I toss my phone away after seeing the thousandth lazy “Happy Vday, babe!” post on Instagram. Valentine’s Day is cute, but lately, it has been feeling like an exhausting ritual of empty declarations of love. Red roses, heart emojis, matching pajama pictures, expensive dinners, giant stuffed bears. It all blurs together into one highly curated, highly filtered performance. It makes me wonder: has Valentine’s Day lost something? Historically, Valentine’s Day wasn’t always about

2025, Stevenson Dining Hall Photo: Michael Troutman What used to be a trip to Carmel with friends or a shared dining hall meal is now often food dropped off in a bag at Douglass hall.  Food delivery apps like DoorDash are quietly changing how students interact with each other, how local restaurants operate, and how boarding school life feels on a daily basis. I am a day student, and while DoorDash is something that I turn to at times, I also have the privilege to live at home

The importance of actually finishing a book This is something that I think applies to a lot of things that we do, finishing a task is very important and can create a feeling of accomplishment. The brain is always looking for a sense of accomplishment and completion. By finishing a book you are training your brain in sustained attention, something that is rare today according to a study by the American Psychological Association.  In this study, social media was discovered to

No Kings Protest, 2025. Photo credits: Youtube Since the beginning of time, people have rallied, protested, and revolted against issues in society. As students, we are always learning about them in class - from peasants’ revolts to civil rights movements in the 1960s - and oftentimes, they feel so distant and unrelatable to us. In reality, such movements have played a huge part in getting us many of the rights and privileges that we take for granted today, and they are still

The season is finally here: fall! Time to watch Gilmore Girls, drink pumpkin lattes, and enjoy as the leaves change their color to red-orange tones. In the case of Pebble Beach, autumn may not be as strong (I’m still waiting for the leaves to fall off the trees), but you can definitely spot a difference from previous months. For someone who has never experienced a stereotypical season in her life, even the mildest change in the Starbucks menu is a reason to celebrate. Growing

Once again, we congratulate the recent Stevenson wins at the beginning of this school year. The volleyball, tennis, and water polo teams began their season strong, with each encounter and fight as they defended their position in our school. Both girls' and boys' teams surprise us every day with their dedication and love for this sport. However, with all this excitement for newer matches and hopes of winning, we forget those activities that are not so competitive. Or simply, n

In a world where high school students juggle test prep, ample homework, and endless deadlines, art often becomes a simple, quiet refuge. I like to paint, and what I have noticed from the practice of painting is that it helps me feel more grounded and have more clarity.   However, art is more than just a hobby. Creativity is a force that shapes every aspect of our lives and brain development. Science shows that creativity has the power to transform how we learn, cope with ever

Meet the Labubus. Photo credits : Pop Mart The Labubu plague has spread to Stevenson: more and more bags are conquered by the mischievous plushes every day. Walking across campus, encountering Labubus of all colors, I wonder, what is it about these creatures that is so desirable to the human eye ?  Well, to start, they aren’t  so desirable to many, including myself. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yes, but these little monsters are just so irksome — what are they smirki

Wuthering Heights (2026). Photo credit: IMDB Wuthering Heights , first published in 1847 by Emily Brontë, is a gothic novel influenced by the Romantic Movement of the time period. The story follows the tragic love story between characters Catherine and Heathcliff. Heathcliff was adopted into Cathy’s family, and they are immediately drawn to and infatuated with each other, but because of their class divide, she marries another man. When Cathy dies, Heathcliff grows crazed and

Gift giving is one of the most common acts of gratitude, originating from ancient traditions of building stronger relationships. However,...

Have you ever tried to hold yourself awake on Christmas Eve, waiting for the old guy in red with a big white beard to slide down your...

Frame from Anora , featuring Anora at a party. Despite what is branded across all of the marketing, despite what director Sean Baker...