The reality of mental health for the model minority
Nicole Ong and Divya Nelakonda
October 6, 2018
With more than 50 distinct individual races and ethnicities and more than 30 languages spoken, the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community is the fastest-growing and most diverse racial and ethnic group in the U.S. Such diversity lends itself to a plethora of cultural influences on menta...
Tapping to the beat: Rap’s influence on culture
Ashley Song and Clara Fernandes
October 5, 2018
Post Malone, XXXTENTACION, Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B, Drake — these renowned rappers have topped Billboard charts this year. Similar to the prevalence of swing music in the 1940s and the dominance of pop and punk in the early 2000s, rap music has recently experienced a surge in popularity. Rap is...
A Probe Into Special Counsel Mueller’s Russia Investigation
Hsinyen Huang, Elena Williams
October 5, 2018
In May 2018, former FBI Director Robert Mueller III and his team were given permission to conduct an investigation into the possibility of collusion, or illegal conspiracy, between President Trump’s campaign team and Russian officials. Many suspect that Trump himself worked directly with the Russia...
What Comes After the Rainbow: High School Dating For LGBTQ+
October 5, 2018
Sophomore Clarissa Brown* recalls her first date with her girlfriend. As the two had a shared fascination for the arts, Brown’s girlfriend invited her to an art museum. For the past six months, they’ve made memories while going to coffeeshops and sharing food, learning more about each other in their ...
Orthorexia: When Healthy Eating Becomes Toxic
Divya Nelakonda and Nicole Ong
May 24, 2018
In a media culture where various diet trends and exercise regimens are easily accessible, orthorexia, defined as an obsession with proper or “healthy” eating, has become increasingly prevalent and dangerous. What can so easily begin as well-intentioned efforts to be healthier and develop more mindful eating ha...
DNA genetic testing poses privacy concerns
May 24, 2018
After more than 40 years of arduous investigations, the notorious Golden State Killer — a serial killer, rapist and burglar who terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s — was finally caught in late April through DNA matching on a public genealogy database. Although celebrated as a success by scie...
Vaping: an alternate take on cigarettes
April 26, 2018
Growing up, senior Miles Wong* often felt alone. His best friend passed away in front of him when he was nine years old. That same day, his mom was diagnosed with cancer, and his parents spent much of their time in the hospital. Wong had to raise himself. During his sophomore year, he started smokin...
Vaping: A Q&A with a health professional
April 26, 2018
Filed under In-Depth, Web Exclusive
In this Q&A, Nick Goldenson, a doctoral student in the USC Health, Behavior and Addiction Laboratory (USC-HEAL) discusses vaping based on the existing scientific literature, particularly the 2018 National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s (NASEM) report on the Public Health Con...
Inside the classification of gaming disorder
April 26, 2018
After contentious debate over whether or not excessive gaming should be deemed a mental illness, the World Health Organization (WHO) has decided to include “gaming disorder” in its International Classification of Diseases, the global reference used to identify diseases and health conditions. This dec...
Changing the face of Western masculinity
Michyla Lin and Divya Nelakonda
April 26, 2018
It is 10 p.m. on a Friday night. A boy shrugs off his backpack, exhausted after a long session at the gym with his friends, during which they competed to see who could bench the most weight. Slipping off his shoes, he turns on the TV, ready to unwind with a quick round of “Battlefield” when he se...
When words cut: verbal abuse at Lynbrook
Arul Gnanasivam and Patricia Wei
March 29, 2018
Junior Katherine Patel* knows the impact words have. For the past few years, she’s felt the effects of verbal abuse: low self-esteem, self-doubt and loss of trust. One year ago, Patel’s friend told her something so hurtful that it has remained etched in her memories to this day. “A friend cal...
Social media: the new platform for advertising
Justine Chen and Medha Upadhyay
March 29, 2018
A viewer watches her favorite YouTuber apply foundation on her face, swatch each color of an eyeshadow palette and compliment the quality of the two products. After discovering the words “this video is sponsored by” in the video’s description box, the viewer frowns in confusion, wondering if the ...
