​Off Topic

Children’s Movies: Dangerous Tropes and Expectations
BY MEGHAN LAWSON '23
Because of our constantly evolving society, many children’s movies have not stood the test of time. As we become more socially aware, we have come to recognize the disgusting themes and standards placed in early children’s movies. Yet, the film industry still continues to incorporate many unrealistic tropes throughout their movies. This begs the question: how does Hollywood’s imposition of these expectations affect young children?... 
Two Swifties Rank Taylor Swift Albums
BY EMILY XU '23, EMMA XIANG '23
For the past decade, Taylor Swift has remained at the center of the entertainment industry. Named one of Time’s Most Influential People of 2019, there’s no denying that she has shaped the music industry as well as our own lives. Her overall sound, lyricism, and personality remain timeless, and it’s always interesting to reflect on her growth as an artist. To condense her extensive repertoire into a more...
Wandavision Review
BY EDDIE WANG '21
WandaVision is a show taking place post-Blip (more on this later) starring two romantically-linked Avengers: Wanda (human) and Vision (synthezoid). Anyway, WandaVision. Quite a clever title. On the outside it seems quite simple—a combination of Wanda and Vision (duh). However, you’ll soon realize that it holds a deeper meaning. The name Wanda means “wanderer,” while Vision stands for...
2020 Trends: Evolution and Survival of the Fittest
BY KERA MATTHEWS '24
Throughout the past year, we’ve seen people adapt to pandemic-life in different ways. And of course, given our generation, teenagers responded with the only way that we know: trends! Whether it was reviving 90’s trends like tie-dye or bolstering new ones like going vegan, many have funneled their boredom into entertainment...
Top Petty Moments in U.S History
BY MAYENLI COMFORT '23
The United States of America is many things. We are a military superpower and an arrogant and self-centered country that *apparently* spans an entire continent. We created today’s entertainment industry and pioneered cutting-edge technology. However, despite how good we are at it, we never get enough credit for our true area of expertise: pettiness...
COVID Conspiracies
BY MAYENLI COMFORT '23
Conspiracy theories are like gossip—we claim we don’t care, but we secretly indulge in them when no one’s looking. I personally have a soft spot for conspiracy theories. By conspiracy theories, I mean harmless ones, not the antisemetic and anti-government propaganda that circulates in the Facebook groups of thirty-year-olds. Here are some of my favorite theories: Tupac Shakur is actually alive and lives in Ghana, the color white is an optical illusion, and Harry Potter was actually written by Daniel Radcliffe (I mean, c’mon! The man basically described himself in those books)...
The Avatar: The Last Airbender to Anime Pipeline & Five Ways to Fall Down It
BY EMILY XU '23
During back-to-school season, I was surprised—albeit pleasantly—to see an influx of anime profile pictures among my classmates. It was like ComicCon everywhere I looked, whether it was TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, or even on Zoom. For many, lockdown meant that there were more genres of television to explore. If you’ve been in the know about popular culture over the past year, you’ll know that Avatar: The Last...
Love Doc: Real Talk Babes
BY JULIA KUANG '22
Hello, my lovely readers! As I’m writing this on Valentine’s Day, I wish you all a very belated Valentine’s Day (it’s probably like March by the time you’re reading this, who knows?) and if in fact, you spent your Valentine's day alone, never fear! Ask for help, and I shall answer...
Ranking Aesthetics
BY MAY HONG '23 & KATHERINE LEE '23
The year is 2030. Tom Brady is fighting for his 19th Super Bowl ring, COVID-19 is nonexistent, and Charli D'Amelio is still renegading. However, due to an unfortunate laboratory experiment, half the population has turned into zombies! The world is thrown in chaos and only the fittest can survive. Except this time, it's not a question of suitable finch beak sizes but of human aesthetics that will determine who will make it out alive. In this article, we'll rate the strengths and weaknesses of aesthetics like those of e-boys, gamers, and weebs. Wonder if you’ll survive? Keep reading to find out...
A (Very Brief) Wrap Up of 2020
BY SAMUEL LIU '23
2020 has reshaped our idea of “normal”—no, it really smashed, trampled, and drowned our definition of normal. Though many looked towards 2021 as a fresh start, our new homeostasis continues to plague us in the new year. But what really happened during these unprecedented times (besides the overuse of the phrase “unprecedented times”)? 
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Comic by Emily Hiltunen '22
This Amazing Mineral Can Change Your Life. Click Here to Learn How!
BY SOPHIE ZHANG '22
Crystals. We’ve all taken a bag of them home from the science museum or noticed them lying around our house. By their scientific definition, crystals, also referred to as minerals, are extremely well-organized molecular structures with their atoms arranged in a regular grid pattern. Exciting! But what’s even more interesting is their healing properties. Wikipedia may...
Indoor Plant Review
BY NAKISA RAZBAN '23
Do you need some encourage-mint to get through these tough thymes? Become a plant parent, my friend! A plant will always root for you and provide good chives for your space. Now that I have gotten those puns out of my system, let's talk about why you should trust my plant opinions. My living room is turning into a jungle at an alarmingly rapid pace: there are TWENTY-THREE plants here, and more are being...
Holiday Playlist
BY JOE MAFFA '21​​
Winter 2020… Can you believe we made it? While I’m not really sure how I kept my sanity throughout the 28 years that were the spring and summer months, my Spotify Wrapped seems to indicate that music was quite the crucial factor in my daily routine...
Holiday Recipes
BY PRIYANKA CHIDAMBARAM '24
T​he holiday season is right around the corner, and you know what that means—it’s time for holiday baking! To begin, we are going to start off with a viral TikTok recipe: The Hot Chocolate Bomb. As someone who spends 90% of my time cooking and eating, believe...
​Online shopping vs. Shopping out: Which is Better?
BY KERA MATTHEWS '24​​
I’m sure we can all agree that, undoubtedly, 2020 has been a whirlwind. Not only have jobs suffered, but some forms of entertainment have too!  I’m sure that my introverts are doing just fine, but what about...
The Purple Diary (An Among Us Narrative)
BY ALICIA GU '23
January 21: It was still warm, still June, when the eight of us boarded that ship. We cast aside our faces, our names, and our grief for thick suits of urethane-coated nylon and the title of saviors. Find a new planet to inhabit. Overcome your fear of the unknown, and embrace the fragile hope that rests on your shoulders. Should be simple, right? Still, it has been three weeks, and I have yet to overcome my loathing for the cafeteria’s cheese pizza. I was under the impression that our ship was light years away from the death and decay of Earth, but it consumes us even now. Maintaining the ship has been grueling. We go to sleep with gas stains and grit underneath our fingernails. I envy White, who has been napping in the security room for days now, though I doubt the cameras are able to catch anything interesting; the eight of us are a simple crew. As instructed by HQ, we follow our itinerary of tasks and daydream about the magenta stars and cyan sunsets that await us on the planets we will one day discover...
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Comic by Emily Hiltunen '22
Love Doc: Quarantine Edition🧚
BY JULIA KUANG '22
Helloooo everyone...THE LOVE DOC IS BACK!!!!! To my beloved (and probably nonexistent) readers, I hope you’re ready for the GREATEST edition of Love Doc yet! But first, let me find my eye drops and script for a Youtube-worthy apology: Guys, I am so incredibly *sniff* sorry that I didn’t write in the last issue….I had a lot going on...and I’ll never do it again. I promise...
The Perfect Study Playlist
BY MAY HONG '23 & KATHERINE LEE '23
Are you "studying" for the SAT but still on the second chapter of your prep book? Well, boy do we have the solution for you! With our dopamine-boosting, award-winning playlists, you are 100% guaranteed to stay motivated (not actually, guaranteed, please don't sue us). In this article, we proudly present the best of the mood-lifting songs we love. There are five categories...
​Freshmen (and Sophomore) Advice
​BY PRATIK GAZULA '21
I walked through the crowded double doors, carrying a backpack bursting with books, unsure what my first day of high school would look like, let alone the next four years. As I prepare for my senior year though, I’m truly amazed at how memorable...
Guide to Extracurriculars and Clubs
​BY JOE MAFFA '21
Extracurriculars, more than anything else, are responsible for the omnipresent sense of community at AB. Whether you’re an incoming freshman looking to get involved or an upperclassmen looking to beef up your resume, extracurriculars are a great way to spend a...
Debunking High School Myths
​BY BELLE HU '22
For me, high school seemed to be a completely different realm, one I had glimpsed from a distance but would never enter or get used to. The teachers seemed austere, and the students unapproachable. The clubs and sports seemed exclusive and unwelcoming...
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Comic by Emily Hiltunen
Quaranmemes; Entertainment in the Digital Age
BY JOE MAFFA '21
Yes, we are all sad, lonely, and slowly losing our minds. But what is there to possibly get us through these unprecedented times? That’s right! An unprecedented amount of memes! COVID-19 memes—they are inescapable. A quick scroll through the Instagram explore page, or a short browse of your Reddit feed, will garner at least a dozen memes. Not to mention that the topics that range from building up your body, to building up your toilet paper stockpile, and everything in between! Whether the...
The Animal Crossing Craze
BY FRANCESCA SERVELLO '21
Do you crave a relaxing vacation on a remote island where you can make friends with a variety of talking animals without any real burdens to hold you back? As it turns out, so do millions of people across the globe! You can find all these things and more in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the newest installment in Nintendo’s classic video game franchise. Many players find solace in the relaxing atmosphere of the game, especially in the aforementioned virtual lack of responsibility (minus the...
Zoom University
BY BELLE HU '22
The very first time I ever used Zoom, I had three mental breakdowns. Seriously. After typing in the username and password that my teacher had sent, I remained locked out of the conference call. Imagine my surprise later when I FaceTimed my friend and was told that I shouldn’t have needed a username and password in the first place. I entered the next conference call by dialing in. My teacher utterly exposed me because, of course, I was the only person dialing in. However, I quickly realized that my Zoom struggles would complicate my learning experience as it became the go-to platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies, schools, and institutions have started to host meetings solely on Zoom. Further, the platform is also used for casual settings. Amid the increasing chaos around the world, Zoom has maintained a sense of normalcy for many people. Whether it be through college “Zoom parties,” birthday parties, or blind dates, Zoom creates stability and excitement in the lives of all age groups. Despite the...
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Comic by Emily Hiltunen
The Problem with Projects by Emily Hiltunen
Top 10 Pop Culture Moments of the 2010’s
BY PRIYANKA CHIDAMBARAM '23
Well this has been quite a decade. From the feud between Taylor Swift and Kanye West to the end of Game of Thrones, here are the most eventful moments of our childhood.

2009-2010: The decade-long feud between Taylor Swift and Kanye West began after Kanye interrupted Taylor’s speech at the VMA’s. The start of a new decade seems to have laid the feud to rest though...
AB Overheard
BY THE SPECTRUM STAFF
As Spectrum staff members sat in their classes, walked through the high school halls, and participated in district events, they overheard bits and pieces of the community’s wildest conversations. Here are some of those quotes, all compiled for our readers’ viewing pleasure...
The Evolution of Memes
BY AVNI MISHRA '23
From grumpy cat memes to those deep-fried pictures of Markiplier’s face photoshopped onto Lord Farquaad featured on the front of “What’s Wrong With Gen Z Humor?” articles, we all know what memes are. Whether you’re an avid Reddit user, or you occasionally double-tap a two-month-old meme on your Instagram explore page, everyone has shared a laugh over a funny image on the internet. But how have memes evolved into the hilarious and relatable images we know today? It started back in 2001, before a lot of you readers were born (yes, memes are older...
​Love Nest: Another One!
BY JULIA KUANG '22
Hey guys, it’s Dr. Kuang back at it again with another...dun DUN! Love Nest!! (if you get this reference ily haha) It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written one of these, and it’s honestly such a relief to be writing something that won’t be graded/make me super stressed since the last few weeks/MONTHS have been kinda like a non-stop bulldozer overloading my brain with school. So to all of you stressed out kids out there (I know there’s a lot of you lol), take a chill pill and maYbe reAD the lOve neSt or maybe…..tAlk to yOur cruSh?!?!?!?! jk…..unless? Q: My bf and I have been dating...
“Wrong Answers Only”​
BY HARINI GANAPATHI '22
“Wrong Answers Only”: what is it? To all of you uncultured snoozers out there, it’s a classic meme. You will somehow be presented with a question, prompting you to reply with the “perfect” answer. HOWEVER, there is a twist! Alas, my love, this is the twenty-first century, and the meme masters of Planet Earth have realized that the correct answer is, simply put, lame and boring. Instead, these acclaimed geniuses sought to find a way to spice up life—so they did. By now, you probably get what I’m hinting at, but I find that examples often help teaching. For example, if I were to... ​