And Everything In Between

By now, you've most likely heard of Sydney Sweeney's controversial ad for her American Eagle genes (whoops-- I mean jeans). While some may think the ad's critics are "too woke", I argue it exemplifies the far-right slope the United States has dove headfirst down. I share other historical examples of how companies align themselves with political and social trends, such as the...

A double edged sword. Literally, it can attack your opponent at the risk of harming yourself. Metaphorically, it refers to something with both positive and negative consequences-- just like the topics listed above. In this episode I elaborate on these consequences while introducing ideas like the Technological Advancement Parabola and the 'Casual' Instagram movement (which, I decide, isn't really...

After my first semester as an official college student, I have a lot to reflect on: thought-provoking things I learned in my classes (like how climate change came to be controversial in the US), a tentative answer to 'Should college be the best time of your life?', and unexpected takeaways about Duke's political culture and social trends, to name a few.

It's T-5 days until I drive to Duke and begin the next four years of my life. With that comes lots of excitement and worry that I reflect upon in this episode. First, however, I share interesting stories and lessons learned from my recent trip to Austria and Italy, as well as the most surprising culture shocks I discovered while there.

Biden dropped out of the Democratic nominee race for the 2024 election: now what? In this episode, I share my personal opinions about Biden dropping out (and why I believe it is a smart decision), explain what's at stake this presidential election, evaluate the devastating effects of core elements in American politics, and examine the rise of far-right political parties within the US and Europ...

I haven't recorded in a while, so I share some life updates/random things on my mind before getting into this week's very lighthearted episode. Inspired by the internet figure "dudewithsign" (search his Instagram, you won't regret it), I take my lists straight from my Notes app to share my (sarcastic) humor, as well as my slightly controversial opinions, actions we as a socie...

This week's episode is part five of my "Collection of Thoughts" mini-series (and this one is my personal favorite of all five). Here are the topics: AI's Racial biases: 3:20 - 20:10 Mixed Heritage Struggles: 20:10 - 28:13 Lack of Third Spaces: 28:13 - 42:42 Film Franchise Opinions: 42:42 - End As always, enjoy!

In this episode, I analyze Lorde's song "Ribs", introduce the idea of "anticipatory nostalgia" (nostalgia for something happening in the present), and share my takeaways and personal connections to one of cartoonist David Finch's works: all the while striving to answer the question, "What is so special about adolescence, and how can we revive our own?"

In this episode, I discuss the Duolingo founder's TED Talk (and foreign language in general), explain how Ohio made history with the passage of Issue 1, recall Michelle Zauner's New Yorker article, "Crying in H Mart", open your mind to the intricate card game called SET, and more. The goal is simple: to share how I fuel my deep-rooted desire for knowledge, and to teach you what I...

Though not heard nearly enough as they should, doctors' perspectives offer an entirely new look into how greatly COVID has changed medicine and life as we know it. In this interview with my mom (a pediatrician), she shares thoughts on topics ranging from COVID's astonishing impact on mental health, to dealing with anti-vax coworkers, to how the pandemic affected beliefs about vaccines as a whole....

How are Netflix's Black Mirror , the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data breach, and AI celebrity Instagram accounts connected? Watch this week's episode to find out-- and to hear my own Black Mirror episode pitch.

"Why am I here?" is the ultimate question leading imposter syndrome: the intelligence-undermining feeling that you don't belong somewhere like a STEM classroom. This episode details what imposter syndrome looks like in a STEM environment, existing as a woman in these historically male-dominated fields, and how to end the stigma.

Why is it that everyone on social media --including your favorite influencers-- seems to have clear skin? The answer: They don't-- filters deceive us. In this episode, I discuss social media's impact on my acne insecurities, as well as my journey with acne and the most challenging things that come with it.

While I love Taylor Swift's music, she has been the subject of gender discrimination in the music industry since she became famous-- along with other female artists like Olivia Rodrigo. In this episode, I talk about their music, why society discriminates against women's music, and double standards for female vs. male characters in popular TV shows like Breaking Bad. I also rank Taylor Swif...

Certain aspects of California on my vacation reminded me of Europe: the walkable streets, architecture, and cultural diversity. But why else are so many Americans drawn to Europe? Is it these aspects, Hollywood's romanticization of Europe in movies, or something else? I hope to have answered these questions in this episode, as well as speculating on what makes America unique to visit.

There are six mini-topics in this episode! - Reconnecting with nature - Anti-aging skincare - White male supremacy in the classroom - American sports culture - Canada wildfires - Nighttime Let me know other topics you would be interested in hearing about at this link !

I want to share my knowledge and opinions on creative writing--both fiction and non-fiction--in this episode. I read two of my own stories aloud, titled  Home, Alone * and  The Butterfly , and share why I love them, as well as give my opinions on what makes your favorite book SO GOOD and become the first person to clearly explain what "show don't tell" exactly means. Additionally, I...

(Mentally playing Getaway Car by Taylor Swift as I type this.) This episode was particularly fun to record because I love sharing my 50 playlists with anyone who will listen. Don't worry though, this episode isn't only about my playlist-curating hobby. I also share clips of my favorite songs, album and song recommendations, & opinions on music in tv series and movies like The Summer I...

This episode was inspired by... a tiktok video? (Hypocritical, I know.) But the video actually taught me one of the best strategies/mindsets to battle overconsumption, and that inspired me to make an episode of all the different mindsets I live by. To name a few-- "do it now", "productivity isn't uniform", and "mind over matter". Hear my opinions on the best minds...

Teta is the informal word for grandmother in Lebanese Arabic, and my teta is one of the funniest, most intelligent, and most caring people I know. She immigrated at just 24 years old from Syria to the states, and is here today to tell the tale. She shares stories from life in Syria, her perspective on cultural differences between the US and Syria, her favorite meals to cook, advice she hopes to in...

Enjoy!

Ignorance is all around us, but some have the privilege not to look for it. What happens when you don't get that privilege? For starters, little things like people calling me Maya instead of Maylah stick out to you, but you also notice bigger things like someone being treated differently because of their race. In this episode, I cover where ignorance originates from, what it looks like, why it...

Over spring break, I took a trip to breezy Massachusetts instead of going to the beach... But I still had fun touring colleges (including Harvard--whattt?!). While touring colleges, I thought about how competitive college admissions are this year, and that became the inspiration for this episode. I discuss my takeaways from touring colleges, the admissions cycle, and the self-comparison and academ...

(English starts at 1:42) In this week's episode, I go into a deep dive on my stories and experiences learning German, as well as my personal opinions on the difficulties of the German language and similarities between German and other languages. I also share tips for increasing fluency in a foreign language. Speaking German for a few minutes was very fun, and hopefully any German-speaking listener...

All of my people-watching experience combine into this episode. What are signs someone likes you (or doesn't), is engaged in a conversation (or isn't), or is annoyed with you? I list all of these things as well as some of my favorite --and funniest--stories relating to people.