Opinions

A Broken System

The closure of Rikers Island and the failures of the Borough-Based Jail (BBJ) plan point to a larger problem within jails, reflecting a need for greater systemic change.

Don’t Give Up on America

Disagreeing with the actions of the American government is no reason to be ashamed of your American identity.

Risks and Reasoning: AI Can Hurt Our Innovation if We Let It

AI’s evaluation of innovation hinders risk-taking and therefore societal progress.

Redefining My Hair and Myself

Learning how to love my wavy hair has taught me to look past racism, find my community of support, and love myself.

The Zigzag and the Line

A movement meant to defend democracy must use logic rather than pressuring students to display unity.

Why We Ignore Ongoing Genocide in Sudan

Western indifference towards the suffering of the Sudanese people needs to end now.

Hudson Valley On a Mood Board: The Rise of Upstate Pieds-À-Terre

People in the Hudson Valley region have faced housing crises, as well as increased prices for goods as a result of an influx of wealthy New York City residents, highlighting the need for Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax to extend statewide.

Neoliberalism is Ruining Queens

Large Private Investments are bleaching what made Queens so vibrant.

Stuyvesant’s Financial Literacy Failure

Despite overwhelming student demand and Stuyvesant’s unique reputation for its rigor, Stuyvesant has failed to expand its personal finance curriculum.

The Hidden Costs Behind “Taxing the Rich”

The effects of increasing income taxes on the richest in America disrupt the future of American wealth.

Where is the Republican Party Headed?

Trump has amassed a generational coalition of supporters, but irreconcilable factional differences within leave the future of the Republican Party up for grabs.

The Faucet, Not The Pipeline

The U.S. has spent decades protecting Gulf oil with carrier groups, and said nothing about the desalination infrastructure that actually keeps the Gulf alive.

Reversing Progress: The Cost of Mamdani’s “Caring” City

By prioritizing consent over intervention, the city trades safety for the idea of comfort, at the expense of both the public and individuals in need of help.

Green Colonialism: When Sustainability Sustains Inequality

Green energy resource neocolonialism is a detrimental form of exploitation, preventing developing nations from developing renewable energy infrastructure necessary for independence and economic growth.

The Downfall of Old Media is Actually Its Life Support

Social media, what has been viewed as the armageddon of traditional media, can actually be the one way its presence is sustained.

Stop Blocking the Door

It’s time to put our duty as voters above the convenience of a locked door.

Set Students Up for Success: Mandate Financial Literacy Courses in New York

New York cannot keep treating financial literacy as optional when students are already making decisions about money without ever being taught how to do them.

NYC Subway Etiquette Needs to Change – But Not Why You Think it Does

Commuting in New York can be excessively uncomfortable due to surrounding passengers and infrastructural issues, reflecting broader problems within NYC’s culture.

Threatening American Democracy Isn’t Bringing Democracy to Iran

Trump’s recklessness in his war of choice in Iran is unparalleled in American imperialist intervention in the Middle East throughout history, boding ill for the integrity of American democracy and the future of the Iranian people.

NYC Subway Etiquette Needs to Change – But Not Why You Think it Does

Commuting in New York can be excessively uncomfortable due to surrounding passengers and infrastructural issues, reflecting broader problems within NYC’s culture.

What is the American Identity?

With Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, questions about what the American identity is have been surfacing, with the Trump administration pushing a secular view that goes against the multicultural identity America should embrace.

How Hong Kong was Tamed in Six Years

Conditioned fear is the biggest tool in an authoritarian tool kit to prevent political dissidence in Hong Kong.

More Than a Game: How Cards Connect Generations

Games are a way for our generation to create lasting and natural relationships with their elders.

In Defense of Dissent

A look into the importance of disagreement to development, especially in an era defined by social media and trends.

The Dawn of a New World Order

The world as we know it is changing, and the winners will be those who can adapt.

Drug Enforcement and the Venezuelan Power Grab

The Trump administration has conducted boat strikes and captured Nicolás Maduro, actions that violate both U.S. and international law, all while misrepresenting the legality of the circumstances through rhetoric in order to pursue larger geopolitical and economic interests in Venezuela.

Mayor Mamdani’s Office of Mass Engagement

Mamdani’s Office of Mass Engagement has the potential to be revolutionary or dangerous—and it all depends on the New Yorkers who participate.

Senior Closing Comments 2026

Senior Closing Comments 2026

How Narendra Modi Has Failed India

Despite Narendra Modi’s immense popularity, the results of his administration have been far from ideal for India.

How Medical Research Failed Your Mother

90,000 women died preventable deaths because a flawed study convinced them their life-saving medication would kill them, and because the medical establishment has never prioritized getting women’s health right.

Native New York Tourist

By seeing New York through a tourist’s eyes, I became part of a New York much more connected than I thought.

Redefining My Hair and Myself

Learning how to love my wavy hair has taught me to look past racism, find my community of support, and love myself.

Stuyvesant’s Budget Cuts: To No Surprise, the Humanities Classes Are the First to Go

As Stuyvesant is set to receive less funding for the upcoming school year, high-performing and high-interest humanities courses have become the first in line on the chopping block, with seemingly no justification.

Impersonal Business

The partnership between Musk and Anthropic reveals how AI’s explosive growth is rendering personal ethics irrelevant in business, for better and for worse.

Breaking Injustice Requires Breaking Rules

We must build the next generation into one ready to fight for democracy, our rights, and our communities, and a generation of political advocates won’t come from weekend protests or civil discussions alone.

The Zigzag and the Line

A movement meant to defend democracy must use logic rather than pressuring students to display unity.

The Atrophy of Activism: Capitalism Works—Their Activism Doesn’t

Sarah Paulson’s outfit in the 2026 Met Gala exposes how modern activism has decayed into nothing more than a symbolic performance.

Why We Ignore Ongoing Genocide in Sudan

Western indifference towards the suffering of the Sudanese people needs to end now.

Hudson Valley On a Mood Board: The Rise of Upstate Pieds-À-Terre

People in the Hudson Valley region have faced housing crises, as well as increased prices for goods as a result of an influx of wealthy New York City residents, highlighting the need for Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax to extend statewide.

Neoliberalism is Ruining Queens

Large Private Investments are bleaching what made Queens so vibrant.

Ring of Ruin: The Growing Space Debris Crisis and Lack of Regulation

While space poses incredible opportunities for scientific research, increased effort needs to be directed towards ensuring space debris levels are mitigated through strengthened legislation.

Stuyvesant’s Financial Literacy Failure

Despite overwhelming student demand and Stuyvesant’s unique reputation for its rigor, Stuyvesant has failed to expand its personal finance curriculum.

The Hidden Costs Behind “Taxing the Rich”

The effects of increasing income taxes on the richest in America disrupt the future of American wealth.

Where is the Republican Party Headed?

Trump has amassed a generational coalition of supporters, but irreconcilable factional differences within leave the future of the Republican Party up for grabs.

The Hidden Costs of Our Donation Bags

The clothing donations we send to Africa as a seemingly harmless display of charity are destroying African industrial capabilities and crushing the environment under the weight of our unwanted clothes.

The Faucet, Not The Pipeline

The U.S. has spent decades protecting Gulf oil with carrier groups, and said nothing about the desalination infrastructure that actually keeps the Gulf alive.

Reversing Progress: The Cost of Mamdani’s “Caring” City

By prioritizing consent over intervention, the city trades safety for the idea of comfort, at the expense of both the public and individuals in need of help.

Green Colonialism: When Sustainability Sustains Inequality

Green energy resource neocolonialism is a detrimental form of exploitation, preventing developing nations from developing renewable energy infrastructure necessary for independence and economic growth.

The Downfall of Old Media is Actually Its Life Support

Social media, what has been viewed as the armageddon of traditional media, can actually be the one way its presence is sustained.

Why America Shouldn’t Do Brexit

America is on a course to alienate itself completely from other nations, and Brexit shows us what that looks like for the US’s future.

Stop Blocking the Door

It’s time to put our duty as voters above the convenience of a locked door.

Set Students Up for Success: Mandate Financial Literacy Courses in New York

New York cannot keep treating financial literacy as optional when students are already making decisions about money without ever being taught how to do them.

NYC Subway Etiquette Needs to Change – But Not Why You Think it Does

Commuting in New York can be excessively uncomfortable due to surrounding passengers and infrastructural issues, reflecting broader problems within NYC’s culture.

Self-Driving Cars are the Future of Transportation

Baseless talking points and fear-mongering distort the truth; autonomous vehicles are an amazing innovation with the potential to increase safety and wealth.

Self-Driving Cars are the Future of Transportation

Baseless talking points and fear-mongering distort the truth; autonomous vehicles are an amazing innovation with the potential to increase safety and wealth.

Threatening American Democracy Isn’t Bringing Democracy to Iran

Trump’s recklessness in his war of choice in Iran is unparalleled in American imperialist intervention in the Middle East throughout history, boding ill for the integrity of American democracy and the future of the Iranian people.

NYC Subway Etiquette Needs to Change – But Not Why You Think it Does

Commuting in New York can be excessively uncomfortable due to surrounding passengers and infrastructural issues, reflecting broader problems within NYC’s culture.

The Simplification of Cultural Dishes

The simplification of cultural dishes and erasure of their history is becoming more prevalent in today’s fast-paced society.

What is the American Identity?

With Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, questions about what the American identity is have been surfacing, with the Trump administration pushing a secular view that goes against the multicultural identity America should embrace.

The Problem with One-Size-Fits-All Learning

The rigid, uniform structure of many tutoring centers often leaves students feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from their public school learning, lacking the personalization that could truly enhance their academic understanding.

How Narendra Modi Has Failed India

Despite Narendra Modi’s immense popularity, the results of his administration have been far from ideal for India.

How Hong Kong was Tamed in Six Years

Conditioned fear is the biggest tool in an authoritarian tool kit to prevent political dissidence in Hong Kong.

More Than a Game: How Cards Connect Generations

Games are a way for our generation to create lasting and natural relationships with their elders.

In Defense of Dissent

A look into the importance of disagreement to development, especially in an era defined by social media and trends.

The Dawn of a New World Order

The world as we know it is changing, and the winners will be those who can adapt.

Drug Enforcement and the Venezuelan Power Grab

The Trump administration has conducted boat strikes and captured Nicolás Maduro, actions that violate both U.S. and international law, all while misrepresenting the legality of the circumstances through rhetoric in order to pursue larger geopolitical and economic interests in Venezuela.

Mayor Mamdani’s Office of Mass Engagement

Mamdani’s Office of Mass Engagement has the potential to be revolutionary or dangerous—and it all depends on the New Yorkers who participate.

Senior Closing Comments 2026

Senior Closing Comments 2026

How Medical Research Failed Your Mother

90,000 women died preventable deaths because a flawed study convinced them their life-saving medication would kill them, and because the medical establishment has never prioritized getting women’s health right.

A Broken System

The closure of Rikers Island and the failures of the Borough-Based Jail (BBJ) plan point to a larger problem within jails, reflecting a need for greater systemic change.

Don’t Give Up on America

Disagreeing with the actions of the American government is no reason to be ashamed of your American identity.

Risks and Reasoning: AI Can Hurt Our Innovation if We Let It

AI’s evaluation of innovation hinders risk-taking and therefore societal progress.