it’s why teenagers think about being alone so differently.

What I’ve Learned About Want vs. Need by Shuxuan Chang

 What I’ve Learned About Want vs. Need

        After lunch, I was lying on my bed, looking at so many products around me and some packages on the floor that I hadn’t even opened yet.I was thinking what was wrong with me, why that time I didn't stop to buy them.

        I'm starting to remember the reasons that let me buy so many products. Enmm, some beauty products my friend and I made together . Some of my friends have it, but I don't. I bought those things because I didn’t want to fall behind or feel left out when my friends talked about them. Sometimes when I feel stressed or upset, I just want to buy something that makes me happy. I love the feeling of opening a package and seeing something new. Social media also affects me a lot. When I see famous people or influencers using certain products, I start wanting them too just to see if they really work.

        After realizing this, I started a new habit: putting things in my shopping cart for two days before buying them. and after that I see them again, that can make me not waste the products and also save my money. Maybe buying things makes me happy, but happiness won’t stay long. When I was cleaning my room, I started to regret it. But it does not mean all the purchases are wrong, it means don’t do something you’ll regret, even though we are still young, we can make a budget to help ourselves. Yesterday, I was done with my budget, because I realized money is not that easy to get. Right now, I still can’t fully tell the difference between wants and needs, but I think I’m starting to understand it more than before.

Sleep Deprivation in Highschool by Ibrahim Rogers

 In my opinion, it feels like getting enough sleep while in high school has gotten extremely difficult. It's very common for students in high school to either stay up late to finish their work, or simply because they are procrastinating. Personally, I'm someone who stays up late often due to studying for exams, but sometimes due to procrastinating. More often than not, I plan on going to bed earlier, but end up staying up late. Many times, I've ended up falling asleep in my classes because of this, however, I know other people that have done the same thing. The funny part about sleep deprivation is the fact that it sometimes makes no sense. Sometimes, despite me getting enough sleep, I'll still feel extremely tired in class, yet, other times, I won't get enough sleep and wake up feeling refreshed. In my opinion, this might be the reason for students disregarding the effects of the lack of sleep on them. Many students joke about surviving on very little sleep; however, it can affect their focus and productivity for the entire day. Also, some students realize that they can survive on little sleep, leading to an increased amount of procrastination which is detrimental to their productivity and health.

According to the CDC, teenagers require about 8-10 hours of sleep daily. However, most of the teenagers get significantly less time than that. In my opinion, the main problem that influences the amount of sleep students get is the fact that they have too many responsibilities to deal with, such as school, extracurriculars, and a social life. Sleep deprivation almost seems to be a part of high school life which is why it is so common. 

CDC. “About Sleep.” Sleep, 12 Feb. 2025, www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html?utm. Accessed 23 May 2026.

The 2021 Brooklyn Nets: The Biggest “What if” team ever. by Ibrahim Rogers

 The 2021 Brooklyn Nets: The Biggest “What if” team ever. by Ibrahim Rogers

In my opinion the biggest “What if” regarding a team in NBA history is the 2021 Brooklyn Nets. Considering how much talent that team possessed on offense, I can see why people viewed them as a superteam. The 3 offensive engines James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving, was a nightmare for any team they faced. In those rare moments when the trio was healthy and played together during the season, they managed to play 16 games and win 13 out of them. One of the most memorable games when they were all healthy and showcased the true potential of this superteam was Game 4 against the Boston Celtics in the first round. Harden scored 23 points and set a career high for a postseason of 18 assists, Kyrie scored 39 with 11 boards, while Durant ended up with 42 points.

It was not a lack of talent that doomed that Nets' team. The problem was injuries. Kyrie suffered an ankle injury during Game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern conference semifinals. Despite the return of Harden at some point in the series, it was obvious that he was far from being healthy. Still, the Nets managed to take the eventual champions to 7 games in a hard fought series. The most notable moment of that trio is how they were millimeters away from getting to the Eastern Conference finals since Kevin Durant’s size 18 shoe was on the three point line. That team might’ve stayed together for a couple more years if he was just a tad bit father. 

The reason why the 2021 season of the Nets is so disappointing, for me at least, is not because of how they played, but because it took away the opportunity for us as basketball fans to see what might have been a generational team. As stated before by Kevin Durant himself, once the team got back its healthy lineup, he felt it was the "perfect, ideal situation" for basketball. However, due to injuries, one of the greatest teams ever was never fully utilized. Honestly, it hurt because James Harden, my favorite player, didn't win the championship, and that was his best opportunity of his career.

“Kevin Durant Still Feels “Love” in Brooklyn despite Chaotic Stint - ESPN.” ESPN.com, ESPN, 23 Jan. 2025, www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43526508/kevin-durant-feels-love-brooklyn-chaotic-stint. Accessed 24 May 2026.

Are the Oklahoma City Thunder “floppers”? by Ibrahim Rogers

 Are the Oklahoma City Thunder “floppers”? by Ibrahim Rogers

As of recently, many people argue that the Oklahoma City Thunder are “floppers.” The main pusher of that agenda is the 2-time MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. There have been many obvious instances where the MVP has been seen clearly foul baiting, which has angered many fans and led to him being viewed as a “free-throw merchant.” Personally, I think a lot of the frustration also comes from how dominant the Thunder have become recently. In this year’s playoffs, especially during the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, it seemed like the Thunder became one of the NBA’s most hated teams because fans believed the refs were favoring them. A lot of people felt like the Thunder were getting way more calls than their opponents, even on plays where there was barely any contact. On the other side, many Spurs fans believed their players were getting hacked without calls being made. One example people kept bringing up was Isaiah Hartenstein supposedly fouling Victor Wembanyama without referees calling it. This has led to many fans pushing the idea that referees should be fined for biased calls, especially since players themselves can already be fined for flopping. Even though the Thunder are constantly viewed as floppers online, statistics do not fully support that argument. According to ESPN’s 2025–2026 NBA team statistics, the Thunder ranked only 17th in the league in free throw attempts. Personally, I still think some players on the Thunder, especially Lu Dort, play in a pretty unethical and dirty way at times. At the end of the day though, whether or not you view the Thunder as floppers mostly comes down to personal opinion, but just know, the footage doesn’t lie.

“2025-26 NBA Team Stat Leaders - ESPN.” ESPN, 2025, www.espn.com/nba/stats/team/_/season/2026/seasontype/2/table/offensive/sort/avgFreeThrowsAttempted/dir/desc. Accessed 24 May 2026.

Why I Spend Money the Way I Do (And Maybe You Do Too) by Shuxuan Chang

 Why I Spend Money the Way I Do (And Maybe You Do Too) by Shuxuan Chang

      “Huh? Where’s my money? I’ve checked all the places where I might have put it, but it’s nowhere to be found! I distinctly remember having a little bit left. How is it that, by the end of the month, I don't have a single penny of my allowance left?

       Lying face-down on my bed, I recalled the moment my parents first gave me an allowance. Back then, I felt an overwhelming sense of joy and cherished that money dearly—I would always spend only a tiny fraction of it, saving every last penny. I find myself puzzled: at what point did I stop regarding money as something so precious? Now, it seems I only realize its importance when I find myself completely broke.

        Whenever I see my parents shopping, they only buy what they actually need—and only occasionally what they merely want. In contrast, when I see my friends buying things, I often feel the urge to buy them too; I worry that if I don't, I might fall behind or feel left out. But after I’ve made a purchase—and especially when I find myself with nothing else to do—I sometimes start thinking that the item isn't really a big deal after all, and that I would have been just fine without it. Deep down, I realize that much of this behavior is impulsive spending. I do feel pretty regretful, but I think I still have a chance to turn things around. It’s not too late, after all.