The Stranger by Albert Camus deeply affected the way I see the world. The existentialism and depressing mood of the novel made me realize the uselessness of living and that if you are indifferent to the world around you, events that seem negative no longer bother you. Personally, I feel that reading this in sophomore was too early, especially at a time when high school really started to become stressful. It certainly made me a more hopeless and cynical human being, although it let me feel slightly at peace since if I didn’t get certain grades that I wanted at school, I could tell myself that in the end nothing will matter, no matter what grades I get. Death will be the leveling factor, eventually putting me at the same position as the smartest people at school. While certainly an interesting read, it affected me more personally than literarily, giving me new perspectives and new philosophies. Although I wish we read this book at an older and more mature age, I’m glad it was part of the curriculum, as it gave me a new outlook on life and school.

8. What’s your greatest fear with regard to life after high school?

Life after high school will be tough for me because I’ve always lived at home with both my parents and most of the time with my sisters as well. The sudden transition from constantly relying on the human company and support from my family to university living with a stranger and without parents nearby is going to be tough on me. While I will gain more freedom and will learn to be more independent, I think I will feel that college is a year-long summer camp away from friends and family. In addition, I worry for my family when I leave; I am the last child, so after I leave my parents will have an empty nest. I hope my parents will find hobbies soon because they are going to have a lot of free time when I’m gone. Another worry is trying to make new friends at college. While twice I’ve gone through the experience of going to a new school where I didn’t know anyone, I’m still nervous about starting anew again.

9. If you had to narrow it down, who has been the single most influential person (dead or alive) these past 4 years? Why? Explain.

I think that Former President Obama has been the most influential person within the past 4 years. I have always admired him, ever since he won the election in 2008 and all the way until now, for the past 9 years, he was nothing but poised, eloquent, and a leader with class. While no president is perfect, he still achieved milestones during his 8 years in the White House. He helped America bounce back as well as it could after the Great Recession, and has helped many progressive ideas come to life. Most of all, I grew up with Obama as my president. He had been one of the only constant things in my life for 8 years while transitioning childhood to early adulthood. Not only is he a great leader, but he also has a great sense of humor, up to date with the younger generation, and overall is a “cool guy.” Especially compared to the current administration, he is a relief from all the chaos in the government. While he is no longer the POTUS, he still will be involved in the American people and a public servant for the rest of his life, giving hope to our generation.

I was born in a thunderstorm

I grew up overnight

I played alone

I played on my own

I survived

Hey

I wanted everything I never had

Like the love that comes with light

I wore envy and I hated that

But I survived

I had a one-way ticket to a place where all the demons go

Where the wind don't change

And nothing in the ground can ever grow

No hope, just lies

And you're taught to cry into your pillow

But I survived

I'm still breathing, I'm still breathing

I'm still breathing, I'm still breathing

I'm alive

I'm alive

I'm alive

I'm alive

I found solace in the strangest place

Way in the back of my mind

I saw my life in a stranger's face

And it was mine

I had a one-way ticket to a place where all the demons go

Where the wind don't change

And nothing in the ground can ever grow

No hope, just lies

And you're taught to cry into your pillow

But I survived

I'm still breathing, I'm still breathing

I'm still breathing, I'm still breathing

I'm alive

I'm alive

I'm alive

I'm alive

You took it all, but I'm still breathing

You took it all, but I'm still breathing

You took it all, but I'm still breathing

You took it all, but I'm still breathing

You took it all, but I'm still breathing

You took it all, but I'm still breathing

You took it all, but I'm still breathing

You took it all, but I'm still breathing

I have made every single mistake

That you could ever possibly make

I took and I took and I took what you gave

But you never noticed that I was in pain

I knew what I wanted; I went in and got it

Did all the things that you said that I wouldn't

I told you that I would never be forgotten

And all in spite of you

And I'm still breathing, I'm still breathing

I'm still breathing, I'm still breathing

I'm alive (You took it all, but I'm still breathing)

(You took it all, but I'm still breathing)

I'm alive (You took it all, but I'm still breathing)

(You took it all, but I'm still breathing)

I'm alive (You took it all, but I'm still breathing)

(You took it all, but I'm still breathing)

I'm alive

I'm alive

I'm alive

I'm alive

I'm alive

Near the beginning of senior year, I began to listen to a lot of Sia’s songs. One song in particular that I resonate with is “Alive.” The song starts out slow and quietly with a low tone. Eventually, the song progresses into a faster pace and higher pitches. “Alive” ends with repetition of lyrics and high pitched, long held-out singing. The lyrics start out with describing how strong Sia is, that she was alone but still survived. The song continues talking about how Sia was greedy and jealous, but still lived through it. Then, the singer describes hopelessness and deceit, leading up to the repetition of lyrics. “I’m still breathing” and “I’m alive” is then repeated multiple times, reminding listeners that she has perseverance. These lyrics are repeated over and over again, hitting home the point of the song. Sia then goes on about finding peace within herself after being hurt, and the same two phrases are repeated many times again. She then adds the line “You took it all” before “but I’m still breathing,” indicating that someone let her down or hurt her in the past, but she is strong enough to overcome that and rise up. Reaching the climax of the song, Sia goes on about how she had make many mistakes in her past, such as accepting the pain from the other person, and she claims that they never noticed that she was suffering. Then she grew strong and did everything that the other person claimed she would never achieve, proving them wrong. With that, she ends the song with the repetition of “I’m still breathing,” “You took it all,” and “I’m alive.”

“Alive” is an important song to me because it reminds me to keep strong even if life seems like it could never improve. In the music video for this song, there is a young Japanese girl with the iconic Sia black and blond wig performing martial arts with complete seriousness. She is alone, but still fights and perseveres. While staying strong is hard to do in difficult times, this song inspires me to keep on going despite what anyone says and what anything happens.

The only book which I had related to and enjoyed reading the most during high school was The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. At first, I didn’t like the book, as I felt that Holden’s negativity and indifference affected my mood, making me feel apathetic and tired of society. He seemed to call everyone a phony and didn’t seem to care much about anything, wandering around alone. However, as the novel progressed, I began to feel for Holden and understand his sentiments. During my time in high school, I was also growing up and feeling the pressure of society. Holden’s tight grasp on childhood and innocence made me sad for Holden, and made me realize that soon I was to become an adult and leave my childhood behind me. Holden’s dream of catching children that were about to run off a cliff was heartbreaking, and it made me realize that although everyone can hope for the safety and protection of children, it is nearly impossible as they are bound to grow up and lose their innocence. Holden’s action of angrily rubbing off profanity written on the walls of his little sister’s school also shows how much he wants to be a guardian to the young. His kindness and love for his sister shows a different side to him, a side that is more hopeful and caring. Some parts of the novel are also shocking and reveal the harsh reality of the adult world. For example, when Holden hires the prostitute Sunny, the disturbing life of the sex industry is depicted, and the fact that Sunny is around Holden’s age is terrifying. Although I felt bad about Sunny’s situation, I couldn’t help but also deplore her and her pimp for beating up Holden for money, even though they didn’t do anything together. In addition, Holden’s teacher, Mr. Antolini, creepily pets Holden as he is asleep, which could be seen as predatory. The greatest irony is that on Holden’s journey of trying to escape adulthood and hold on to his innocence, he finds himself in situations that cause him to lose some of that innocence. The Catcher in the Rye reveals what is lost when we grow up, and it was truly one of the most touching and impactful books I have read at my time in Lynbrook.

After a new pho shop opened up in Cupertino a few years ago, my family would get it a few times a year, usually during birthdays or other celebrations. It’s my favorite food because when I was little, my mom would buy pho more often and it reminds me of childhood. My mom’s food comes in a close second because I grew up eating her home cooked meals for almost every meal, and I will certainly miss it when I go off to college. Bibimbap is also a favorite of mines because of the crunchy, slightly burned rice at the bottom of the stone pot. Sushi is fourth because I love sashimi. Popcorn chicken is a staple in Taiwanese night markets, so I must include it in my list as homage to my parents’ home country. I actually really like oranges because of their sour and sweetness. Chocolate is behind oranges because although it tastes so good, sometimes it can be too sweet. Ice cream is eighth because it’s great on a hot summer day. Dumplings come in ninth because I used to have it packed in my lunch almost every day in the first grade, and although it brings back good memories, the flavor becomes a little bland after a while. Zongzi (sticky rice wrapped in leaves) is one of my grandma’s best dishes, and is great to eat during Chinese New Year celebrations.

I’ve gotten into memes mostly starting senior year, and my number one pick is Shooting Stars, which is a man jumping into a river edited to look like he’s swimming through space. My second favorite meme is Roll Safe, a picture of a man from the History Channel pointing to his head, usually in the format of “you can’t ________ if you’ve never ________,” for example, “you can’t disappoint your family if you’ve never made them proud in the first place.” Third, I chose Shrek because of parodies and the song “All Star” by Smash Mouth. Next is Pepe, the green frog emblem of the meme culture. Robbie Rotten is after Pepe for his song “We Are Number One.” The phrase “Bamboozled” is next, and exclamation made when something unexpected and negative happens to someone. Doge, the famous Iba Shinu dog, is the father of all “doggo” and “pupper” memes. Birbs is eighth as I like the style of their speech and their tendencies to look crazed. The Bee Movie comes at ninth as recently, many memes had been made from movie footage. Finally, we have Kermit the Frog, who has several styles of memes after him, such as “Evil Kermit” and “But That’s None of My Business” memes.