At the beginning of my freshman year of high school, my mother thought that it would be a good idea for me to ride the bus home from school. Even though I disagreed with her, I knew I would have to go along with her idea anyways. That is how, at the end of my school day, I found myself standing by a bus stop in front of my school in the foggy San Francisco weather. While waiting there, I nervously scrolled through Google Maps on my phone, trying to remember my bus route home. As I was doing so, the small waves of students emerging from my school slowly began to thin out, and soon a few students gathered next to me around the bus stop. As they did, I began to worry about what might happen on my way home, so I continued to scroll on my phone to distract myself.

As I was frantically trying to memorize the lines on the map, I heard a loud screech of tires and hiss of exhaust, notifying me that my bus had pulled up. It had a familiar shade of red and gray, a coat of color all the buses wear in San Francisco. I walked briskly over to the open doors, and when I stepped up onto the bus, the seats up front were already taken. With this in mind, I hurriedly made my way to the back, where there was more room. Before I could take one of the open spots, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a group of students behind me who were also making their way up to the same area. They were all talking amongst themselves and not paying attention to their surroundings. Worried that they would bump into me, I quickly moved out of their path and sat down in the nearest open seat, which, unfortunately, was next to two old ladies. I quickly realized that I had made a bad decision. The unstable movement of the bus made it difficult to avoid bumping into the two women on either side of me. In an effort to stabilize my movements, I tried to take my backpack off and put it in front of me. Despite my efforts, I wasn’t able to remove it because there wasn’t enough room. Thus, I was forced to begrudgingly accept the discomfort and the lack of stabilization, which distracted me from paying attention to the bus stops we were passing by. Around ten minutes later, the group of students in the back of the bus all got off at one of the stops. I was so relieved when they left that I immediately jumped up to sit in one of the newly available spots. With no one on either side of me, I was finally able to take my backpack off and relax, but the moment of calm didn’t last long. When I looked out the bus window, to my surprise, there was unrecognizable terrain, which I was very confused by. Within a couple of seconds, I was able to figure out that I had missed my stop! I had spent so much time trying not to bump into the people next to me that I didn’t notice that I had missed my chance to get off the bus. In a panic, I got off at the next stop.

As soon as I stepped out of the bus, I was greeted by a blast of cold wind and took note of my surroundings. I was near a sign that stood reading The French Hospital. Overall the area was unfamiliar, cold, and devoid of people. Despite being nervous, I acted quickly so that I could get home. I hastily took out my phone and sent a quick text of alarm to my mother, notifying her that I had missed my stop and was near The French Hospital. Luckily, she was quick to respond and provided me with a new bus route to get home. Then, worried I would get lost again, she swiftly changed the plan and had me wait for her to pick me up. As I stood waiting, I became nervous, which made time stretch longer. It also made the situation I was in feel that much worse. To distract myself, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and took a couple of photos. I sent them to my friend and included the message, “Just a normal day of getting lost.” While waiting for her response, I pretended to wait for a bus to not draw attention to myself or look like I was lost. My plan was working well until a bus actually came by. Not wanting it to halt for me, I walked away from the stop. I continued this plan five more times before I decided I had enough and just went behind the bus stop to hide. I waited there for more than an hour before I finally caught a glimpse of my mom's car. Seeing her car made me so joyful–never had I ever felt joy like that from looking at a car. Waiting for her to pull up, I had a final look at the surroundings: I hoped not to see the sight again. Each second dragged on as I watched my mom’s car slowly approach, and when it did, I flung its front passenger door open. I felt light and happy as I jumped inside the vehicle, but as I sat down, the happiness instantly evaporated. Unfortunately, the stress of the day had finally sunk in. Feeling upset, I quickly shut the door. Then, slowly, I looked over at my mom to see she also looked tired. The mood was gloomy, even a bit tense, as the car started to go. Not enjoying the feeling in the air, I decided to tell my mom the story of my first bus ride home.

As I began recounting the tragic story, I realized how funny it actually was. It only took me being distracted for a short two minutes by some obnoxious kids and two old ladies for me to miss my bus stop, which rapidly complicated the rest of my afternoon. Instead of ending up near my home after school, I ended up in an unfamiliar area. Nervous and with no idea about how to go home, I had to rely on my mom to come to pick me up. While waiting for her to do so, to pass the time and feel safe, I pretended to be busy. Looking back on the story, I can laugh about how bad my luck was on that day while being grateful to have been able to learn from my mistakes. In an attempt to avoid future scenarios similar to this one, I now pay more attention to my surroundings, especially when I am on the bus.

—Taylor G.

There is a small mining town just east of Taipei, Taiwan, named Jiufen. This town is known for its red lanterns and street food, which attract many tourists. Jiufen is calm and composed during the day but comes to life at night.

During the day, Jiufen is quiet except for the sound of the ocean. The streets are almost empty. Everything in the town, even the bright colors, seem muted. Not wanting to disturb the peacefulness, food vendors talk quietly amongst themselves as they tidy up their food shacks and prepare for the many customers that will come at night.

Once it starts to get darker, the countless red lanterns hanging from the eaves of the buildings illuminate the town, seeming to wake it up. People begin to trickle into the streets until it seems like the streets are about to overflow. There are food vendors yelling, people talking, and tourists taking pictures. Various smells waft out from the food shacks, mostly of fried seafood and cooked meat. Sometimes the smell of stinky tofu drifts by. As the activities in the streets increase, ocarina music shops provide small pockets of calm. The nighttime chaos continues late into the night until the crowds disperse, and the lanterns go out, putting the town back to sleep.

From the time Jiufen wakes up until it goes back to sleep, this cycle of rest and play repeats itself. The town continues to oscillate between an introverted and extroverted personality, day in and day out, allowing its residents and visitors to experience the best of everything it has to offer.

—Katie L.

Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), are two highly-ranked colleges, nationally and globally. If you, like me, are interested in applying to these two schools and would like to discern which one would be a better fit for you, then you should look not only at their most recent annual ranking numbers but also at other statistics about the schools as well so that you can determine how the colleges rank for you. 

Annual ranking numbers, such as those provided by U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, will provide you with a general idea of the overall education you will receive at Stanford and UCLA. U.S. News’ 2018 numbers were calculated using six factors:

outcomes (35%)

faculty resources (20%)

expert opinion (20%)

student excellence (10%)

financial resources (10%)

alumni giving (5%). 

Dissecting each of these six factors will help you identify what statistics about colleges they do not include, allowing you, in turn, to gather missing relevant information and properly weigh it before making an informed decision about the right college for you. The most heavily weighted factor in U.S. News Best Colleges rankings is outcomes, a college’s success at retaining and graduating students. Faculty resources and expert opinion each compose one-fifth of a college’s overall ranking. Expert opinion is calculated using peer assessments and high school counselor assessments. Faculty resources is composed of class size, faculty salary, full-time faculty with the highest degree in their fields, student-to-faculty ratio, and proportion of full-time faculty. Another fifth of a college’s overall ranking is made up of student excellence and financial resources. Student excellence is measured by looking at the high school grades and test scores of the students who attend the college; these numbers are important because they indicate how rigorous the courses that colleges offer can be. Financial resources, on the other hand, is calculated by looking at the average spending per student on educational expenditures. Lastly, the sixth and least weighted factor is alumni giving. It is the average percentage of alumni with bachelor’s degrees who recently donated to their schools, indicating student satisfaction and post-graduate engagement. 

Although the six factors that are used to calculate U.S. News Best Colleges rankings are composed of many important statistics, other factors such as ones regarding environment, tuition, average total indebtedness, and average alumni starting salary should also be considered when deciding which college to go to.

Stanford and UCLA's locations and settings should be weighed almost as heavily as the schools’ annual ranking numbers in your decision-making process because they could affect your happiness and, thus, your overall college experience and education. If you prefer living in a suburban environment with fewer people, Stanford may be a better fit for you because it is located in the suburban town of Stanford, California, and only about 7,000 undergraduate students attend the university. However, if living in an urban environment with a lot of people around you is more appealing to you, then you should consider attending UCLA because it is located in one of the largest cities in the world—the urban city of Los Angeles—and approximately 32,000 undergraduate students are enrolled there.

As with location and setting, pertinent financial information, such as tuition and fees, the average total indebtedness of graduating classes, and the average alumni starting salary, should not be disregarded when deciding between Stanford and UCLA. All three of these numbers can negatively or positively affect your total work hours, academic performance, and future stress levels, depending on how each number affects the others. Since UCLA has two different tuitions: one for California residents and one for non-California residents, the difference between Stanford’s and UCLA’s tuitions can vary drastically. In 2018, UCLA students who were California residents when applying to the school paid a staggering $40,295 less in yearly tuition than Stanford students did the same year. However, the annual tuition savings that year for non-California resident UCLA students was only $11,302. Despite Stanford students paying more in tuition than UCLA students, surprisingly, Stanford’s 2018 graduating class's average total indebtedness was $1,582 lower than UCLA’s. As well as having a lower average total indebtedness, Stanford’s 2018 graduating class also had a $15,400 higher average alumni starting salary than UCLA’s 2018 class did. This salary difference is not significant by itself; however, depending on how much a Stanford alumnus spent on undergraduate tuition and fees and how much debt they accrued as a result, it could be.

When deciding between Stanford and UCLA, it is, by all means, easiest to simply look at their annual ranking numbers, such as ones calculated by U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, and select one of the two universities based on those numbers alone. However, if you want to try to ensure that you end up at the school that best suits not only your academic needs but also your personal preferences and financial situation, then you should dig deeper and spend time researching other statistics about the two colleges that are relevant to you before you make a final decision between the two universities. After all, that decision will not only affect you while you are at college, it will affect you for the rest of your life.

—Jacob C.

Vietnamese steamed layer cake is a delicious dessert that holds a special place in my heart. I have been making and eating this cake with my family ever since I can remember. At first, making it may seem difficult, but doing so will become easier with practice.

This traditional Vietnamese cake includes two flavors that you must make separately: a mung bean-flavored layer and a pandan-flavored layer. The ingredients you will need for the mung bean layer are ½ cup of dried mung bean, ⅛ teaspoon of kosher salt, 5 ¾ cups of water, 4 ounces of coconut milk, ¾ cup of tapioca flour, and 2 tablespoons of glutinous rice flour. For the pandan-flavored layer, the ingredients you will need are 1 ½ cups of tapioca starch, ¼ cup of glutinous rice flour, ¾ cup of sugar, 2 cups of water, and ¼ teaspoon of pandan flavoring. You will also need ¼ teaspoon of vegetable oil to grease the cake pan. The items you will need in addition to the ingredients listed above are 2 large bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a whisk, a spatula, a high-powered blender, a metal 9-inch cake pan, and a steamer (including the base, tray, and lid).

The directions for making the mung bean batter are simple, but they may take some time to complete. The first thing you need to do is rinse the mung beans in cold water. After you rinse the mung beans, soak them in 4 cups of room-temperature water for 2 hours and drain them right afterward. Next, combine the freshly soaked mung beans with the salt and 1 ¾ cups of the water in a saucepan. Then turn the stove on high and heat the saucepan. Once the water starts to boil, turn the heat down to low and let the beans soak up all of the water. This process will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes. After it is complete, cool the beans on the counter before refrigerating them for 15 minutes. Then put the beans in a blender and combine them with all of the sugar, flour, starch, and milk you have set aside for the mung bean layer. Blend these ingredients on high for 2 minutes or until there are no lumps. Once the mixture is smooth, transfer it to a measuring glass and set it aside to cool.

While the mung bean batter is cooling, you can start to make the pandan layer. Making this layer requires less time than the mung bean one. First, you need to combine all of the sugar, flour, and tapioca starch for the pandan layer in a bowl. Once combined, gradually add water to the dry ingredients and stir the mixture with a spatula. After it is smooth, add the pandan flavoring and continue stirring until the mixture is light green. Set aside the pandan-flavored batter in the fridge until you are ready to steam it.

Steaming the batter is the last and most important step in the recipe, so it must be done carefully. Before you begin the process, put six cups of water in a steamer pot and bring the water to a rapid boil. Grease a cake pan while you are waiting. Once the water is boiling, put the greased cake pan in the steamer insert and place both in the steamer pot. Heat the pan for 2 minutes (uncovered). Immediately pour 8 ounces of the pandan batter into the heated cake pan. Cover the steamer with the lid and allow the batter to steam for 10 minutes. Halfway through the time, uncover the steamer to release steam, then recover it for the remainder of the time. Once the time is up, pour 8 ounces of the mung bean batter on top of the pandan layer and repeat the above steaming steps, adding 2 minutes to the total steaming time. Continue to add the batters to the cake, alternating flavors, and steam them the same way. Make sure to increase the steaming time by two minutes for each additional layer. Once you have steamed the final layer of the cake, remove the pan from the steamer. Cool the cake on the counter for an hour or more before flipping it onto a plate. If you would like, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds onto the cake before slicing it into small diamonds and serving it.

Overall, this steamed layer cake is simple to make. It does not require a lot of ingredients, but you may need to purchase some of them from an Asian market. The directions for the cake batter are straightforward; however, the mung bean batter is slightly more complicated to make than the pandan one. Steaming the batters requires a lot of attention, but seeing the finished cake is very rewarding and eating it is even better.

—Teagan N.

Everybody in the Western World knows of amusement parks. Oftentimes, these parks are large lots of land with death-defying coasters and innovative rides–rides I don’t care for. The rides I prefer are the ones that feel less dangerous, the somewhat soothing ones. However, not all “peaceful” rides end up offering the pleasant experiences that I think they will. California’s Great America’s “Liberty Twirler” is one such ride. It seemed rather peaceful but ended up delivering an unexpectedly exhilarating experience that I will always remember.

The day that I rode the Liberty Twirler had started out quite boring. I was in a security and ticketing line to enter California’s Great America, which was moving quite slowly. It was filled with students who were part of various schools’ music programs and wearing lovely stylized music t-shirts for identification. All of us had performed in a music competition called “Music in the Parks” at Milpitas High School that morning and were at California’s Great America to have fun and to find out our music program’s ranking later that evening.

After getting through the crowd that swamped the front gates, I looked around for Veer and Angela, friends and band members from my school. They were somewhat close behind me, so we met up pretty quickly. Once we were together, Veer and Angela, believing that band was superior, teamed up to harass me on my position as an orchestra member as we headed off towards our favorite ride, Peanuts Pirates, a spinning teacup ride for little kids. After going on Peanuts Pirates, we decided to look for new places in the park to have fun in.

In our wanderings, we found a ride called “Liberty Twirler.” It looked somewhat tame, so Veer tried to get Angela and me to go on it. Angela and I teased him a bit for being himself, and then we decided we would watch a full cycle of the ride to see if we wanted to go on it. As we watched the Liberty Twirler spin rather slowly through its cycle, I noticed that the seats for it were relatively low to the ground and suspended from what looked like structurally sound metal arms connected at a slight angle to a pole at the middle of the ride. After seeing this secure jumble of metal, Angela and I thought that the Liberty Twirler was less of a threat to us than Peanuts Pirates. It looked slow and safe, although not exactly boring, and we wanted to go on it.

As we walked up the path to the Liberty Twirler, still taking it in, we had to come to a halt two-thirds of the way up due to there being a line for the ride. After about two-and-a-half minutes of waiting, we were allowed to get onto the Liberty Twirler and scurried around its concrete pad looking for a suitable seat. Once we found a seat that met our criteria, we were quite jolly and excited in anticipation of the ride. As the ride started up, we felt a small jolt jostle us around in all directions and slight g-forces push us back in our seats. At full speed, we skirted a portion of the fence surrounding the ride and then shot left towards the ride’s central pole, narrowly missing it, before shooting towards the fence again. After dodging the fence, we repeated the same sequence for two minutes until the ride ended. Immediately after it did end, Veer, Angela, and I decided to go on it again, multiple times over, since we had enjoyed it so much. Most of the times we did, I sat in the middle seat because sitting there allowed me to elbow both Veer and Angela at the same time, which brought all of us much merriment.

At the end of our Liberty Twirler-filled day at California’s Great America, neither Angela, Veer, nor I could remember how many times we had gone on the Liberty Twirler, though the consensus was that we had ridden it six or seven times. Each time we went on it, we had a great deal of fun as well as some pretty hilarious conversations. Although some of the experiences and conversations we had in the park, specifically the area around the Liberty Twirler, might be questionable and immature, we all agreed that the Liberty Twirler was the greatest ride in the park, and we still think that today.

—Jeremy K.

With mountainous terrain protecting its serene lake, Lake Tahoe is simple yet beautiful. Arguably, the best way to experience the beauty of Tahoe is from a car on a summer day. As soon as you approach the pine trees surrounding Tahoe, gentle warm breezes fill the air with the scent of sap, and the delightful sounds of nature replace those of cars. The vast number of pine trees, which blanket the ground with needles, resemble soldiers that go on as far as the eye can see. Hiding within these trees, log cabins provide a sense of comfort to anyone who notices them. When the mountains off in the distance come into view, their snow-blanketed tops that feed Tahoe’s lake are revealed. Once you are near the rocky shores encompassing the picturesque sapphire blue lake, people can be found enjoying nature instead of their devices. The simplicity and natural beauty of Tahoe make it easy for one to forget about technology and the nearby chaotic, developed cities, creating the perfect escape.

—Jacob C.

Did you know that In-N-Out has a “Not-So-Secret Menu?” On that menu is a triple cheeseburger that tastes like heaven. It is known as “3x3” or “Triple Triple.” This burger is so special because it has three American beef patties instead of just one or two, which makes it juicier than an average cheeseburger. In addition to having extra meat, the Triple Triple includes three slices of freshly melted American cheese. Beneath the tower of meat and cheese, there are raw or grilled onions, fresh tomato slices, and delicious lettuce. The burger also has In-N-Out’s well-known “animal sauce.” Holding all of the mouthwatering flavors together is a freshly-baked hamburger bun. After taking just one bite of a Triple Triple, you will be transported to a “happy place,” where you focus on the burger and nothing else. In-N-Out’s triple cheeseburger is not only satisfying but also their best-kept secret.

—Preston W.

Jeremy Siegel, the author of Stocks for the Long Run, determined that one dollar invested in the stock market in 1802 would have grown to approximately seven million dollars by the end of 2002. How is that possible? It is possible because of compound interest. Compound interest is when you earn interest on an original investment and the accumulated interest on that investment. To take full advantage of compound interest, you need to start investing money in the stock market early, even if you only have a dollar to invest. The safest and easiest way to do this is by purchasing an index fund, such as the Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund. This fund is made up of the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the United States and limits your risk by allowing you to purchase a share of 500 companies instead of just one.

Purchasing Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund on Schwab’s website is simpler than you may think. To begin making a purchase, type the following URL in your web browser’s search bar: schwab.com. Once you are on Schwab’s homepage, enter your login ID and password in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, and then click the blue Log in button.

After you are logged in, go to the top menu bar’s left side and hover over the word Trade. Select Trade Mutual Funds in the first column of the drop-down menu, directly under Mutual Funds.

On the next screen, click on the drop-down arrow button in the top dark blue box, and then select the brokerage account that you would like to use to purchase shares of the index fund. Under the Enter Order tab, type SWPPX in the Symbol Lookup box, select Buy from the drop-down menu in the Action box, and then click the green Continue button.

On the next tab, the Enter Order (cont) tab, enter the purchase amount (minimum: $1.00) in the Amount in Dollars box; select one of the following options under Reinvest: Dividends and Capital Gains, Capital Gains only, or none; and then click on Review Order (green button).

You should finally be on the Verify Order tab. Carefully review all of the information under this tab to ensure that it is accurate and that your order will be placed correctly. If no changes need to be made, click the green Place Order button.

These steps may seem slightly overwhelming at first. However, after you walk through them a couple of times, you should be able to independently and successfully purchase the Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund in less than five minutes and be on your way to making compound interest work for you.

—Jacob C.

Over the summer of 2022, my family and I went to Yosemite National Park; we attempted to hike to Vernal Falls but had to turn around after about a mile because our backpacks were too heavy. Determined to make it to the falls, my parents planned for us to go back to Yosemite in two weeks with less to carry, which made me very sad because I dislike hiking. For the next couple of weeks, I tried not to think about our return hike, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. When the day arrived for us to drive to Yosemite, I dreaded what lay ahead. As my family and I parked our car at Curry Village, a lodge near the area where we were going to start our hike, I had butterflies in my stomach. When we left the parking lot, the weather was warm. However, in the afternoon, when we were trekking up a lot of inclines and there was very little to look at, it was scorching hot. As we neared the summit, there were 600 steps–one mile of steps. While climbing them, my knees were hurting so badly that I wanted to drop out of the hike before reaching the summit. But just as I felt that, I suddenly stumbled upon a breathtaking view of Vernal Falls near the top of the stairs. The falls were as tall as a mountain, and the sight of the water crashing at the bottom of them was beautiful. Once I reached the top of the stairs, I noticed a light reflection of a rainbow in the water. Since the area surrounding the falls was crowded with hikers photographing, I made my way to a quiet spot where I could rest and enjoy nature. As I sat there, I felt a sense of accomplishment for finally making it to Vernal Falls. Although I wanted to rest for more than fifteen minutes, my parents told my brother and me that we needed to head back so that we could make it to Curry Village before dark. Once we arrived there, I asked my mom how many hours it took us to finish the hike. When I found out it took seven and a half hours, I was proud of myself because the hike was the longest and most challenging one I had ever been on. Despite it being hard, I am grateful that my parents were determined to complete it so I could experience the beauty of Vernal Falls in person.

—Saharsh G.

Deciding whether to purchase a PC or Mac computer for your middle-school child can be overwhelming. There are many factors you need to consider before making an informed decision. If you are looking to buy an entry-level computer for your middle schooler, I recommend getting a Dell XPS 13 instead of an Apple 13-inch MacBook Air.

An XPS 13 provides better performance and is more portable than a 13-inch Air, yet it is less expensive. Both computers have the same graphics (GPU), memory (RAM), and storage. However, the Central Processing Unit (CPU), the most important component of computers, is significantly faster on the XPS than on the Air. The CPU on the XPS runs at a speed of 1.3 GHz, and the Air’s processor has a speed of 1.1 GHz. One of the biggest selling points of an XPS is its portability; its bezels, which frame its screen, are thinner than the Air’s, making it smaller and easier to carry. The XPS provides amazing features and costs approximately 10% less than the Air.

In addition to the selling points above, the XPS’s operating system (OS) is more user- friendly than the Air’s; it has superior Voice AI, a touchscreen, more login options, and a window management feature. Apple’s Voice AI, Siri, which has been considered a great tool on Apple’s iPhones, was considered a great tool on their laptops as well until 2017 when a group of developers carried out an experiment and found that Siri only answered 21% of the questions, and only 62% of the answers it provided were accurate. On the other hand, Cortana, the Windows equivalent of Siri, answered 56% of the questions, and 82% of its answers were correct. In addition to having better Voice AI, the XPS has a touchscreen, which the Air does not have and will not support. Another feature that the Air does not offer is a variety of login options. The XPS will let you log in with a face ID, fingerprint, 4-digit pin, and a password, while the Air only allows fingerprint and password login. The Air also does not offer a built-in window management feature, which enables multitasking and allows you to keep your workspace organized.

There are a lot of features that the Apple 13-inch MacBook Air does not offer but the Dell XPS 13 does. The XPS provides a faster CPU and better portability, price, and voice AI than the Air. It also provides a touch screen, four login options, and window management. All in all, the XPS is a powerful, well-designed, and well-priced laptop, and you should seriously consider purchasing it for your middle-school child.

—Akiro U.

In fall, the leaves on deciduous trees make the outdoors more visually interesting. During these few months of the year, the ongoing activities of the leaves make it difficult for one’s eyes to get bored. The trees provide a constantly changing backdrop, giving us countless new things to look at throughout the season. The colors of leaves change, as does the amount of leaves on the trees. Hues become more varied and vivid, and leaves sporadically fall to the ground until the trees are left bare. Fall is a remarkable season.

—Katie L.