Category: Opinions

By Luna Steinberger ’29

With Fall in full swing, there is one question that absolutely plagues the masses every year: what is the best Halloween candy? Whether it be it Twix, Kit-Kats, Sour Patch Kids, or simply Hershey’s chocolate bars, we all hope for something specific on Halloween night. Now, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It would be unfair if I wrote this article for the sole purpose of telling the world which candy is my favorite, so I decided to poll the SEM community. The results were incredibly varied, so there was no way to discern one definitive favorite candy. Despite this, one rivalry seemed to stand out among our community: sweet vs. sour.

As big as this rivalry is, its importance is often forgotten. Sweet and sour truly are the two symbols of candy, and it would seem SEM’s students agree with this. For example, Finnley Brennan ‘30 says, “. . . you just can’t go wrong with pure milk chocolate!” in reference to Hershey’s bars. Alternatively, Grace Wallace ‘30 says, “I love sour things, and these are just my go-to candies,” thinking of Sour Patch kids. It is a very hard decision to make, because both sides have completely valid opinions on the topic, but there must be some sort of consensus. 

After going through all of these great responses I’ve received, I can see an outlier on what candy SEM likes more. As a gummy lover, it surprises me to see that our school’s favorite candy is certainly sweet chocolate. Not only because of the sheer number of people who love chocolate candies, but also because their responses were filled to the brim with passion over their opinion. 

You may be wondering, “What’s the point of knowing everyone’s favorite Halloween candy?” That is a good question! When you think of Halloween, trick or treating is one of the first things that comes to mind for most people. Despite how fun it is, I think there’s one thing we often forget about. Why are we even eating all this candy? Usually by the end of the night, we’re too sick from sugar high to think about it, but I think it’s important to be conscious of which candy is your favorite. Lots of people root through their bags looking for their favorite candy and discard all that which they don’t like. I think that the discarded candy is just as important as the cherished candy, whether it be a pack of raisins or an Almond Joy, every piece of candy that is thrown away is someone’s favorite. So, this year when you are rooting through your leftovers (if you have any), think about giving the candy you don’t want to a friend. It may even become a new favorite!

By Dana Jung ‘30

What do spiders, deep water, realistic robots, and loose change have in common? They all made appearances in a schoolwide poll asking students to reveal their most irrational fears. Across 32 responses, students described everything from familiar fears, like heights and insects, to more unusual anxieties involving clusters of holes, submerged objects, and animatronics. Their answers also revealed a common theme: fear isn’t always about how dangerous something actually is. Sometimes, it’s about uncertainty, losing control, or the way the brain interprets a possible threat.

32 students rated how fearful they consider themselves on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 5 (very fearful). Seven of the 32 respondents (22%), selected a 4 or 5, while four (12.5%), selected a 1. The remaining 21 students rated themselves a 2 or 3. The poll included common phobias such as heights, spiders, insects, snakes, the dark, and deep water, alongside situational fears involving needles, public speaking, tight spaces, and being alone.

Fear of the dark was a recurring theme in the written answers. One anonymous senior offered a detailed explanation: “[I’m afraid of] The dark because I don’t have a sense of what is there… when I’m in the dark, my brain panics because my eyes aren’t working.” The student continued by emphasizing that darkness can intensify other fears when they feel their vision isn’t reliable. Lizzy VanKuyk ‘28 expressed a similar idea, saying, “I think it’s just the fear of what’s in the dark and not the actual darkness itself.”

There’s a scientific explanation for why uncertainty can feel frightening. Vision helps people understand their surroundings and identify threats. When visibility is eliminated, the brain has less information to work with, making it harder to determine if something is safe.

Some of the poll’s most distinctive responses included fears that are difficult to explain to someone who doesn’t experience them. Finnley Brennan ‘30 identified animatronics as her biggest irrational fear, particularly those found in Halloween stores: “no matter how logical I am, every time I see one of [the Halloween store animatronics], I get super uncomfortable,” she wrote. She connected the fear to a childhood experience and also to the odd feeling of seeing something that looks human but isn’t. Jaiden Lui ‘28 shared a related fear, writing, “I’m terrified of robots that look human.”

Another freshman described a fear of clusters of holes, saying they “hate seeing multiple of the same thing at once, it looks uncanny and wrong.” One hyper-specific phobia was argyrophobia, the fear of silverware, jewelry and coins. The responder stated that they are “very repulsed by coins and can’t explain it.”

Reading this, you might be wondering: why does fear feel so physical? In reality, fear isn’t just a thought; it prepares a person to react to possible danger. The heart can beat faster, muscles could tense, palms can sweat, and a person may feel an urge to escape or freeze. The variety of these reactions appeared throughout the poll. Harper Acornley ‘30 described experiencing fear around heights and tight spaces. “When I’m high up my legs begin to shake and I get extremely light headed,” she wrote. She also described feeling trapped in small spaces. Mimi Benetos ‘27 explained that her fear of heights depends on how safe she believes a situation to be, stating, “[If] I’m somewhere where I know my life isn’t particularly in danger, I’ll be okay, but if I realize that something bad can happen if I’m high up somewhere, my body tenses up.” Her response shows how someone’s perception of danger can influence fear.

For Luc Lacroix ‘28, needles are frightening for a different reason, expressing, “It’s not the pain of being poked at; it’s the fact that you’re watching something foreign enter your body.” That statement highlights how fears can center on more than physical pain. Anticipation, uncertainty, and a feeling of losing control can all contribute to anxiety.

Meanwhile, Ben Thomas ‘30 was more direct about his fear of bugs: “I understand they are mostly harmless, but when I see most bugs, I scream,” underscoring the fact that irrational fears can be terrifying, no matter how harmless.

The poll revealed that irrational fears can be very specific, but the feelings and reasons behind them overlap. For some students, the explanation lies in a childhood memory or a film; for others, there’s no obvious reason at all. Either way, knowing that a fear is irrational doesn’t necessarily make it disappear. Ultimately, the poll is a reminder that fear is personal. One person’s harmless spider, ordinary needle, or silly-looking animatronic may be another person’s worst nightmare. And, if a Spirit Halloween animatronic ever appears in the middle of class, Finnley might appreciate a little warning.

By Finnley Brennan ’30

Whether you love it or hate it, one thing is clear: AI – Artificial Intelligence – will be a part of our future. But how willing is the future generation to accept AI? That’s what I set out to find. I sent out a Google Form to every Upper School student to see their opinion on whether AI has a place in education or not. 

As you can see, the results were mixed. Which, after reading the “Other” categories, seems to be the general census of the students. “I believe that AI is a powerful tool when used properly, to help learn instead of [giving] answers,” Rachel Atwal ‘30 wrote. For her, along with other students, it depends on the context in which you use AI. 

However, some students believe that AI has no place in school whatsoever. Sophia Roper ‘28 claimed, “AI and its usage is actively dumbing students down. I don’t see the point in getting an education if you’re going to let AI hold your hand the entire time.” She also asks the question, “Why would students even go to school if they don’t want to learn?” Most of the people who responded against AI were more firm in their opinions. They spoke a lot about AI diminishing creativity and critical thinking skills.Then, there’s the students who don’t see any issue with AI, believing that AI’s benefits outweigh the possible side effects. Although, it was harder to find anyone writing a statement in support of AI; the most AI-positive response was from Remy Turrell ‘27. “AI should be treated as a tool. It will not be going away anytime in the near future, and being up to date with technology will only make you stronger both academically and professionally. The next steps are figuring out a way to make AI usage sustainable.” Even still, she isn’t fully praising AI, as seen by her response. 

Only a select number of people either completely dismissed or were in total support of AI. Most of the students who responded leaned more towards the middle. A lot of replies were structured like, “Well it’s good for x, but shouldn’t be used for y.” A great example of this is a response from Dana Jung ‘30: “I believe that it can be quite helpful for studying . . . I do not think it should be used in class. Since during class, students usually do classwork, most would probably feel compelled to use it on their work, which takes away the value of preparing for assessments yourself and thus ingraining material more deeply into your brain.”

I think a safe conclusion is that most Upper School students feel that AI should not be involved in a majority of schoolwork, but it has its upsides. The future isn’t clear, but one thing is: it’s important to take the time and think about what you believe.