1. Risso's Dolphins 2026

  Abhay Patel Mrs. Smith English 11AP  23 September 2026 Blog Q#1 Week 3  Why do I remember that? - published (09/23 9:56pm) There are some moments from my life that I remember almost perfectly, even though they probably weren’t supposed to be important. I don’t remember exactly what I did on my trip to Humboldt State park , but for some reason I still remember when me and some of my friends were on a trail and went super far away from them, even going through a swamp, which we figured was very difficult so turned back and got a surprising treat of getting scolded by all the parents. I remember one of my friend’s mom saying “you guys should be locked in the car while we go out on our own” while my dad is just like, “It’s fine, just ask us next time before running away. It doesn’t matter how far you go, just tell us first.” I felt like laughing so hard, as the parents argued about what they should do to us. The weird part was that this wasn’t even supposed to be one of the...

Chaitra Ambati Mrs. Smith English 11AP 23 September 2026  Chaitra Week #3 -  Between The Lines   Every interview, every icebreaker, I am posed with the recurring question: "List three words that describe you ." And every interview, every icebreaker, I stare into the intense eyes glaring back at me, the blank-lined flashcard lying on the cold desk in front of me, wishing I had a definite answer.  Three words–how can I possibly summarize myself into three words? I can hardly compress my thoughts into 500 words for this blog!  The root of this dilemma must be running through everyone's mind, right? Right… I think to myself as kids are getting up to turn their flashcards in. Meanwhile, the interviewer must be bored out of their mind watching me blankly stare through their half-curious, half-exhausted eyes. (True story by the way).  I look down and scribble some random words onto my blank- lined flashcard. I blubber some words in an uneasy, unsure manner and ...

Change and continuity. For many of us, this phrase probably unearths the possibly fun, possibly proud, possibly traumatic memories of the AP World exam last year. But not only does this concept apply on the vast scale of cultures and nations over centuries of time, it also concerns each and every one of us over the mere sixth of a century that we have lived so far. My birthday just passed two days ago. I don’t know what it is about birthdays—whether it’s the tangible representation of my aging or the extra attention I get from my friends and family—but my contemplative nature shone through and I found myself reminiscing of the past. I realized the sheer number of changes that I’ve experienced throughout my life, and the continuities that continue to be a part of my identity. I used to play soccer, which is pretty hard to believe. I can’t even imagine myself playing soccer now. I have also swam, taken art classes, loved Pokemon Go , and hated tomatoes, none of which still apply to me to...

  If somebody asked six-year-old Yumeng, “What was the best thing to ever exist?” I would’ve, without a doubt, replied, “When grandma comes!” Because when grandma came, it usually meant my family would come too—my cousins, aunts and uncle. Whether from San Diego or Dublin—somehow they’d still make time to come to San Francisco, even if it was only for chūn jié or my grandparent’s birthday. If my entire family didn’t come, my cousin, five years older and somebody I adored so much, would still come along with my grandma for dinner and endure my endless bothering.  Our gatherings were filled with lively conversation and laughter, with my aunts and uncle teasing me about my blabbers, and with me watching my cousins play Brawl Stars while talking in their video game-lingo. Whether our gathering was held in our humble abode or in a rented out karaoke room at our favorite restaurant, it was my second home. Running between my family and the chairs to try to get to my cousins, being ...

The harsh, grating sound of my alarm clock going off is usually the first thing I hear when I wake up. the sound is loud, shrill, and has irritated me to no end, from elementary all the way to high school. However, I've found that as my identity has grown and evolved over the years, so has my trusty clock.                In elementary school, homework was a rare occurrence. More often than not, I regarded school as a place I could hang out with my friends and occasionally learn that ¼ + ¼ = ½, or that metaphors did not include ‘like’ or ‘as’. I extended this carefree, don’t-carish attitude to my mornings; on most days, my routine only consisted of breakfast, a quick shower, and a change of clothes. I usually woke up twenty minutes before school without even needing to use my alarm clock.  When middle school came around, I noticed a change. Not only in myself, but in the ways my peers began to dress in ‘trendy’ clothes and do their hair i...

I talk a lot about badminton. If every time I thought about it increased my skill, I would be better than prime Kento Momota .  Despite the large impact badminton has had on my life, not many people know just how much effort was put into getting where I am today. I’m not going to lie, there were days when I cried because of a bad game, or because someone told me I wasn’t good enough, or because I was unsatisfied with the stagnation  I faced in my competitive performance.  The insatiable need to excel at the one thing I truly loved prompted me into a state of intense work. I gained ~30 pounds in the span of less than two years – and i f you’re a skinny brown boy, you’ll understand how difficult that is. I had won a few tournaments as well, inspiring newfound confidence in myself. This new growth demonstrated an advancement in skill and physicality that showed progress toward my dream: being one of the best in the nation. I wanted to play against the most talented kids in ...

Last weekend, I went to a late-night volleyball open gym with strangers. Well, to be more specific, they used to be strangers. Strangers who appeared nearly everyday in my peripheral while walking through the rotunda, but never took the time to properly see (so no, I do not condone going out with random people). Although I initially was terrified–of being judged, of being annoying, of being seen negatively in infinitely many ways–there was a moment where the coldness of unfamiliarity turned into the warmth of friendship. Perhaps it was the moment someone cracked the first joke, or the moment I apologized profusely for my mistakes–only to be met with reassuring smiles and kindness. Either way, I’m just glad it happened. I didn’t realize it at first, but it hit me when we were laughing after one of our games. Specifically, at the complete destruction the other team brought us (Yes, that’s us on the other side). As I looked into everyone’s eyes, I did not see disappointment and frustrati...

Chaitra Ambati  Mrs. Smith English 11AP 9 September 2026                                                                  Chaitra Week #2: Gemini Rising  I never paid much attention to astrology, but my zodiac sign being Gemini always felt fitting. Described as deceitful and possessing multiple personalities, Gemini symbolizes the Twins, representing duality and two distinct sides to a person. Often, I find myself shapeshifting through aspects of my own personality, expressing myself differently depending on my audience. For a majority of the year, I am surrounded by people who act, look, and think like me. My friends are all daughters of immigrants, putting their focus into excelling in school and getting into a good college right after hig...

  I hated being Chinese. Actually, to be more specific, I hated learning Chinese.  I never had fond memories of Chinese schools or programs—whether it was being a first grader sitting around classmates (who were technically forced to be my friend, since our class size was literally four people) in a small portable classroom at Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary, or being a sixth grader taking online classes in the comfort of my parent’s room, completely distracted, under Haiao Chinese Academy. There were many reasons why I didn’t like Chinese school; having to mindlessly copy down every stroke of a character to avoid a quiz score below 90, sitting alone because I joined the class late and everybody already has their groups from the year before, and spending a good portion of my Saturdays in a stifling atmosphere because my mom paid for a year’s worth of tuition felt stupid. Thankfully, by the start of seventh grade, my consistent complaints finally made it through with my mom,...

Abhay Patel Mrs. Smith English 11AP  09 September 2026 Blog Q#1 Week 2 Football at Heart - published (09/09 7:56pm) There is just something about the NFL starting that gets everyone excited. The second football comes back, it feels like the whole world changes. The stadiums fill up, the crowds start thundering, and that feeling of excitement comes rushing back. Football is one of the greatest sports there is because there is always so much going on. Every play can change the entire game, and every second brings something new. The crowd roaring as the players attack while the other side defends is one of the best feelings in sports. Will the offense break through, or will the defense stop them in their tracks? Someone has to win, but the winner is not just determined by who breaks through. It comes from the team that can work together, fight through the pressure, and overcome their opponents when everything is on the line. For me, football is more than just watching a game. It ...

Among the countless hours I’ve spent watching YouTube videos throughout my life, I can’t begin to recall how many squabbles I’ve witnessed in the comment sections. Oftentimes, they’re entertaining to read simply because of how trivial the topic is. I might be watching a video about cats, and then someone would comment about the background music and get into a heated argument about the singer’s problematic actions. These little incidents leave me feeling both amused and incredulous, but what flabbergasts me even more is how “into” the argument some people get. I could never imagine myself feeling so passionate about inconsequential topics like whether people should stop reclining their seats on airplanes. I recently stumbled across an essay addressing this topic by programmer and investor Paul Graham. Graham concludes that people are especially persistent in arguments involving their identities. He uses this to explain why topics like religion and politics, which advertise limitless op...

Vincent Van Gogh , Claude Monet , Salvador Dali . These are all names we grew up hearing, names that are spoken about with almost reverence. As kids, all we knew about them was that they were good painters who made good paintings. The reality, however, is that these artists poured their identity into their artwork. Life events, mental issues, personal traumas, even physical issues were all reflected in their masterpieces.  Claude Monet was best known for being one of the forerunners of Impressionism. His wispy, ethereal paintings made with hundreds of small brushstrokes were the first of their kind. Particularly famous is his Water Lilies series, made up of around 250 individual paintings. However, Monet wasn't simply employing this new technique because he wanted to; it was a direct reflection of his identity at the time. In the later stages of his life, Monet became partially blind. The way he saw the world shifted both figuratively and literally and he translated his new reali...

  I recently watched a movie on Netflix called “The Art of Racing in the Rain”. I walked outside to the living room and found that my mom had put on a movie that would be fun to watch while we eat dinner, like we do on most Fridays. I expected it to be just some lighthearted fun that would just serve as entertainment for me while I ate and then got back to homework, but I found that this movie was very unique in the sense that it got me thinking about the plot and the connection to identity within it. As a brief summary, the central character is a dog named Enzo, who is owned by a racer named Denny, and the movie summarizes their life together. Denny goes through pivotal moments throughout his life, but Enzo is by his side through it all, and we see the world from his perspective as he acts as the narrator in the film. As the movie progresses, we see both Enzo and Denny grow in many ways that are each unique to dog and man, which creates a sense of chronological progression that ma...

“Set up butterfly drill!” my coach demanded at practice after we lost to Milpitas in 4, pointing out the flaws in our serve receive seams, and the lack of haste in our offense’s transition and approach. I assume your knowledge regarding what you just read is fairly limited. Similarly, if someone were to write about badminton, theater, cricket, Redwood camping, or the details of OBX, I would be clueless as well. If someone told 10-year old Ellery, a Dance Moms fanatic, that she’s now more fluent in the language of volleyball than dance, she would rage at the thought of abandoning her passion. Nevertheless, I am confident that this change in fluency was crucial for me to become the woman I am today. Although I am hesitant to acknowledge it at times, dance went from a starry-eyed dream to a burden. Constant gossip, toxic body standards, and blatant favoritism meant the buildup of resentment towards myself and those around me. And so, with my first watch-through of Haikyu and the beginning...