Why Shes the Man is a top 10 comfort movie By: Sachi Dixit

 Why Shes the Man is a top 10 comfrot movie

By: Sachi Dixit

Shes the Man is a romantic comedy about Viola, a girl who pretends to be her

brother so she can play on a boys' soccer team. While disguised, she ends up at a new

school, makes new friends, and falls for her roommate, Duke. At the same time, Duke

likes another girl, who is actually Viola in disguise. This chaotic mix-up leads to several

awkward and funny moments until the truth finally comes out.

The main reason why, Shes the Man is a comfort movie is that it’s so funny. The

jokes are constant, and the awkward situations Viola gets into cracks me up every single

time! This movie just sucks you into the humorous plot, which makes it easy to watch

without thinking too hard.

Another reason the movie is comforting is that it has a predictable but satisfying

storyline. You know everything will work out in the end, which makes it relaxing to

watch. The romance is sweet, not stressful, and the characters are easy to like. It’s the

kind of movie you can keep rewatching and still enjoy every single time.

Overall, Shes the Man is a great comfort rom-com because it's hilarious, familiar,

and makes you feel good. It combines comedy, romance, and a perfect happy ending. I

would recommend this movie to anyone who needs a good laugh.

My Mom, an article By: Sachi Dixit

 My Mom

By: Sachi Dixit

My mom shows up,

no excuse, no hesitation

When things are loud,

she makes them quiet.

When I’m tired,

she already knows.

She does a million things

and never asks for credit.

She holds everything together

without making it obvious.

I don’t always say thank you.

but I never forget

everything she does for me

She’s my comfort,

my backup plan,

my home.

My mom is the best

not because she’s perfect

but because she’s there when it actually matters

Eid-al-Fitr vs. Eid-al-Adha, an article by Hanaa Haleem

 Eid-al-Fitr vs. Eid-al-Adha by Hanaa Haleem

Eid-al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, a month where we fast from food and drink from sunrise to sunset in order to express gratitude for the nourishment and privileges given to us. One of the sunnahs (practice of the Prophet Muhammad) is to eat an odd number of dates before going to prayer, a tradition my family commits to each year. We begin with a morning prayer at a local park, where everyone greats with warm smiles and joyful “Eid Mubaraks.”

After prayers, my family gathers at home for brunch with relatives and family friends. We begin with appetizers like spring rolls and samosas, perfectly spiced and crispy. The main breakfast consists of flaky parotta, tender goat curry with naan bread, chilli chicken, and aromatic biryani. The meal is accompanied by conversations with our family friends, often telling horror stories from their jobs and nostalgic memories from our childhood. 

Finally stuffed, we move into our post-brunch nap and call relatives from back home. Another tradition is Eidi, the gift of cash for younger kids. Although I have had the privilege of receiving this most years, it is nearly my time to give it out instead.

The celebration continues with a dinner party at a family friend’s house, following a similar format but with new dishes and desserts. Chatter increases with laughter, and the air fills with the aroma of sweet treats, creating a cozy atmosphere to end the night. These moments, spent with family, friends, and food, make Eid a shared experience of gratitude, joy, and community. The best feeling arrives with thinking of this as a reward after fasting for 30 days, making the first bite of food feel extremely nourishing and fulfilling.

Eid-al-Adha, though celebrated with a different intention, shares a similar rhythm of bonding. Preparation begins three days in advance, as my parents clean and cook Qurbani meat, a goat sacrificed in respect to Prophet Ibrhaim, who sacrificed his son through the command of God. This holiday marks the conclusion of the ten days of pilgrimage in Makkah and Medinah, also known as Hajj. Those days give the opportunity to earn more blessings from Allah by participating in voluntary fasting, making this Eid feel like a reward too. The celebration also revolves around salams and mubaraks (greetings), traditional foods mentioned previously, and chatter. Overall, it serves as a time for reflection, generosity, and appreciation for each sacrifice and blessing.

It Just took a Look at my Future Self, an article by Hanaa Haleem

 It Just took a Look at my Future Self by Hanaa Haleem

Moving back to a wedding I attended in Texas, the second day (official day of marriage) was filled with socializing, particularly with the bride’s friends. Most of the girls weren’t close to my age, so I naturally went toward those in college or work. I expected casual conversations, but I was in for a surprise—one that would lead to a long-term mindset shift. I had no idea that a simple conversation with a graduate now working in IT accounting would change my perspective going forward in high school and my future.

“Am I looking into a mirror right now?” she asked with a hint of confusion.

“Oh, what do you mean?” I responded.

“I’m so confused, it feels like I just saw my younger self. I also used to wear glasses and a nose piercing like you.”

Still puzzled, I asked her to elaborate, and she described how she sees her younger self in me and finds that healing as if she reconnected with her inner child. We continued  chatting casually, and I learned that she had just graduated college this year at 20 years old and was already working at an accounting firm. 

Knowing that she complimented me by mentioning our resemblance and was able to get to her current state through discipline and dedication, I felt comfortable sharing my own doubts about the future. She advised that her drive for studying and working efficiently came from focusing on the long-term, rather than temporary moments of satisfaction. She related the pressure of being trying to be perfectly well-rounded during high school, but emphasized on perspective shifts on what truly matters. 

Our conversation lasted only about thirty minutes, but its impact remains today. Walking away, I felt a new sense of hope and appreciation after seeing my future self reflected in someone I had just met. This makes my own life path feel achievable and serves as a reminder that dedication and perspective can turn uncertainty into opportunity. 

The Version of Myself That I Outgrew Too Early (But comes back through a simple sniff), an article by Hanaa Haleem

 The Version of Myself That I Outgrew Too Early (But comes back through a simple sniff) by Hanaa Haleem

Eighth Grade me consisted of the happy girl with many sidequests, and a K-Pop addiction (which I haven’t outgrown still haha). My life wasn’t centered around academics and trying to get ahead in life. This was the last time I ever felt innocent. Begging my dad to order concert tickets during the presale, running out of the bathroom quickly enough to ensure I don’t miss the next song they are performing, and using my phone camera flash as a “lightstick”--- ohhhh those were the dayssss. Earlier that week, I was given the Bath & Body Works Perfume at a birthday party, and little did I know that each spritz after the concert would become a time machine, replaying each song, cheer, and adrenaline boost of the night whenever I smelled it again.

Annotations once felt fun and aesthetic— Cute highlighters, multiple color combinations, and marginal notes on the side—how much more fun could that be?  But now there is no aesthetic in that as we are now required to annotate with multiple colors for honors English annotations, which just makes it so much more time-consuming. I also continued multiple sidequests like learning k-pop songs on the violin, collecting price tags and pinning them to my desk boards like treasures (which I still do), and attempting to learn complex topics like the history of finance, which I admit to abandoning in frustrations. Every one of these rituals: perfume, music, and studying, were all romanticized into one memory of that carefree year.

Now, whenever I smell Japanese Cherry Blossom, I am instantly transported to all aspects of eighth grade, the music, laughter, and little obsessions that made youth feel forever. It is more than just a fragrance and remains as a reminder of the last time I witnessed life with unlimited joy and wonder, a brief period of innocence that shaped my values, interests, and viewpoints today. 

When Boundaries Feel Like Loss, an article by Hanaa Haleem

 When Boundaries Feel Like Loss by Hanaa Haleem

Now I cannot believe it— the things I let slide since they “were not that big of a deal.” That is only surprising to me since I have now made my boundaries clear, which my younger self would never do. I always believed that I had to be the “nice girl” aka a people pleaser in order to be accepted. I wanted to maintain the large friend group I had, because that felt like a definition of my worth. But over time, I realized that I was left with nothing but drain from the amount of people I constantly pleased. Having more friends may seem more entertaining, but in the long-term, it really only leads to more dread and drain as they continue to take advantage of you. 

Suddenly, the things you were once skilled at have been taken away from you. “You have just become lazy,” people say. Well, that isn’t always the case. In Islam, we believe in this thing called Evil Eye, where oversharing can lead to jealousy from others, and as a result, a loss of your strengths, skills, or luxuries. I’ve experienced this myself when noticing how certain “friends” overly complimented me and constantly asked how I had good things, but then I realized that those weren’t just silly questions, and were actually a sign to keep my achievements private as protection. 

I am now more aware and selective of whom I share information with. I keep my achievements private, not out of ego, but for my own protection. It turns out that the one thing I never questioned as a child turned into something I’m more aware of after witnessing. Tying this back into the importance of boundaries, it is common to lose friends after doing so, but at the end of the day, quality friends would respect your boundaries, meaning that those that left you weren’t a loss after all. It is normal to feel quite lonely afterwards, but that eventually turns into peace knowing your valuables are only shared with people who would congratulate you for them.

The Silence After Prayer, an article by Hanaa Haleem

 The Silence After Prayer

Imagine this—sitting on the prayer mat at 10:30pm. You want to go to sleep after Isha prayer, but you know that your heart feels heavy; not necessarily overwhelmed, but there are a lot of positive and negative things on your mind. This day went unexpectedly well. You were actually able to wake up for Fajr (morning prayer) despite the tiredness you felt from studying all night, spent great time with your friends during lunch/in between classes even when aware of your workload, hit the gym, studied for your tests in a constant flow state, and still managed to make time for Allah (God) within all of it. Later that night, you just sit with your thoughts on the prayer mat and thank Allah for all of it. However, you begin to cry tears of joy knowing that your duas (prayers) were accepted despite how much you have sinned, how much you have betrayed yourself or Allah; and all you want to do now is thank Allah for how far you have come. Your past self wouldn’t believe how much gratitude you express everyday knowing that all you used to do was ask for more. But honestly, all you want to do is thank Allah endlessly.

This is exactly how I have felt lately. Yes, my imaan (faith) may not be the highest at all times, but when it is, those are the moments I make the most out of. It feels like I can’t thank Allah enough, and that's what I contemplate enough — am I really the best Muslim I can be? The big thing to remember is that Allah is the most merciful, most forgiving. He loves those who sin and repent sincerely, because he knows that you will improve, he knows that you will get to where you want to be; you just have to prove it. That's all he is asking for.