Fieldwork and Friendship: OHS Students Explore Yellowstone with EPI

The June 28-July 8, 2025 summer student expedition to Yellowstone National Park, organized through Ecology Project International (EPI), combined scientific fieldwork with immersive outdoor living. A total of 2 instructors and 12 students went on the trip. Although some participants had never been to Yellowstone before, many were drawn by a shared interest in wildlife ecology and the chance to connect learning with real-world experiences.

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Sana Tadokoro '29Comment
Open Discourse and Dialogue Initiative

In today’s world—where headlines and social media scream conflict and fuel division—disagreement often feels like a dead end. But what if the goal wasn’t to win arguments, but to understand each other? What if, instead of retreating into unproductive debates, we leaned into dialogue—not to erase our differences, but to navigate them with empathy and clarity?

For the students and educators at OHS, who often dive deep into complex topics, whether it be in class, in pronto, or outside the “walls” of our school, this isn’t just a theoretical question. It’s a call to action. 

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Harper Bruner '27Comment
Ice Cream and Pixels: Norcal StartUp Kicks Off the New School Year

All over the world, OHSers fled to StartUps to meet their fellow classmates in person at the start of the year. The Norcal StartUp, boasting an attendance of around 160 people, was the biggest StartUp globally. Students of all grades gathered at the Los Altos Community Center on September 6th from 12 to 2 pm for ice cream, board games, and pizza. 

“Compared to the previous startups I have been to, I think this startup really gave students the opportunity to meet other students,” said Aanya Gupta ‘27. 

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Ellie Shen '27Comment
"Due Tomorrow Means Do Tomorrow": Strategies to Combat Procrastination

Computer? Check. Notebook? Check. Food fuel? Check. Now that you are finally prepared to tackle your long to-do list of assignments, there is nothing that can stop you now. Oh wait. Your hand suddenly reaches for your phone, and by reflex you tap into Instagram. Or Tiktok. Or any other form of entertaining distraction that keeps you away from your studies. Before you know it, hours have passed by, so now you’re racing against time to complete your English essay, submitting just seconds away from the deadline.

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LanLan Huang '27Comment
The Procrastinator's Guide to Holiday Cooking Around the World

Winter is a great time to embrace “productive procrastination.” If you'd rather spend time in the kitchen than tackling unending homework, tiring studying, or tidying your room, these festive dishes from around the world are the perfect excuse. Not only will you have something delicious to show for it, but you'll also get a taste of how different cultures celebrate the holidays. 

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Syon Bhushan '30Comment
Winter Book & Film Recs

The winter months are often cold and dreary, and oftentimes people give in to the temptation to lie in bed all day. However, the Pixel Journal is happy to provide some winter themed book and movie recommendations to enjoy. 

Please be mindful and check content warnings before reading/watching!

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Rasa Atluri ’25Comment
Daylight Disruption

Twice a year, the clocks spring forward and fall back, marking the start and end of daylight saving time. While intended to conserve energy and make better use of daylight, this biannual change often leaves people scrambling to adjust their routines. For students, the one-hour shift can be particularly disruptive, affecting sleep schedules, productivity, and even emotional well-being.

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Lezhi Zhao '28Comment
Holiday Traditions Reimagined

The holiday season is more than just a time for gifts and decorations—it's an opportunity to create memories, build traditions, and connect with others in meaningful ways. The festive time has associations with the first snow of winter, or rays of heat during the summer, depending on where you reside.

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Ellie Shen '27Comment
A Trip to the Equator: OHS Galapagos Trip

“Are you showering first or am I?” 

This summer, on one of the Student Travel summer trips, a select few OHS high schoolers traveled to South America to visit the birthplace of Darwin’s theory of evolution: the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador! Led by the organization Ecology Project International (EPI), 12 students and OHS instructors Dr. Kristina Vetter and Ms. Marie Hamaoui embarked on a nine-day-long expedition to learn about the ins and outs of islands.

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Parent-Teacher Conferences: Fetch or Flop?

Parent-teacher conferences can be a source of anxiety, excitement, or curiosity for students at any school. But for Stanford OHS students, whose parent-teacher conferences are upcoming at the end of October (to be exact,October 30th through November 1st), this normal mid-term ritual has certain differences to brick-and-mortar schools, precipitated by both OHS’s “online”ness and its global reach.

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Isabel Hogben '25Comment
Prom Dress Shopping: Its Demise and Real Alternatives

Or do they? One student, rising full-time senior Charlotte Own, has pioneered a highly commendable different course of action. Instead of disillusionment, she chose an alternative route to prepare for the OHS prom. Charlotte shared: “I thrifted [my dress] at a relatively high-quality Japanese thrift store…for an equivalent of around $20.” Thrifting is not only a sustainable recourse in the face of a difficult prom dress market, but may solve problems of both quality, comfort, and expense that many are facing. Before thrifting, Charlotte pattern sewed her own dresses. “It’s become a yearly tradition for me to get straight to sewing…right after finals end so I can have that week in between finals and prom to work on it.” 

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The Inequity of Standardized Testing in Elite College Admissions

In reality, reintroducing mandatory testing is more likely to go back to privileging the privileged—those who could afford pricey test prep classes and had the overall advantages in life that lead to higher scores. Although students struggle to perform well in this unbalanced system, they are also stressed by trying to determine if they even need to take these standardized tests or if they should. We don’t know whether to take tests, retake them, or focus our energy elsewhere based on the latest policy changes from different colleges. 

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