Brianna Pham

Brianna Pham

Brianna Pham is a senior at Arnold O. Beckman High School in Irvine, California. She has been recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her personal pieces. Most notably, her essay on criticizing Asian excellence merited a gold key. Brianna mainly uses writing to forget the fact that she's stuck in the suburbs until graduation.
A bipartisan truth, in light of midterms

A bipartisan truth, in light of midterms

Our country is fractured. The legislation is severed, and the differences between a liberal and conservative voter are strikingly polarizing. Some argue that our country cannot function if everyone defends their differing politics like sports teams, advocating for a...

Dear society: An open letter

Dear society: An open letter

Dearest Society, I have a foreign language class for third period. It was today that I had an issue with this arrangement, or, frankly, this class in general. I’m a generally devout student; I usually enjoy attending school. Alas, not today. As the yearly routine...

Op-Ed: McCain, my third grandfather

Op-Ed: McCain, my third grandfather

The phrase “war-torn Vietnam” is one that my older sister and I overuse in our personal statements. It is one that carries the weight of our heritage and the generations before us; it is a bookend in our ongoing life story. Most of all, though, it is a reminder of our...

Opinion: America Isn’t A Democracy

Opinion: America Isn’t A Democracy

One of my closest friends, diagnosed with clinical depression, recently told me this: "I'm depressed because of the government." Comments like these are often adrift in teen conversation, "fan favorite" topics being Trump and the Second Amendment.  Some flaws within...