Serena Mao It’s a common problem: people overthink. After a slip of the tongue, an unusual gesture, a risky text message, thoughts tend to run wild, generating burning questions about every single detail of the situation or conversation. These unanswered inquiries race …

Serena Mao Trump’s late February trip to Hanoi in Vietnam was intended to be the dazzling sequel to the initial meeting in June 2018, where the leader of the free world shook hands with the dictator of one of the most isolated …

Serena Mao Running, swimming, playing sports: all are examples of the infamous and eternal struggle we call exercise. We all know physical exertion is necessary in our lives; without it, we would lose flexibility, speed, and what some consider a pleasant appearance. …

Samantha Zhang Social intelligence is difficult––it’s almost impossible to decide what people are thinking at any specific moment. As beings that desire social integration and interaction, humans strive to preserve a positive reputation by dealing with others in ways that make the …

Serena Mao Around late January 2019, an email from professor Megan Neely addressed to all first- and second-year biostatistics graduate students at Duke University went viral. It revealed that two faculty members had visited Neely’s office and asked for photos of all …

Serena Mao Today’s generation is obsessed with social media––Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and the like are nearly always apparent on our multiple devices. Addicted, we spend hours upon hours poring over glaring screens for those sought for likes and comments, hoping people notice …

Serena Mao In our hectic teenage lives, we are often wrapped in homework, extracurriculars and the like, running on a metaphorical treadmill that’s never turned off. We become so obsessed with the little details––what homework is due tomorrow? What email am I …

By Serena Mao Everyone knows it as being characteristically Trump: the “Build the Wall” campaign. Finding its roots in the presidential campaign, Trump and his allies have rallied around the idea of building a physical barrier on the southern border. In the …

By Serena Mao With holiday season in full gear, millions of Americans are decking their homes out for the beloved Christmas celebration. The glorious Christmas tree, of course, is a traditional staple in our holiday decor. But two distinct choices have always …

  By Serena Mao It seems to be a general trend among tiger-eyed parents: no violent video games, no rap songs with cuss words, no inappropriate movies. Sheltering is a common practice among the parents of young children. These wary adults are …