The High School Student News Site of The American School in London

The Standard

The High School Student News Site of The American School in London

The Standard

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Sixty-five percent of the worlds population are visual learners. Yet, the Harkness Method does not benefit learners who struggle with following spoken ideas only.

Harkness method proves unbeneficial to some students, requires change

Inez Stephenson, Reporter September 5, 2023

As I sat stiffly at the wooden oval table in English class, I felt my teacher peer at me, urging me to speak through their stare. I searched my brain for something to say but my mind had gone blank. A...

Social media can encourage the feeling that we should only display our best moments. Unrealistic social media standards can be harmful to our well-being as it prompts adolescents to compare appearances and feel dissatisfied about our experiences.

Social media perfection poses danger to wellbeing

Zoe Karibian, Reporter August 29, 2023

On a typical summer morning, I found myself groggily scrolling through Instagram, only to be confronted with a stream of flawless photos shared by my friends. Their beautiful beaches, breathtaking landscapes...

Students who have attended the school for less than two years can not be valedictorian or salutatorian. This requirement is a direct contrast to the school’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Valedictorian requirement contradicts school’s commitment to inclusion

Ava O'Donnell, Reporter June 11, 2023

Imagine you have been an overachiever your whole life. You do your homework on time, and you study for every test as though it was a final exam. You stress about every missed question, every small error.  Then,...

The U.K’s new immigration bill that was passed May 7 breaches human rights. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak introduced this new law to stop small boats from crossing the English Channel to halt human trafficking.

UK Illegal Migration Bill breaches human rights

Lily Rose Aysoy, Reporter June 7, 2023

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Illegal Migration Bill was passed by the House of Lords, aiming to tackle the issue of illegal migration in the UK March 10. However, this bill undermines the right of humans...

Screenwriters along the picket line near Walt Disney Studios while striking for adequate compensation. Their contract renegotiation requests were denied after streaming giants unjustly refused to adjust their residual payments.

Writers’ strike exemplifies pitfalls of streaming services, unites industry

Yasmine Rivera, Reporter May 30, 2023

“Fists up, pens down! LA is a union town!” Protesters chanted throughout May in the Writers’ Guild of America Strike, flooding the picket line of the labor union that represents writers from the...

Student sleep deprivation is a topic of importance which is frequently overlooked. According to a study conducted by the Child Mind Institute, 70% of teens did not sleep the recommended eight to 10 hours every night.

Sleep deprivation impacts daily life, requires attention

Inez Stephenson, Reporter May 17, 2023

I woke up to the agitating sound of my alarm clock. It was 6:15 a.m. on a Tuesday. My head felt groggy and my eyelids were heavy. The night before, I was up past midnight finishing the day's load of homework....

Former Duchess Camilla’s title as Queen rather than Queen Consort is likely to further exacerbate British discontent towards the monarchy. In the U.K.’s post-Brexit political climate, defining national identity was already a daunting task; the royal familys decision to refer to Queen Camilla without the term Consort has only added to the confusion.

Former Duchess Camilla’s coronation as Queen jeopardizes British identity, tradition

Tara Behbehani and Annika Skorski May 9, 2023

Former Duchess Camilla was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland May 6 despite her lack of direct descent from a monarch, according to AP News. The decision to crown...

Due to increased time spent on social media, teenagers attention spans have decreased, according to The Guardian. Devices continue to grasp our attention in many ways, often making them a huge disturbance to everyday interactions.

Attention spans dwindle due to social media use

Sophia Hsu, Reporter May 2, 2023

As I sat in my period eight English class, my mind resisted the efforts to focus on the pages laid before me. I could not understand why my attention span felt so short. Unbeknownst to me, the answer to...

Modern feminism primarily favors privileged women, reinforcing the exploitative system of patriarchy. The movement must drive further progress in uplifting all women – race, ethnicity, sexuality, age or socioeconomic status aside.

Feminism requires embrace of intersectionality

Grace Hamilton, Editor-in-Chief April 25, 2023

Amid the quiet hum of concentration in the newsroom finalizing our penultimate print issue, one of my female co-editors declared, “I should write an anti-feminist article.” Perplexed, I whipped around...

Throughout his tenure as Twitter’s CEO, Elon Musk has made a variety of rash decisions that have put the company on the edge of failure. If Musk continues this unsustainable form of management, the future of the social media platform will remain uncertain.

Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover presents mounting challenges for the platform

Nicholas Landler, Cartoonist April 21, 2023

Elon Musk sent out a declaration that rang out above every Twitter thread Oct. 28: “The bird is freed,” signifying his official $44 billion takeover of the social media app.  Weeks in advance,...

Small businesses in St. Johns Wood – beyond those frequently flooded on the High Street – require additional support. It is imperative to consider student impact on these businesses.

Local businesses require student support

Editorial Board April 4, 2023

At 1 p.m. each day, flocks of students migrate to St. John’s Wood High Street. With a 50-minute lunch period, it can seem unfeasible to venture farther than a few blocks from One Waverly Place. When...

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