6. Harbor Seals 2026

                                                                                                                                                                                           i mage credit The human and animal languages are very different.  We use complex sentences to express abstract ideas and feelings, animals use a simpler communication method for survival. We can talk about the past and future, animals are restricted to the p...

Most people are born into a family; I was born into a fandom—a fandom consisting of cheeseheads. So genetically, I too am a cheesehead.  Long before I knew the meaning of a first down or why everyone would scream “throw the ball, Rodgers!” my autumn Sundays were defined by two colors: green and gold. Punctuated by collective groans and occasional cheers, my earliest memories are of family and friends huddled together in our living room as Jordy Nelson (who I would later learn was the wide receiver) tiptoed into the end zone.  There truly was no better feeling than putting on my green and gold suit of armor to make the pilgrimage to the holy ground of Lambeau Field. And although my jersey served its purpose better as a dress, sitting just below my knees, the extra fabric was a much needed shield in the -20 degree wind chill. The stadium music pumped through my blood as I watched the players charge onto the frozen tundra; the game became larger than life. Surrounded by a sea of...

  Over the summer my grandparents came over to visit us, but as soon as they came over, my sister went to Seattle for an internship. So for most of the summer, we didn’t really spend time as a full family. One weekend when my sister came back home, we decided to do a long-gone TikTok trend of asking our grandparents to say brainrot terms while we had water in our mouths, trying not to laugh. Despite how ridiculously old and outdated the trend was, the amount of water spilled across the floor in the videos always seemed like a funny thing to try. However, we were supposed to stay clean, so my sister and I held bowls in front of us in the hopes that we wouldn’t spill anything (we still did). And while my grandparents were taking turns to say one word at a time, it became obvious how different the same language could sound depending on who was using it.  Now it wasn’t a matter of accent or the different emphasis on syllables, but rather the meaning behind each word. I remember di...

A perfectly crisp waffle cone topped with sparkling, vibrant gelato that brings you to a state of euphoria.  After a long and sleepless journey, we landed in Paris, where the humidity immediately enveloped us and weighed us down. Starved and dripped in sweat, we sought out something to sustain us, and our eyes landed on a haven: La Crème de Paris. I decided on two scoops of raspberry gelato, completely unaware of the bliss that would soon entrance me. After the first bite, I was sure: this was singlehandedly the best thing I had ever tasted. Every day became a new adventure— or more accurately, a new flavor— to explore: passionfruit, mango, peach, lychee, and more. The cold, refreshing gelato would instantly rejuvenate us for the day and the sights to see.  Yet, despite its captivating taste, that is not the primary reason (it is a very close second, though) why I love this gelato. Instead, it reminds me of my circle of friends on the cobblestone streets, laughing and trying e...

Norah Week 1: Why Taiwan Will Always Be My First Pick – 08/26 [8:56PM] I ’m Taiwanese American. My parents and sister moved to America a while before I was born, so I’ve never actually lived in Taiwan before. But to me, being Taiwanese is still an important part of my identity. Almost every year, I travel back to Taiwan to meet all my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. However, it isn’t just because I can see my family that I enjoy going to Taiwan; it also gives me a chance to be immersed in my culture and language. Food is a major way in which I can connect with my culture, as I love being able to eat as much authentic Taiwanese food as I want and better understand Taiwanese culture. Every time we go back to Taiwan, I look forward to the beef noodle soup from the restaurant that the Nvidia CEO likes going to , the bento that costs less than $3 from a store nearby with all the side dishes I would ever want, and the boba. There’s also so many convenience stores and even a night ...

  Navya Rao Week 1 “Fact”? The world is weird in the sense that absolutely nothing is absolute. The universe is measured in terms of relativity. My purple can be your orange. The difference between these “facts” and opinions are that facts have been agreed upon globally for a long time relatively, while opinions vary extremely. With enough evidence and reasoning, anything can be fact.   But these “facts” that we digest as concrete, are what allow animals to live in harmony. Well, not really any animals other than humans, and maybe a couple species that we force to serve us as either food or just because they’re too adorable (How have dogs not united and revolted against us yet? Have they not seen what humans are doing to the Earth? Seriously!). We just worked harder to force our system, built on “facts”, on every inch of the Earth.  Maybe one day I’ll be able to write a blog disproving all the scientific and mathematical laws, and explain why everything is a lie, usi...

 Cuanan 1 Raie Cuanan  Mrs. Smith English 11AP  26 August 2026 Blog Q1 Raie Week 1: Raie’s Problems in Chavacano – 08/26 [6:09 PM] Hello! I am Raie and I am learning AP English in grade eleven with my teacher Mrs. Smith. I quento my hometown dialect, Chavacano. You could say that Chavacano is my native “language” as it originates in Zamboanga City, often dubbed “The Latin City of Asia.” During my years as a bata , I lived there and spoke that dialect.  KCC Mall of Zamboanga While knowing and speaking Chavacano as my dialect is useful in some cases, it gives me a really big headache whenever I speak either Tagalog or Spanish. Both of those languages mix together to create Chavacano. However, people sometimes ask: Why does Chavacano give you such a big headache, Raie? The answer to that is simple. See, whenever I try to speak Spanish, a few words of Tagalog end up seeping into my dialogue. Vice versa for Tagalog, a few words of Spanish tend to seep into my Tagalog...