Short Term verus Long Term Good by Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannan

Short Term verus Long Term Good by Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannan

 Every day, people make decisions that involve choosing between what feels good now and

what will benefit them later. Whether it is studying for a test instead of playing video games,

saving money instead of buying something unnecessary, or practicing a skill instead of relaxing,

these choices can be difficult. Short-term rewards are often more appealing because they

provide immediate satisfaction. However, long-term benefits can have a much greater impact on

a person's future.

One common example is schoolwork. Imagine a student who has an important test coming up

but would rather spend the evening watching television. Watching a show may provide

immediate enjoyment, while studying requires effort and concentration. Although relaxing is

important, repeatedly choosing entertainment over preparation can lead to poor results and

unnecessary stress. On the other hand, setting aside time to study can improve understanding,

build confidence, and make future assignments easier. The temporary sacrifice can lead to

lasting benefits.

Sports provide another example of this idea. An athlete who wants to improve cannot rely only

on natural ability. Improvement requires consistent practice, patience, and a willingness to learn

from mistakes. Skipping practice might feel enjoyable in the moment, but regularly avoiding

difficult work can slow progress. Athletes who focus on gradual improvement often develop

stronger skills and greater confidence over time. The same principle applies to learning a

musical instrument, developing a new hobby, or building any other skill.

Financial decisions also demonstrate the importance of thinking ahead. Spending money

immediately may provide happiness, but saving some of it can create opportunities in the future.

Someone who saves regularly may eventually be able to purchase something important or

handle an unexpected expense. This does not mean that people should never spend money on

things they enjoy. Instead, it means balancing present enjoyment with future needs.

However, choosing long-term benefits does not mean sacrificing every enjoyable moment. Rest,

entertainment, and time with friends are also important. Constantly working without taking

breaks can lead to exhaustion. The goal is to find a healthy balance between enjoying today

and preparing for tomorrow.

Ultimately, the choices people make repeatedly shape their future. One small decision may not

seem important, but consistent habits can create significant results. Before making a decision, it

can be helpful to ask two questions: What will this choice give me today, and how might it affect

me later? Thinking beyond immediate satisfaction allows people to make decisions that support

their goals, relationships, and well-being. Sometimes, the best reward is not the one we receive

immediately, but the one we earn through patience and effort.

Safety over fun by Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannan

Safety over fun by Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannany 

Everyone enjoys having fun. Whether it is playing sports, riding amusement park attractions,

exploring new places, or participating in activities with friends, excitement is an important part of

life. However, sometimes the desire to have fun causes people to ignore potential dangers. In

these situations, an important question arises: Is a few moments of excitement worth putting

yourself or others at risk? Choosing safety over fun may not always be the most exciting

decision, but it is often the wisest one.

One reason people take unnecessary risks is peer pressure. When friends encourage someone

to try something dangerous, refusing can feel embarrassing. A person might worry about being

called boring, scared, or overly cautious. As a result, they may agree to participate in an activity

they know is unsafe. However, real confidence means being able to make independent

decisions, even when others disagree. A good friend should respect someone's decision to stay

safe rather than pressure them into taking risks.

Another problem is that people sometimes underestimate the consequences of their actions.

They may believe that accidents only happen to other people or that a risky activity will be

harmless because it worked out previously. Unfortunately, past success does not guarantee

future safety. Ignoring protective equipment, disobeying instructions, or acting carelessly can

have consequences that last much longer than the excitement itself.

Safety does not mean avoiding every adventure. In fact, many exciting activities can be enjoyed

responsibly. Wearing a helmet while cycling, following instructions at an amusement park, using

proper equipment during sports, and staying with trusted companions while exploring are simple

ways to reduce unnecessary risks. By taking reasonable precautions, people can still enjoy

themselves without placing themselves or others in danger.

It is also important to remember that safety is a shared responsibility. One person's careless

decision can affect friends, family members, and even strangers. For example, a distracted

driver does not put only themselves at risk; they endanger everyone sharing the road. Thinking

about how our choices affect others encourages us to act more responsibly.

Ultimately, fun should make life better, not put it in danger. A few moments of excitement are

not worth consequences that could last for months or years. The next time you face a choice

between an exciting but dangerous activity and a safer alternative, remember that saying no

does not make you weak. It shows that you value yourself and the people around you. The

smartest decision is the one that allows everyone to enjoy the moment and return home safely.

Road Trips by Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannan

Road Trips by Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannan 

For many families, a road trip is more than simply traveling from one place to another. It is an

opportunity to explore new destinations, spend time together, and create memories that last for

years. From listening to music and playing car games to visiting unfamiliar towns and trying new

foods, road trips can turn an ordinary weekend into an exciting adventure. However, the best

road trips require preparation, patience, and a willingness to enjoy the journey rather than

focusing only on the destination.

One of the most important parts of planning a road trip is preparation. Before leaving, travelers

should plan their route, check the weather, pack necessary supplies, and make sure the vehicle

is ready for the journey. Bringing snacks, water, comfortable clothing, and entertainment can

make long drives more enjoyable. Planning stops along the way can also help travelers discover

interesting attractions that they might otherwise miss. Sometimes, an unexpected stop becomes

the highlight of the entire trip.

Of course, road trips do not always go according to plan. Traffic jams, bad weather,

construction, and unexpected delays can quickly change a schedule. When these problems

occur, it is easy to become frustrated. However, getting upset rarely solves the problem.

Remaining patient, adjusting the schedule, and finding alternatives can make the experience

much more pleasant. A flexible attitude allows travelers to appreciate the adventure, even when

things do not go perfectly.

Safety must also remain a priority. Everyone should wear a seat belt, and drivers should follow

traffic laws, avoid distractions, and take breaks when tired. Passengers can help by keeping the

driver focused and behaving responsibly. Arriving safely is far more important than reaching a

destination a few minutes earlier.

Most importantly, road trips provide an opportunity to strengthen relationships. Conversations

during long drives, laughter over silly games, and shared experiences at new places can bring

families and friends closer together. These moments often become treasured memories long

after the trip ends.

Ultimately, a successful road trip is not measured only by the distance traveled or the number of

attractions visited. It is measured by the experiences shared along the way. With proper

planning, a positive attitude, and responsible decisions, the journey itself can become just as

memorable as the destination.

The Awkward Reality of Being Under Orthodontic Construction by Nandita Kamalakannan

 The Awkward Reality of Being Under Orthodontic Construction by Nandita Kamalakannan

When you first start orthodontic treatment, everyone immediately talks about the finish line.

They tell you how amazing your teeth are going to look in a year or two. What they conveniently

forget to mention is the daily, absolute chaos you have to endure to get there.

First of all, let’s talk about the unique torture of the orthodontist chair. There is a universal,

unexplainable phenomenon where the exact moment the orthodontist puts both hands, a mirror,

and a metal wire into your mouth, they decide to ask you a complex, open-ended question. "So,

what are you planning to major in for college?" they ask cheerily. You just sit there, staring at the

ceiling, making panicked eye contact, and attempting to respond with a series of muffled,

desperate grunts that sound like "Uh-huh-ghh."

Then there is the food situation. If you have braces, you suddenly view apples and crusty bread

not as snacks, but as severe structural threats. If you try to eat a sandwich, you end up doing this

weird, delicate tearing motion like a raccoon inspecting a prize just to protect your brackets. And

if you have clear aligners? You get to experience the sheer glamour of aggressively brushing

your teeth over a crowded public restroom sink after lunch while trying to subtly pop your plastic

trays back in without anyone noticing.

But nothing quite compares to the absolute betrayal of rubber bands. The orthodontist casually

hands you a tiny packet of elastics and tells you to hook them from your top canines to your

bottom molars. They don't warn you that you are essentially installing a tiny catapult inside your

own mouth. One wide yawn in the middle of history class, and snap—that rubber band launches

itself into the stratosphere, and you just have to sit there pretending you didn't just fire a

projectile at your desk.

It can feel like a long, awkward journey of metal wire pokes and avoiding popcorn. But

eventually, the brackets come off, the plastic trays disappear, and the daily struggles become a

distant memory. When that day finally arrives and you look in the mirror, you realize the soup

diets and rogue rubber bands were completely worth it. Because behind all that awkward

orthodontic construction, you are building an absolutely beautiful smile.

How Taking a Science Class Completely Ruins Action Movies by Nandan Kamalakannan

 How Taking a Science Class Completely Ruins Action Movies by Nandan Kamalakannan

Do you remember the good old days when you could watch an action movie and just enjoy the

pure, chaotic entertainment of it? You’d sit back with your popcorn and watch a spy launch a

motorcycle off a skyscraper, catch onto a moving helicopter skid with one hand, and fly away

safely. You didn't ask questions. You just accepted it as awesome.

Then, you make the fatal mistake of taking a high school physics class.

Suddenly, you are completely incapable of turning your brain off. You aren't just watching a car

chase anymore; you are involuntarily doing math in your head. When the hero’s car inexplicably

does a perfect mid-air barrel roll over a gap in a broken bridge, you aren't cheering. Instead,

you're sitting in the dark theater whispering furiously to your friend about torque and the

director's blatant disregard for rotational dynamics. Where did the angular momentum even come

from?! The car was driving in a straight line!

It gets worse. When the villain falls out of a fifty-story window and somehow survives by

bouncing off a perfectly placed cloth awning, you aren't shocked by the plot twist. You’re sitting

there visualizing free-fall equations and realizing that a thin piece of canvas isn't going to

magically cancel out the acceleration of gravity.

Without even trying, you transform into the absolute worst person to watch a movie with. Your

friends invite you over for a sci-fi marathon, and by the second movie, you are actively resisting

the urge to pause the TV to explain why a spaceship wouldn't make a swooshing sound in a

vacuum.

The tragic part is that once you see the flaws, you can never unsee them. Every explosion and

stunt sequence becomes an accidental homework problem. So, consider this a warning to anyone

picking their classes for next year: you might learn a lot about how the universe actually works,

but you will never, ever be able to watch a superhero movie in peace again.

Resident Evil 6 by Samhita adapa

 Resident Evil 6 by Samhita adapa

Ask a Resident Evil Fan what their least favorite game is and 99% of the time, their answer will be Resident Evil 6. Commonly referred to as “action-slop”, the game almost completely ignores the survival horrors aspects of the previous installments and almost entirely steers the direction of ship towards a Michael-Bay esque call of duty dupe. It’s pretty much an action arcade game and the reception almost entirely killed the franchise and Capcom. 

When I first played the game, I really enjoyed it. It was the first Resident Evil game I've ever played and as a huge wimp, a game where I could just run away instead of shooting was my holy grail. I quite liked the game and I replayed it a lot, that is until I played the other games. It’s crazy how bad Resident Evil 6 is compared to the others. It almost doesn’t do anything right. There’s barely any horror, repetitive, convoluted, and at some points just plain old boring. I tried replaying it after playing Resident Evil 4(2005) and I just couldn’t get myself to finish Leon’s campaign. It was just so boring. It’s so far removed from Resident Evil as a franchise that you could probably slap a different name on the disc and no one would know the difference. 

Action in Resident Evil isn’t new. It was introduced in Resident Evil 4 and continued into 5, arguably both great games. There was a good balance, though RE5 is a little bit more questionable. But I think RE6 just completely abandons all aspects of horror and completely leans into the action to draw in new fans. No part of the game was scary, even on my first playthrough. I was just plowing through zombies with no care. I didn’t care about preserving ammo or health. There was literally no survival aspect to it. And at some point, the campaigns became a chore, especially Ada’s. It was just so linear. You had to keep going, no time to stop, catch your breath. It felt like a race in all the worst ways. It tries to do everything which just convoluted it even more, especially with all the vehicle sections. There’s no wonder why it was met with such a negative reception. 

Despite all of this, there were aspects of the game that I really liked. I really enjoyed my first playthrough and I think if you don’t mind that it’s pretty much RE in name only, it’s really fun, especially if you play it co-op with another person. I think the melee attacks were the best part and I’m pretty sure I used those attacks more than the actual guns and I usually swear by the semi-auto rifle in all RE games. If you are new to resident evil, then I definitely wouldn’t recommend starting off this game and probably would encourage RE4 instead. However, I do think it’s important for someone to play through this game and form an opinion for themselves instead of only listening to online discourse around this infamous installment. 

Early Oscar Predictions: Best Actor Edition by Samhita adapa

Early Oscar Predictions: Best Actor Edition by Samhita adapa

Awards Season, arguably the best season of them all, is way too far in the future. With 3 months till the Golden Globes and then another 5 till the Oscars in March, it’s incredibly early to start making any predictions at all for practically any award, especially with half the front-runners only having come out in festivals so far and not having a wide theatrical release yet. Despite this, I’m ready to make my predictions and am pretty excited about them. 

Best Actor this year is stacked and in my opinion, on the same level as last year. With The Odyssey being as much of a blockbuster as it was, Matt Damon was a given for an Oscars Best Actor nom. He’s practically a lock. I don’t think I’ve seen a list without him yet and it’s incredibly valid. Damon was amazing in the film and deserving of the nomination. Do I think he should win? That’s another story. In my opinion, I feel like it was expected from Matt Damon. He was great but I don’t think there was anything ground-breaking about the performance? I felt the same way about DiCaprio last year in One Battle After Another. It was a very good performance no doubt, but I kinda expected that. I didn’t come out of the film gushing about his acting like I thought I would. If he does win, I think that’s just due to The Odyssey’s momentum in general. 

There’s also a case to be made for Robert Aramayo, who won the BAFTA last year for portraying John Davidson in the biographical drama I Swear. However, this nom is a little bit more unstable and almost non-existent just because the film came out so long ago. Most of the winning films come out during Oscar Season in the fall but I Swear came out April 2026. 

Project Hail Mary, another film that came out in March, seems to have the same narrative for Gosling but I don’t think he’ll win for another reason. I can maybe see a nomination but a win is a long shot. Practically a Hail Mary. Probably a Golden Globe nomination and maybe a win, but definitely not an Oscar. I think it’s just the film in general that hurts his chances. It’s very good without a doubt but I don’t think it’ll get any noms in anything other than in technical awards. I feel the movie, at least for the Academy, is of the same genre as the Marvel films. It’s definitely going to get nominated, but I doubt the wins are going to come flooding in. 

And now to Digger, probably my favorite movie of the year. Discourse about the movie aside, even though I absolutely loved the film, Cruise was phenomenal. I couldn't see him in the role and that’s exactly the same way I felt after watching him in PTA’s Magnolia. He’s dramatic, funny, and just great overall. However the movie bombed pretty badly at the box office and that isn’t really a recipe for success. This significantly hurt its chances in all categories, not just Actor. The film was ambitious and took a huge ton of risks and for me, it worked though I understand why others may not like the film. Despite this, you can’t deny Cruise was incredible. His campaign seems to be running with the long overdue narrative and Iñárritu got DiCaprio his first win so a lot of people are banking on that for a Cruise oscar. I definitely think he’ll get nominated but a win is a little more shaky, no matter how badly I want it to happen. 

Despite the incredibly strong front runners, there are still a lot of films that have yet to come out and will probably yield just as incredible actors who are deserving of nominations. To name a few, Pedro Pascal in Behemoth! or Malkovich in Wild Horse Nine. Not to mention Andrew Scott in Elsinore. Then there are the international films, particularly the absolute unit of a film that in La Bola Negra is becoming in all the Oscar prediction forums online. The takeaway from all of this? It’s probably way too early to make predictions and go watch Digger! #DigorDie