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Navigating the social landscape
Have you ever wondered how prominent figures like Benjamin Franklin achieved remarkable success? One key factor in his rise as a writer, publisher and politician was his mastery of “social intelligence.” What follows is my analysis of how Franklin’s lessons might apply to our...
Blum: When Grown Men Cry
Crying doesn’t mean something’s wrong. Sometimes it means everything is gloriously right.
Remembering our roots, building our future
It’s easy to get caught up in the present, but sometimes looking back helps us understand where we’re going. So, let’s take a trip in the wayback machine to 1966. The Beatles were dominating the charts, “Star Trek” premiered on television, and the Vietnam...
How should you respond when someone asks ‘the question’?
“Where are you from?”
It’s a common question, and one that can be quite loaded for people of diverse ethnicities.
On its face, it’s a plain question based on curiosity, filled with nostalgia, or awe.
But it could also carry covert racism and hatred, carrying the connotation...
Guest View: Protecting the newts of Alma Bridge Road
A week before the 2022 New Year, I received a text from a friend expressing his dismay at the great number of dead newts he saw on Alma Bridge Road while he was biking. This was right after one of the December winter storms....
Guest View: Campus diversity should extend to choices in careers
Next to picking a college, picking a college major can be the most important and nerve-wracking decision facing a young person. Unfortunately, students often fail to recognize that a good education is about more than just the degree; it’s about exploring multiple disciplines, finding...
Racism: innate or taught?
Why does racism still continue to prevail in our society, covertly and overtly? The intent here is to answer these questions analytically.
Blum: Los Gatos in the lab
Please indulge me as I dive into this puzzle of Los Gatos and its potential identity. As someone who's read books about the atomic bomb, the enigmatic Oppenheimer, and the playful genius of Feynman (though I wouldn't dare call myself a scientist!), I've come...
Guest View: ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’
In 1950, Rotary International adopted two mottoes. One was “He Profits Most Who Serves Best” (Rotary did not officially welcome women until 1989), and the other was “Service Above Self.” To this day, Rotary continues to use the latter motto.
After being a member of...
Introverts and social anxiety: what’s the difference?
Being an introvert and social anxiety are often confused, but they’re not the same. An introvert is a personality trait. Social anxiety is a mental health condition.
An introvert might resist going to a party because they get drained from loud music and too much...

















