The failure of sexual empowerment
I am a set of body parts first, and a person second. This notion of objectification is masqueraded as empowerment in every corner of today’s media. Instagram influencers are selling their bodies to pay the bills, popstars are prancing around stage in hyper-revealing clothing and girls are abandoning their PhD to instead join the adult industry. Women should have the freedom to express their sexuality without being publicly scrutinized or slut-shamed. But where does empowerment end and objectification begin?
The public stage comes with public opinions
For thousands of years people have been influenced by political, religious, intellectual and cultural figures. Today, through social media and ways for global connection, influence is more immediate and powerful than ever before. A single post can reach millions within the span of minutes. In this climate, influence cannot be passive.
The distasteful trade-off of classic books
The vast majority of books deemed “classics” by literary critics are plagued with subtle to blatant racism. While these works usually contain sophisticated and near-revolutionary writing, it is morally wrong to excuse, justify or ignore comments made or stereotypes reinforced by authors. I have never been one to argue against reading, and that’s not what I’m doing. Plenty of older books have real value in reading, even if they are shadowed by judgements that add no quality to the writing. What is inexcusable, though, is to pretend that older works don’t sell blatant offenses to their audience. Books should be read critically, no matter how they’re regarded by historians or litterateurs.
Our unwarranted disrespect of subs
When the teacher is out, how can a classroom function? Whether it be for jury duty or maternity leave, it is inevitable that a teacher will have to leave. In their place, a substitute teacher fills in to keep the classroom in order and continue students in their curriculum…
Trump’s gross overstep of presidential power
The United States has long called itself the defender of democracy, yet recently its actions suggest something far less noble. Under the Trump administration, foreign policy has increasingly become dependent on the president’s impulses, driven by personal ego, oil interests and economic leverage rather than law or principle. Military force has been used without any accountability, allies have been threatened for disagreeing and international norms have been treated as optional inconveniences. When the world’s most powerful nation rejects the very own rules it helped create, democracy is no longer the goal—it’s the excuse.
fandoms and the decline of pop culture
For as long as I have had access to an iPhone, I have been exposed to the integral internet pillars that are fandoms. Pop culture like music and TV act as a uniting force, creating communities of thousands participating in discourse, creating fanart, sharing information and overall forming social connections through a screen. The rapid growth of social media has only allowed this culture to spread; apps such as X, formerly Twitter, and Tiktok are populated by fans sharing opinions and criticisms of new content at instantaneous rates. These platforms have served to amplify people's voices, making entry into fandoms more accessible while simultaneously highlighting the toxicity that used to linger under the surface. Fandoms that I once viewed as a utopia of internet collaboration and a safe haven for personal expression have transformed into a cesspool of negativity, the very thing they were created to avoid.
Is Mamdani the right direction for American politics?
Zohran Mamdani won the New York Mayoral election on November 4th, 2025. The 34-year-old Democratic Socialist ran an unconventional campaign characterized by grassroots fundraising, a strong social media presence and the advocacy of radical policies. His decisive victory has generated conversations surrounding the future of American politics.
college admissions culture is too competitive
Last year, many Samo students were accepted to prestigious colleges like Stanford and the Ivies. That kind of success sets a high standard for future graduating seniors, which can inadvertently cause considerable stress. Students will stretch themselves thin, and too often, seniors tie their self-worth to which college they are accepted to.
Should social media influencer be considered a job?
With the rise of influencers, a debate has been sparked whether being an influencer should be counted as a job or not. These articles explore both sides of the argument.
The development crisis in santa monica
As new buildings take over the streets of Santa Monica, it is now more urgent than ever to rethink the development of the city. With increasing frequency, multi-use high rises and apartment buildings are swallowing up entire blocks and dulling the city’s character. The charm of Santa Monica is fading at the hands of urban developers and something must be done before it is too late.
A fair punishment for an unforgivable crime
The only satisfying way to make up for the psychological effects of rape on a victim is to remove a rapist’s ability to commit that crime altogether. Chemical castration is the practice of using hormonal chemicals and anti-androgens to shut down testosterone production. This treatment renders a patient incapable of having children, as well as removing their genetic capacity for sexual activity.
When war CRITICISM becomes a free pass for bigotry
In just the 3 months after Oct 7, 2023, incidents targeting Jewish people around the world spiked by roughly 361 percent according to ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). Those are not abstract numbers; they are violence and vandalism in synagogues, harassment in public and a constant barrage of threats and hateful messages in comment sections where ordinary family moments are subjected to targets for cruelty. In times of war and political unrest, it's easy to group politics and its relative population together, and even easier to pick a population that has been continuously subjected to unfair stereotypes for centuries.
Free your children: A longer lunch
Lunch is barely a fraction of the overall school day. Should Samo extend the time it allocates to students for lunch?
Is it time to put the dogs away
Flip-flops seem to be taking over our trend cycle at the moment; it’s almost like you can’t escape them. Flip-flops have been a popular footwear choice for a while. Celebrities and people around Samo have been wearing them, but should this trend continue?
Something needs to be done about parking at samo
The student parking shortage at Samo is absurd. As of now there is no subsidized school-provided option for students to park on or close to campus, nor any plans to address this issue.
Accessibility issues leave samo primed for disaster
Samo began a massive transformation at the start of the 2010s, tearing down many of its old buildings and replacing them with new ones. The redesign of much of the Samo campus was largely motivated by a desire to modernize and improve student and faculty life, but this has completely excluded those with physical disabilities. Disabled students are left in an extremely dangerous situation as virtually every new building is without safe exits in case elevators aren't working.