AP Art History Greatest Hits

In honor of AP season rapidly approaching and the curriculum of AP Art History coming to a close, I have decided to recap my favorite art pieces in a list below. Here are my top five of the 250 required works, enjoy!

#101 – The Swing ~ Jean-Honoré Fragonard ~ 1767 CE ~ Oil on canvas

https://smarthistory.org/jean-honore-fragonard-the-swing/ 

The Swing, a product of the effervescent and soft Rococo movement, perfectly encapsulates my perspective on art and on life. The central figure, wearing a stunning outfit and blissfully ignoring the anger of the man behind her, swings with glee as she taunts her lover in the distance. In my eyes, she is sarcastic and flippant, evident by her removal of her high heels, which is an attitude I strive to emulate every day. She is utterly unbothered, doing her own thing, even in spite of the male pressures around her. The painting style is also an amazing representation of my personal aesthetic, which tends to center around pinks and blues, with floral accents and a sense of whimsy. The Swing is truly a masterpiece, and if I could I would jump into this painting and gossip with the iconic woman.

#196 – Gold and Jade Crown ~ Three Kingdoms Period, Silla Kingdom, Korea ~ 5th to 6th Century CE ~ Metalwork

https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2013/koreas-golden-kingdom 

The Gold and Jade Crown, originating from early Korea, is unfortunately the only crown we have in the required 250 artworks. Nonetheless, it has remained in my mind since last semester. The intricate and delicate goldwork is absolutely impressive, and the intentional integration of the jade pieces to symbolize ripe fruits hanging from tree branches is a wonderful example of the creative vigor of the Korean Peninsula’s vibrant culture. Sadly, most of my history education has ignored ancient Korea, so being confronted with this magnificent piece of art was a welcome surprise. I have always loved ornate jewelry/headpieces (a result of my grandmother’s passion for them), and this piece did not disappoint. 

#177 – Lukasa (Memory Board) ~ Mbudye Society, Luba Peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo) ~ c. 19th to 20th Century CE ~  Wood, beads, and metal

https://smarthistory.org/lukasa-memory-board-luba-peoples/ 

The Lukasa (Memory Board), coming from the Mbudye Society of the Luba People from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, fundamentally reshaped my understanding of language and of art. The Lukasa works as such: the beaded pieces and metal accents represent key historical figures, political changes, or conflicts, which are interpreted by a trained practitioner while running their hand along the board; they then pass that information unto the younger generations of Luba People, preserving their rich history. This unique way of communication opened my eyes to the incredible diversity of the human desire to be connected with one another, which I never would have fully understood until being exposed to such a beautiful and meaningful piece of cultural artistic expression. 

#96 – Fruit and Insects ~ Rachel Ruysch ~ 1711 CE ~ Oil on wood

https://smarthistory.org/rachel-ruysch-fruit-and-insects/ 

Rachel Ruysch’s “Fruit and Insects” is truly a masterpiece of the Still-Life style. The expert shading on the peaches and gourds, coupled with the precise reflective surfaces of the grapes and smaller pitted fruits, produces an incredibly realistic artwork. I have actually had the privilege of seeing a number of Ruysch’s other works at the Mauritshuis Museum in the Hague, and each of her other pieces match this level of high quality. She is known as well for her still-lifes of flowers, which is my favorite subject for any European painting. Interestingly, Ruysch takes a rather scientific approach to her artwork and to the realism she creates, which is a lovely change from the more spiritual religious art of her era. I love all of Rachel Ruysch’s creations, and I am so glad to have analyzed one for AP Art History.

#213 – Nan Madol ~ Pohnpei, Micronesia, Saudeleur Dynasty ~ c. 700-1600 CE ~ Basalt boulders and prismatic columns

https://smarthistory.org/nan-madol/ 

Nan Madol, the seat of the Saudeleur Dynasty of Micronesia, is one of several cities that are a part of the required 250 artworks, including the Inkan City of Cusco and the Parthenon campus of Athens. However, the Pacific is a region that I have historically been underexposed to, since most history curricula prioritize Europe and Asia. So, being introduced to not only an impressive piece of architectural art, but also a center of government within a complex geopolitical system, was a fantastic way for me to be exposed to ancient Pacific affairs in a way I never had before. The city is also uniquely organized, with certain components being located over the water (mainly for ceremonial and religious purposes), and others placed on surrounding islands amidst megalithic stones. It is overall a marvel of diverse cultural willpower, and has truly motivated me to learn more about the wealth of history in the Pacific. 

A Cautionary Tale: Be Less Like Scrat

*This blog was written in partnership with Kailani Zhang. For more Ice Age character analysis, please check out her blog!

The Ice Age movies remain a culturally significant piece of film, even to this day. They are a digestible glimpse into Earth’s past, and they offer a host of life lessons that its primarily children-age audience can understand and internalize. To that end, each movie opens with a small snippet of a character called Scrat, a little squirrel whose only desire is to carry his massive acorn wherever he goes while failing miserably and hilariously. As the movies progress, the audience gets miniature cameos of Scrat as the main characters embark on their titular journey, which adds a nice bit of comedic relief to what are otherwise very heartfelt films. However, within these scenes there are morals to be learned, even though they are supposed to be humorous and very short. Today I intend to reveal some of these morals, and why they are so critical to our growth as people and as a society.

Greedy Ideology

Quite possibly the most potent message of Scrat’s rather static character arc is why greed and a material-motivated mindset are incredibly dangerous. This idea is seen directly in Scrat’s main scenes at the beginning of each movie, where his pursuit for his constantly missing acorn leads to the problem that the main characters have to solve. For example, in Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the movie opens with Scrat finding a place to store his acorn, ultimately deciding to bury it on top of a mountain. And because he is so fervent in burying it, the mountain splits in two, causing the now terrified squirrel to quite literally fall into the center of the Earth, directly on its metal core. Once he regains his senses, lo and behold he finds his acorn lying on the core with him. Per usual, his lustful eyes try to chase it, which shifts the core, causing the entire Earth to rotate. This creates a rift in the ground near the main characters’ home (as well as a whole host of other geographic anomalies, like new continents), which they promptly fall into and spend the entire movie trying to escape, while battling deadly dinosaurs and vicious flora along the way. The significance of this event cannot be understated: Scrat’s refusal to abandon his acorn and cut his losses is the sole reason why the main characters are forced into a situation in which all of them barely escape the clutches of death. Consider that had Scrat been less greedy, less focused on only his acorn, he could have prevented the disruption of the ENTIRE world. But he decided to ignore reason and empathy for his surroundings, leading to death and destruction for his surroundings. We, as viewers, can learn a lot from this event, namely that when we engage in covetousness, we cause unintended consequences far behind the consequence of relinquishing a few of one’s possessions. Economies around the world suffer from this avaricious ideology, and we see its negative effects. When the ultra-rich hoard their wealth or when we refuse to give aid to the unhoused for the sake of supposedly protecting our own resources, social inequality is exacerbated, which leads to public unrest and financial autocracy. So you see, a simple Scrat scene can reveal one of the great unfortunate truths about society. 

Disproportionate Priorities

Yet another concern raised by the Scrat scenes is the issue of poor distribution of priorities. Nowhere is this clearer than in Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, where in a cruel twist of fate, Scrat’s acorn is stolen by a baby hawk and brought to its nest. In a complete panic, Scrat hurries up the cliff hill upon which the nest is located, and begins to search the massive nest for his acorn. Right as he confronts the baby bird enjoying the acorn, the mother hawk swoops in to protect her baby. Scrat prepares for battle as the hawk looks at him with hunger in her eyes. Nearly immediately he is outmatched, almost killed, and ultimately thrown out of the nest with his acorn miraculously making it out too. The lesson present here is one of sheer common sense: is a possession really worth risking your life for? In other words, Scrat’s gung-ho attitude towards fighting a clearly overpowering and lethal opponent simply for an inanimate object is not only irresponsible, but just plain stupid. Scrat clearly knew what the dangers were, given that he showed fear, yet risked his life anyway instead of fleeing where he could be safe, and only by mere serendipitous luck did he escape with his life. Essentially, Scrat put his possessions over his actual life, and it nearly got him killed. Such a sentiment can easily be applied to real life, where materialism consistently overpowers human rights and dignity. Corporations underpay and exploit their workers nearly to the point of being unhoused, all for the sake of hoarding wealth — to be used for a few new fancy gadgets and private jets for the wealthy corporate elite. Even the average person lets their desire for more stuff get before their own lives, as people plunge themselves into debt for the sake of appearing in higher social standing by means of owning more capital. So once again, we see the subtle wisdom of Scrat’s character flaws. 

Ungrateful Thinking

The final societal ill revealed by Scrat’s character is the epidemic of ungrateful thinking. There is one scene which perfectly illustrates this concept, which is in Ice Age 2: The Meltdown. In the scene, Scrat wakes up in “Acorn Heaven”, a warmly lit paradise filled with acorns. At first, Scrat runs around, hugging the acorns and basking in the glow. But soon he sees the grand acorn at the center, and it is like there are no other acorns present anymore. Scrat drops all of the nuts he is holding, and runs towards the gleaming acorn, filled with infatuation. However, the closer he gets to it, the harder he is pushed away. Eventually he cannot keep running against the invisible force anymore, and he is pulled all the way out of heaven, banished forever. There is a simple lesson here: ignoring the great things you have in the pursuit of what you do not is a sure fire way to lose it all. We can see this in the development of technology, where there is a certain pressure to buy the latest model of phone or computer, even when one’s current model works just fine. And when new technology begins to cost more and more, consumers lose increasing amounts of money, often winding up in debt or worse. And unfortunately, this phenomenon of taking things for granted is present in nearly every sector of society. So for the final time, we observe the depth of Scrat’s unique ethical ramifications. 

Conclusion

The observations about Scrat’s contribution to the Ice Age movies and to morality as a whole lead to one ultimate conclusion: if we as a society are to thrive, we must reject the irrationality and delusions which Scrat embodies. There is simply no other path to success, most certainly none which involve acorns. 

A Not-So Comprehensive Ranking of AP Classes

As is the case for many college-prospective students, I have spent my four years of high school absolutely swamped in Advanced Placement (AP) classes. And with the final semester of senior year underway, I thought it would be fitting to reflect back on the AP classes and exams, in chronological order, that I have taken throughout my previous three years of education. And while the College Board may be genuinely one of the worst institutions on the face of the planet, I hope you will find my ranking much less arduous. Enjoy!

• AP World History: Modern – For my first AP class, this was a surprisingly wonderful experience. In all transparency however, on my transcript this class is listed as “Honors” since at my old school, Saint Ignatius College Preparatory, freshmen were not allowed to take AP classes. Luckily though, my year introduced this new class that taught the AP curriculum and whose students [mostly] took the exam, but that was labeled “Honors” to comply with school policy. Digression aside, I really did love this class because it helped expand my knowledge to regions well beyond those taught in middle school. I have also always loved geography and history, so this class was right up my alley. That being said, certain regions like Africa and the Pacific were a bit underrepresented in the coursework, which was a little disappointing. The exam itself was definitely difficult, as it was my first one, but I thought that it was fair overall. 9/10
• AP United States History – Being the de facto successor to one of my favorite classes freshman year, I really expected that this new history class would bring me comparable amounts of enjoyment. I could not have been more wrong. The topics which I was most interested in, indigenous affairs and queer rights, were barely touched on. And the topics which I did not care to relearn for the fiftieth time, white Colonial America and the Civil War, were taught at absurd length. Not only this, but we very rarely read the perspectives of non-white people, so I always had the feeling that the class was biased and ultimately not nearly substantive enough. It also did not help that my teacher was wildly condescending and regularly used the n-word. The exam was about as difficult as I expected, since I had already taken World History. 2/10
• AP French Language and Culture – I literally could not say enough good things about this class. I love learning languages, so this class was already in my wheelhouse, but after a full year of unbridled fun and class bonding, aided by one of the most amazing teachers I have ever had (shout out to Mme. Guzik!), I was only more propelled into my love for French. The course forces you to learn about all sides of the French language, including its usage in countries in Africa and the Americas, which I found incredibly interesting and a welcome break from the dubious rigidity of US History. The exam was definitely one of the hardest I have ever taken, but it was a blast anyway! 10/10
• AP Environmental Science – Another absolutely fascinating and pertinent class, Environmental Science was a perfect fit for my junior year. I have never really been that driven to the sciences, but since my main passion is human rights and international justice, many of the regulations and anthropological impacts of the subject were of great interest to me. My teacher, Ms. Katsenes, was also incredible and I could not have asked for a better person to lead the class. The exam was fairly difficult and at times a bit unexpected, but it was certainly manageable. 10/10
• AP Calculus BC – I have very little to say about this class other than that I absolutely detested it and that it was possibly the hardest subject I have ever had to tackle. University level calculus is no joke, and I always tell underclassmen who consider taking it that they need to be content with it taking up the bulk of their time in the next year. I hate math, and the only reason I even took it was to hopefully be exempt from math in college so that I can focus on things I actually care about. The exam was rough, but I was definitely prepared for it and I ended up doing very well. Hopefully this will enable me to realize my goal, because if it does not, I am going to be seriously upset with myself. 1/10
• AP English Language – I do not feel particularly strongly about this class one way or another. I have always loved writing and debating, so I found the majority of it fairly enjoyable. But some of the essays, namely the rhetorical analysis one, were tedious and took away greatly from the amusing parts of the class. The exam was pretty straightforward for me, but its difficulty level definitely depends on one’s overall writing ability. 6/10
• AP Comparative Government – This class is an interesting case for sure; of all of the AP exams I have taken, I felt the least prepared going into this one. Ultimately this was because the class itself covers a huge range of topics and really should be taught over the course of a whole year, but at Naperville North, it is taught only in the first semester. And for an exam which is in the spring, it is not hard to see why I felt so unprepared. Consequently, I basically ended up reteaching myself all of the material in the weeks leading up to the exam, which was frustrating and complicated. However, the subject matter of this class was both the most exciting and personally applicable than all of the other classes aside from maybe French. As for the exam, it was incredibly challenging and required an immense amount of studying on my part. 5/10
• AP United States Government – I was in the fortunate position of taking this class directly after taking US History, so I had very little issue with it. To this day I consider it essentially an APUSH-lite. Once again, the lack of diverse curricula was disappointing and ultimately fairly boring, with the only new substance beyond APUSH being a few additional court cases. The exam was definitely one of the easier ones I have taken, but again, I had the luxury of taking a much more difficult and highly similar version of the class previously. 4/10

Recently I had a fascinating conversation with my mother about what exactly constitutes a “sport”. I do not remember exactly how it started, but we got fully onto the topic after we began talking about the NNHS Esports and Chess Teams. I asserted that both of those activities, as well as other competitions like Fishing, were indeed, sports. I then expanded this definition to include other competitive environments like Debate, Model UN, Show Choir, and more. My mother, who was a nationally ranked hammer thrower during her career at Dartmouth College, vehemently disagreed, believing that sports require, to at least some degree, conventional physical activity. We never really settled on a concrete definition, so in an effort to convince as many people as possible of my case, and consequently (hopefully) my mother, outlined below is my argument. I will attempt to do this by performing a proof by contradiction, presenting common counterarguments and then refuting them. 

1. “Activities like Debate and Chess cannot be considered sports because there is no exercise involved” – While this may seem like sound logic at first, consider that these competitions do involve exercise, but rather than of the body, the exercise is of the mind. The brain, while admittedly not a muscle, expends a great deal of the body’s energy much like other conventionally exercised parts do. The brain is also trained while participating in or preparing for these activities, exactly as muscles are. The similarities are truly too abundant to consider exercise of muscles and the brain two entirely separate concepts
2. “People who partake in these activities are unathletic” – This claim is not only widely offensive and reductive, but it is also flatly wrong. Athleticism comes in many forms, beyond simply cardiovascular endurance or strength. Consider that Esports requires an incredibly high level of dexterity and hand eye coordination, two key components of athleticism. Even speech-based competitions requires an athletic mind, which is crucial to any sport, as outlined by the American Psychological Association (1), stating that “excelling in sports requires more than muscles and physical prowess”
3. “Not enough people agree that these activities are sports, nor are there consistent televised events for any of them” – This is a fairly common argument, but it unfortunately falls victim to a common logical fallacy: popularity is not the same as validity. Many people can believe one thing, and it can still be wrong; look no further than the ages of scientific repression, where the majority of people believed in faulty concepts like the four humors or in the Earth-centric solar system. This is all to say that accuracy does not always necessitate agreement amongst everyone. This argument, therefore, supports nothing and is simply an observation. In other words, an activity can be a sport regardless of what individual people think; rather, its classification requires a more quantifiable or observable metric, like those outlined above
4. “If something like Model UN is considered a sport, where is the line between a sport and a plain competition?”” The answer to this question, as is the trend for most things, remains up for debate. However, there remain some key factors which can help distinguish the two. In my opinion, a sport must contain two or more of the following elements: a team component, a training period, some amount of exercise (see point #1), a ranking/placing system, and is widely accessible or enjoyable. This is most certainly not a comprehensive list, but the jist is essentially that competitions are typically more individual and one-time focused. 

Finally, what is and is not considered a sport is a relatively small part of our social dialogue, but what is important is respecting and validating the interests of everyone. Too often have I seen someone’s genuine passion derided or chastised because it is not a sport and is therefore not serious and worthwhile, myself included. And while I am not an expert by any means, it is my firm belief that expanding our definition of sports could go a long way in legitimizing and destigmatizing many people’s authentic pursuits. Everyone deserves to be passionate about something, and no one deserves to be ridiculed for their passion being unconventional or unique. And for those who still vehemently oppose this idea, I ask: what about sports is so sacred that we cannot be a bit more inclusive in our definition? What do we have to lose by creating a healthier dialogue around people’s interests? And ultimately, who are we to judge anyone else for the things they partake in?

(1) https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/03/athletic-brain 

The culture and process around being a Starbucks barista has been a hot topic recently among a number of online forums, so in an effort to help alleviate confusion, here are my answers to some commonly asked questions, as Starbucks barista myself:

Question 1: Do all Starbucks baristas hate making Frappuccinos? 

This is probably the question that I see asked the most often, and the short answer is that the question itself is a little misleading. In general, making a Frappuccino is not difficult, and as such most baristas generally tolerate seeing them ordered occasionally. However, since Frappuccinos are most commonly ordered by younger people, who generally come in crowds or teams, the prospect of making them becomes much more loathsome. Frappuccinos, just by virtue of their standard recipe, take longer to craft than most of our other drinks, and so when they are ordered by hoards of children, our production nearly grinds to a halt. This is especially problematic since we are timed on our production speed, which drastically decreases when we are bogged down by an endless stream of Frappuccinos, consequently decreasing the satisfaction of other customers who now have to wait exponentially longer for their drinks. Such a situation can lead to arduous conversations with our managers, who expect a certain degree of swiftness, regardless of the drinks we make. And while one might think that we can just work on something else while the Frappuccinos are being blended in order to reduce our average times, that is often not possible as so many other drinks use our limited supply of blenders. The long and short of it all is that the process of making a Frappuccinos is not what we hate, but the way they decrease our productivity and the way they jeopardize our standing with our managers is what we hate.

Question 2: What is the most annoying drink you have ever had to make?

This is a really tough question because I certainly have had to make my fair share of obnoxious orders, but there definitely is one that takes the cake. That order is as follows: a venti iced brown sugar oatmilk shaken espresso with two extra shots, four pumps of brown sugar syrup, two pumps of white mocha syrup, a splash of heavy cream, line the cup with caramel, pumpkin cold foam, extra caramel drizzle, and cinnamon powder. And in a brutal twist of fate, I had to make that drink during our morning rush.

Question 3: What kind of customers are the most frustrating to serve?

Working at any food service job has one bound to interact with all manner of difficult or malicious people, but for me personally, I am always the most irritated by are those who cannot admit when they are wrong. Those people typically fall into one of two categories: one, customers who forget to order something but say they did, expecting it for free; two, customers that ordered their drink wrong and blame us for it tasting wrong. In either case though, the frustrating part is knowing that I am right and that they made a mistake, but being forced to accommodate for it, while often assuming blame myself. Not only that, but those accommodations, per Starbucks code, are free, meaning that the company loses money, which ultimately affects our wages. And since I am not one who likes being wrong or being underpaid for an incredibly taxing job, it is fairly clear to see why these customers irritate me so much. However, I do recognize that some people do genuinely make mistakes and are kind about it, so for those people, I never mind doing what they ask. But where I get enraged to an unhealthy degree is when people act entitled to services they did not pay for nor were nice enough to receive on my good graces. 

Question 4: Why are so many Starbucks locations unionizing?

In all honesty, I do not think I have an entirely holistic answer to this question, but I definitely have a few observations that I would like to lay out, which probably contribute to the surge in unionization. Note however, that my store is not currently unionized, so I cannot speak to the quality of unionship that baristas are a part of. That being said, consider the following: Starbucks policy mandates that baristas almost universally have to accept the abuse from customers, to ensure that they come back, leaving us little recourse; unfortunately like most working environments, sexual harassment remains prevalent at many stores, including mine, with very little repercussions for those who partake; corporate profits are at a record high, yet stores remain understaffed and with consistent maintenance issues; and managers are cutting down hours for baristas, meaning shifts contain less employees, leading to a great deal of stress among baristas trying to compensate for the lack of labor. All of these things paint a clear picture that Starbucks corporate cares solely about their bottom line, which is a crushing reality that, with its dangerous effects, leads many stores to unionize.

Question 5: Why do Starbucks employees complain so much?

I have seen this question asked a lot online, with many people chastising baristas for being lazy or intolerant. However, I firmly believe that anyone who genuinely believes that Starbucks employees complain any more than other service jobs has clearly never worked on themselves. When one works in an environment where they are forced to deal with anyone from the saints to the supervillains of the world, complaints and frustrations are bound to arise. The only reason why Starbucks employees are criticized more for this is because the corporation has a significant online presence, with many individual baristas having huge followings and many drinks going viral almost daily. In other words, the hatred comes from overexposure, and is not based in any objective reality.

Following the tradition of @.evelyn..grwm on TikTok, below is a brief list of things that frustrate me, ranging from my job, to school, to my hobbies, and more. 

1. AP Calculus BC and AP Physics C → These two classes are the absolute epitome of absurd. Ironically, for those who are interested in the fields, the subject matter themselves is useful and is probably very fascinating (although I find neither to be true for me, someone who wants to major in international politics). However, the way they are taught sucks all of the joy out of learning about them. The College Board places an egregious amount of emphasis on simply memorizing problem types, rather than actually understanding the origins of each concept. As such, I find/found myself spending hours trying to figure out why certain formulas or processes exist, which is both tedious and unbelievably frustrating, since I just do not have enough prerequisite knowledge. Ultimately, when I took the BC exam, all I ended up doing was regurgitating the problems we learned in class. I did get a 5, but I have never been so unsatisfied with a score in my life. And unfortunately, I anticipate that the Physics C exams will be the same. 
2. Caramel Ribbon Crunch and Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccinos → As a Starbucks barista, I speak for all others when I say that these drinks originate from the deepest pits of the underworld. When we hear those words ordered, a gaping pit opens in each of our stomachs, as we know that the next several minutes will be a tortuous endeavor. Paradoxically, the drinks are actually not the issue, but the time it takes to make them is what is ultimately soul crushing. At Starbucks, we are beholden to a series of mandatory drive-thru and cafe times, which dictate how quickly we need to have orders completed. And when we cannot reach the prescribed level of swiftness, we are chastised or in the worst of cases, terminated. These two drinks can take up to a minute each, which already exceeds those times. So when they are ordered, every barista is forced to drop everything, ruining our flow (or in Starbucks terms, our “sequence”), or simply accept a decrease in average times. In either case, the store suffers and we are subject to even more bitter criticism.
3. À La Seconde Turns → Put simply, I cannot do this technique, no matter how much I try. And, of course, they are a central part of many dance routines. This leaves me feeling completely inadequate even though I can execute most other leaps and turns. I genuinely have no concept as to why I cannot do them, as I possess the knowledge, the strength, and the desire. There is truly not much more to say, other than that I am eternally grateful for my choreographers in Orchesis not putting them in our contemporary and jazz routines. 
4. Show Choir Formations →  After being in show choir for a little over a year, I have come to learn that the absolute worst part about the sport is both receiving and executing formation changes. During the rehearsals when we receive them, there is always a silent air of jealousy and competition, as we all vie for the front and center positions. This leads to a shocking amount of drama, as we all believe that we are talented enough to be in the front. When someone else receives the position, there is always a rush to point out every flaw they have, in some perverted attempt to feel better about ourselves. And when formations are finalized, they are always challenging to execute in competition, since they require an enormous deal of coordination that we often lack when faced with the stress of the stage. 
5. Ed Sheeran → I cannot truly express how much I despise this sorry excuse for an artist, and this hatred only began a few weeks ago. Since the beginning of September, every shift I have worked at Starbucks has been plagued by the grating tone of each and every one of Ed Sheeran’s songs. And I have heard each of his songs on repeat for weeks, often during my eight hour long shifts. I simply cannot take his voice for a moment longer, and on behalf of baristas everywhere, we beg Starbucks corporate to rid us of this virus. 
6. School Spirit and “Driven” → There is something truly ridiculous about the entire Naperville North spirit campaign of the 2020s. Most obviously, it is undeniable that the “Driven” slogan has become a complete joke among the entire student body. And now once the tagline is added, otherwise legitimate school functions/movements become nothing more than comical displays of tone deafness on behalf of the administration. Our class also has a specific disdain for school spirit generally, since we lost our entire freshman year to COVID-19, and thus never had the time to integrate with the school’s messaging. Additionally, we spent the past year watching the Class of 2023 being coddled because they supposedly bore the brunt of the pandemic, despite the fact that they only lost a few months compared to our full year. As such, we have come to realize how little the administration actually cares about our class, leaving us no motivation to ascertain any new school spirit.

It is truly hard to overstate the value that Princess Peach of the Super Mario games has added to society. She exemplifies some of the most hallmark traits of fashion, ethics, and sexuality, which have come to define our modern social sphere. And it is her multifaceted character that makes Princess Peach such an iconic and influential figure for the broader global community. Now to truly understand the Princess’ true significance, let’s take a deep dive into each of her contributions:

Fashion

In brief, Princess Peach has ushered in a renaissance for femme fashion culture, bringing back several key tropes of historic apparel. First and most notably is her signature pink dress, which with its flared body and shoulder cuffs is reminiscent of the French aristocracy under the influence of Marie Antoinette immediately pre-Revolution. However, after the Revolution, with its associated global impacts, clothing became more modest as a way for people to distance themselves from the tyranny of the upper class1. And while this shift most certainly served an important purpose at the time, the loss of French-inspired extravagance was a significant and unfortunate forfeiture for modernity. This loss stifled many of the creative aspects of the wildly popular French-inspired fashion design, thus minimizing many individuals’ ability for self-expression2. However, as Princess Peach rose in popularity, enabled by the incredible success of the Mario franchise, she reintroduced some of the regal aspects of fashion. In other words, her notoriety has allowed creative and expressive fashion to rise to a sense of social acceptance again. And it is this normalcy which gives many the comfort they need to dress how they want. 

Ethics

In a world plagued by widespread hatred and a general lack of respect for one another, Princess Peach stands out as a model for an upstanding citizen. First is her treatment of service workers, who for her, are the Toads. Throughout the Mario franchise, Princess Peach shows grace to the Toads, constantly offering her gratitude while also providing them with a thriving kingdom to live in3. She consistently listens to their advice without complaint, and she ruthlessly defends their physical health and dignity from villains like Bowser and Donkey Kong. Compare that to the way that service people are treated in real life, and her upstanding nature becomes overwhelmingly apparent. Consider the rise of the Karens, who consistently make media headlines for their blatant disrespect for service people. But the headlines only scratch the surface of the egregious suffering service people endure, as it is really not hard to see instances of consumer aggression on a daily basis, such as in restaurants and retail stores. And it is this ubiquity which makes Princess Peach so important, since her position as a cultural figure allows her to reach a broader audience, specifically of young people, who can help break the cycle of hate at the root. 

Sexuality 

In a rather fascinating twist of fate, Princess Peach is also widely considered an icon of queer culture, making her an emblem of much of the sexual/gender-related progress in recent years4. Consider first the nostalgia she harbors, specifically for gay men like myself. And while I cannot speak to the population of gay men as a whole, there seems to be a fairly firm consensus that Princess Peach played an important role in all of our lives. The role is quite simple: Princess Peach was a virtual/video game outlet for us as gay men to express our femininity, without fear of being judged for it in real life. In other words, she could be what we wanted to be, even when we could not. Personally, I saw myself a lot in her, both in terms of overall look and her commitment to maintaining her feminine demeanor even in the face of ruthless masculinity from the likes of Bowser and even Mario. She embodied the persistence and fearlessness which I aspired to exhibit when confronted by those who felt disgusted or threatened by my sexual expression. And in an overall sense, her ability to be a rallying call of queer people demonstrates the breadth of her impact.

Considering these three impacts which Princess Peach has so gracefully executed, it should not be undeniable to any reader that she is so much more than a damsel in distress. She is a powerful symbol of self-expression and morality, underscored by a sense of ferocity rivaled only by the most courageous and selfless of us. So the next time you think of the Princess, remember that even though she is in another castle, her influence transcends all divides. 

(1) https://mediakron.bc.edu/fashiondecor/art-nouveau/contents/empire-the-making-of-a-ruler/womens-fashion-french-empire/womens-fashion-french-empire

(2) https://www.culture.gouv.fr/en/Thematic/Mode/Fashion-in-France 

(3) https://mariowiki.com/Princess_Peach 

(4) https://splinternews.com/why-mario-karts-princess-peach-is-a-queer-icon-1793854365