Staff Writer Zoe Chen provides a list of helpful apps students can use to help them use their devices responsibly.
Formosa 900: My bike trip around Taiwan | Victor Lu – Gap Year
Cycling is my passion. It allows me to connect with others, trains my stamina, and is a way to relax and blow off steam. I always look forward to visiting new places on my bike, and one of my most exciting trips was biking around my beautiful homeland: Taiwan. When I...
Do STEM subjects offer better career opportunities? | Kate Huang – Grade 10
If you’re a student struggling to choose between studying STEM subjects, non-STEM subjects, or both, this article is for you. STEM – an abbreviation for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – is the group of subjects most people regard as better...
Clubs students should join in junior high | Zoe Chen – Grade 8
Joining a club is a way for students to take a break from studying. Clubs allow students to choose a class according to their liking and be devoted to it. Some people may want to use this period to be productive and increase their knowledge, while some want to join...
Why Taiwanese students are not getting enough sleep | Charlotte Lin – Grade 10
According to the Children Welfare League Foundation, Taiwanese students sleep 6.9 hours a night on average when they should be sleeping at least eight hours every night. The reason why students stay up late is mainly due to heavy school work loads. To make matters...
My virtual internship with non-profit organization SERVE | Chloe Hsu – Grade 11
This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in an online internship program hosted by Virtual Internships. As the name suggests, I interned at a company for four weeks, with a group, entirely online. The category of the company I chose was Social-Impact...
Do parents know what their children need in their studies? | Kira Lei Chen – Grade 8
The answer is no. Parents think that they know what their child needs, but in reality they are forcing their child to become something that the parents want, molding their child into the perfect student who is a prodigy in class. This is actually the most ineffective...
Why people don’t like being called feminist | Kate Huang – Grade 10
Associate Editor Kate Huang talks about why people don’t like being called feminist. She breaks down the misconceptions about feminism and explains the true meaning of it.
5 best riverside bike paths in Taipei | Victor Lu – Grade 12
Senior staff writer and avid bike rider Victor Lu catalogs some of the best cycling paths along Taipei’s riverside.
Should you be worried about anti-Asian hate when you visit America? | Kate Huang – Grade 9
Yes, anti-Asian hate is real. On March 16, 2021, a white man shot and murdered eight people, six of whom are Asian women, in three different spas across Atlanta. A 67-year-old Asian woman was stomped on and punched more than 125 times in New York City after being...
Schools should teach students about money and financial education | Kate Huang – Grade 9
There is one subject that will be useful throughout your entire life, but schools rarely teach you about it – money. While money seems like a topic that isn’t a concern in your teenage years, starting your financial education early is beneficial for your...
Casual homophobia in Taiwan | Chloe Hsu – Grade 10
May 24, 2019 was the day Taiwan made history by becoming the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. This was proof that Taiwan is one of the most progressive countries in Asia, and also proof that same-sex marriage has broad support with the citizens....
Drugs aren’t a crime, it’s an illness | Felix Tsai – Grade 10
In June of 1971, American President Richard Nixon declared drug abuse "public enemy number one" and kicked off the War on Drugs, a continuation of drug prohibition policies in the U.S., which prohibited the production, distribution, and consumption of drugs. Worse...
Why teenagers need art therapy | Victor Lu – Grade 12
Teenagers have to deal with academic stress, extracurricular activities, problems with their social lives, and expectations from both their parents and teachers. Because of all this, 20 percent of teenagers suffer from at least one mental health disorder. Because some...
Pros and Cons of food delivery apps | Una Chuang – Grade 10
On a hot, steamy summer day, with lunchtime approaching, what would you do: dress up and head out to buy groceries, get gross and sweaty, or chill at home, pull out your phone, and put in a quick and easy order on UberEats? As we are a generation spoiled by the...
Tips for dealing with common insecurities | Chloe Hsu – Grade 10
If there was one word I could use to describe everyone in the world, it’d be insecure. Everyone has insecurities. Even the most confident people in the whole wide world do. It is human nature to want to be better, and this means people often obsess over parts of...
Harry Potter isn’t as good as when you read it as a kid | Felix Tsai – Grade 10
Everybody remembers Harry Potter, if not for the fond memories of the magical world of flying broomsticks and messenger owls, then for it being the highest selling series ever. Its movie adaptations are nothing to scoff at either, with a total gross of $7.7 billion in...
How students can improve relationships with their teachers | Victor Lu – Grade 12
Teachers are central to education. They guide students in their lessons and cultivate passion for learning. Because teachers are supportive in students’ education, it is vital for students to build positive relationships with their teachers, and good teacher-student...
Homeschooling and why it is better than normal schools | Kira Lei Chen – Grade 7
Homeschooling is an education system for students that do not fit into ordinary education systems such as traditional public schools. Homeschooling helps every individual student because the student’s curriculum is custom-made and chosen to fit what the student needs....
Sexism in the education system | Chloe Hsu – Grade 10
Sexism in the education system? Didn’t we leave sexism back in the 1900s? We did, but we also didn’t. Sexism has always been something people are sensitive to, and women have long strived for gender equality. While nowadays, things are much better than a few decades...
Schools should pay more attention to student mental health | Kate Huang – Grade 9
When you see a student going up the stairs on crutches, you will give them a hand. However, when you see a depressed student in your class, you ignore the possibility that they are suffering from mental illnesses, assuming that they’re simply having a bad day....
Are cram schools for kids, or are they really for parents? | Kira Lei Chen – Grade 7
Almost every single student in Taiwan has been to a cram school, regardless of their age and their abilities. Cram schools, called buxibans, are part of the modern day Taiwanese culture, and without it the Taiwanese education system wouldn’t be what it is today....
Ad blockers, good or bad? | Felix Tsai – Grade 10
Ads are annoying. That is something that everybody, even the guy that invented pop-up ads, can agree on. Ads crowd the page when browsing through articles, get in the way when scrolling through Instagram, force little ten-second gaps when watching YouTube, and...
6 lessons I learned doing my college applications | Victor Lu – Grade 12
Twelfth grade is stressful. Most students have to apply for college, maintain their grades at school, and deal with tremendous pressure from both, especially from college applications. However, the college application process is still a valuable opportunity for...
Pro-life is anti-woman | Chloe Hsu – Grade 10
Abortion is one of the most controversial debates of all time. Both sides of the debate have raging enthusiasts willing to fight for their side of the argument. I, as someone who is pro-choice, believe that “pro-life” is anti-woman. But first, what are the two sides?...
Are big corporations evil? | Felix Tsai – Grade 10
McDonalds, Starbucks, Amazon, and Apple are all big corporations known around the globe. While these corporations provide us with convenient services and high quality items, they are also infamously known for doing things that are viewed as “evil”. For example, tax...
6 hiking attractions in Taipei | Victor Lu – Grade 12
Trekking on the hills along the riverbanks, enjoying the magnificent scenery, and feeling the joy of reaching the summit are all valuable moments of a hike. While there are many places for hiking, Taipei is a great choice for it because the city is surrounded by...
Getting vaxxed in the US | Cynthia Lin – Grade 10
Last year, Taiwan experienced an outbreak of COVID-19. We had our classes online, and of course, stayed at home for quarantine. No one was vaxxed and there were few vaccines in Taiwan. In addition to staying home, due to the international status of Taiwan, it was...
Taiwanese Law Should Protect LGBTQ Kids In Schools | Kira Lei Chen – Grade 7
Taiwan was the first Asian country to legally acknowledge LGBTQ couples and has a history of strong support for LGBTQ rights. The country passed laws that protect and allow LGBTQ couples to wed. However, discrimination in Taiwan still keeps popping up everywhere, and...
Taiwan should abolish “The Test”: ‘HuiKao’ | Una Chuang – Grade 10
Taiwanese junior high students have three years to prepare for a high school entrance exam, called the HuiKao, which I will refer to as “The Test”. Students are tested on academics learned in middle school, and apply to schools according to the scores they get. You...
How Englist changed my life | Victor Lu – Grade 12
When I first started learning writing, I sat at my desk and stared at my writing task, unwilling to jot down a word. Expressing my thoughts has long been an arduous task for me. To make things worse, my high expectations for myself have also placed enormous pressure...
Stop worrying about how popular you are | Una Chuang – Grade 10
Popularity is a big part of students' lives. Being popular determines how many friends you have, how many people would like to work with you, and how easy it is to ask for help. This fact motivates students to pay attention to how noticeable they are and how to make...
What Taiwan should learn from its COVID-19 domestic outbreak | Victor Lu – Grade 12
Taiwan’s COVID-19 situation became a nightmare during the past few months. In mid May 2021, domestic cases boomed with most cases found in Taipei. Within a week, the capital suddenly became the worst-hit area of Taiwan. Cases emerged in other areas within a few weeks...
Pro Gaming is hard | Felix Tsai – Grade 10
Getting paid millions to play video games sounds like the easiest job there is. Now, with professional gaming and esports on the rise, getting paid for playing games all day is no longer a pipe dream. However, is gaming for a living really as good as it sounds? Health...
Reasons for applying for UWC | Cynthia Lin – Grade 10
Imagine having royalty from England, Jordan, Spain, Netherlands, Holland, or Belgium as alumni. You must think that this school is for royalty, or at least, an expensive school that barely anyone can afford, right? The reality is the high school they attend has people...
You shouldn’t care what boys think | Chloe Hsu – Grade 10
Since the first time monkeys came out of trees, teenage girls have craved attention from boys. Girls love it when boys notice and like them, whether in a friendly way or a romantic way. They care about what boys think. In this context, I probably shouldn’t be using...
Body-shaming goes both ways | Chloe Hsu – Grade 10
Body shaming is common nowadays. You can see it on social media, or even in real life. There are many types of body-shaming, but today I will be focusing on fat- and skinny-shaming because they are the most common. Body shaming is when someone mocks you for your body...
The power of online communities | Felix Tsai – Grade 10
The internet is probably the single most important piece of infrastructure in our current world, with over 50 percent of the world’s population having direct access to the internet. It is one of our best sources of information, and especially with the recent pandemic...
Problems with education in rural Taiwan | Victor Lu – Grade 11
Education helps people to get high paying jobs, become better citizens, and enjoy higher quality lifestyles. In 2015, the United Nations proposed 17 sustainable development goals, one of which is quality education. Although education plays a crucial role in society,...
Why single gender schools are a bad idea | Edwina Tong – Grade 8
When it comes to choosing schools, parents consider whether they should send their kids to single gender schools or not. However, parents do not know that separating boys and girls in school may harm kids in ways that may not be noticeable. So obviously, kids...
Cramming, tests, and homework are a cancer on Taiwanese students | Stephanie Wang – Grade 11
Students in Taiwan have to face a ton of tests and assignments every day; the cramming system students learn is making them suffer from pain and killing them. Cramming, tests, and homework are a cancer on Taiwanese students. Too much work and pressure leads to...
Debate: Why students should date in high school | Cynthia Lin – Grade 9
Most parents will forbid their kids from dating due to an assumed negative impact on grades. On average, teenagers find their first love at the age of 17, when kids are still in high school. Students should date because dating has lots of benefits, such as emotional...
Debate: You shouldn’t date in high school | Una Chuang – Grade 9
Everyone agrees that it is impossible to stop teens from dating, especially when they are infatuated and blinded by hearts all over the place. It is common to hear them say, “no matter what age we’re in or how young we are, true love is true love, and we are...
Racism in Taiwan | Sidney Chen – Grade 9
Taiwan is known as a very foreign friendly country, and by “foreign” I mean white people. Taiwanese people love to see visitors around and welcome them. But when it comes to Southeast Asian or black people, many Taiwanese people give weird looks. This is ironic...
Schools should teach more sex education | Chloe Hsu – Grade 9
I’m sure everyone has at least has had one class of sex education in their lives before. It could be in a health class or in a lecture from the teacher because someone got pregnant. But have you ever realized that those classes were never detailed enough? At least...
Pick-me girls: an explainer | Chloe Hsu – Grade 9
What is a pick-me girl? This term comes up a lot, especially in recent social media. But what does this mean? A pick-me girl is broadly just any girl who claims or acts as if she is unlike most other girls, in order to gain attention from boys. They say they’re...
Opinion: Delete your insta | Stephanie Wang – Grade 11
As Instagram has started to dominate social media and become the most used social network, it has become one of the biggest platforms where teens and celebrities from around the world upload their stories and share their lives. There are tons and tons of people...
Participating in the Taiwan Geography Olympiad | Victor Lu – Grade 11
As I have explored human cultures and their long histories, I have become fascinated by geography. Why does a specific group find itself on the Mongolian Steppe or in the valleys of Peru? How have their cultures developed in relation to those around them? How has...
Opinion: Why Taiwanese parents prefer private school over public | Cynthia Lin – Grade 9
Parents love their kids, so they always want to give their kids the biggest advantage, especially when it comes to school. In Taiwan, many parents prefer private school over public school because private schools tend to be better for the future prospects of their...
The damaging effects of bullying | Edwina Tong – Grade 7
Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health and suicide. Bullying will bring permanent trauma to both the bully and the victim....
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