Passion Projects
An outlet for the senior staff writers to focus on a topic about which they are passionate. While all of our staff writers are developing their unique voice, our seniors are given the opportunity to explore a chosen topic and approach it in a variety of ways through the work they produce over the course of the year.
Studying the passions that people have towards their professions and the psychology behind such decision-making
Investigating how early American Western Ideals—the Frontier Thesis, westward expansion, and other hallmarks of American history–continue to affect us today
How music theory can be used as a metaphor for life and learning
Examining the relationship between food and culture: how cuisines tie into cultural values, and are also developed due to unique points in history, geography, and shared traditions
Studying how climbing is reflective of life itself: rising and falling, building resilience and determination, and weaving personal experience within the journey of a climb
Looking into how our dreams—both literal and figurative—affect our lives, impacting our psyches and future aspirations
Investigating a variety of movements, from marginalized groups to youth protests, and the psychology within facing adversity
Studying how humanity’s perception of time influences our understanding of reality on a personal and cosmic scale
Exploring sports from personal experience and research to understand how sports affect psychological habits and development as a person
Examining architectural renovation, its significance, and the impact that urban renewal plays within Orange County
Telling the stories of childhood wonder and the intrinsic, underappreciated beauty of being a youth
Connecting culture, politics, and economics to the repetition of historical shifts
Exploring the hallmarks of culture: food, traditions, and childhood memories, and their affect on one’s identity
Addressing the veracity of stigmas surrounding music through personal experience in musical performance to examine how music is an integral part of the world around us
Delving into girlhood and femininity by analyzing the qualities of women, the role they play in society, and their accomplishments