By Mimi Yao Why debate? Some, such as SAS student Tracy Hung see debate as “A way to express and address disagreements.” Yet, in the past few years, especially in East Asian countries, debate has become increasingly associated with tournaments, awards, and most significantly, an entrance ticket to top tier universities. Competitive debate has existed since the late 1800s, yet it only gained widespread recognition in China in the mid 2010s, which saw the rise of debate institutions such as Inspira and Learning Leaders. At this time, many students joined debate to improve their public speaking skills, meet new teammates, … Continue reading Debate: Toxic Competition or Valuable Discourse?

By Mimi Yao This year, the newly established history club (RKNHS) hopes to spotlight members of the SAS community with unique cultural stories. In this interview, Esther Baumann shares the challenges and rewards of being part of three different cultures.  SAS is a proud host of bilingual speakers, multi-cultural families, and students and faculty from around the world. Esther Baumann, a new member of the SAS community who runs the academic support program at Flex, is a representative for all three of these identities.   Ms. Baumann was born and raised in Hungary, which she jokingly refers to as “the depressed … Continue reading Darning Cultures: Esther Baumann

By Javier Leng I recently came across a Tiktok video of a street interview on Oxford Street, London’s premier shopping district. After a rather gaudy opening tune from the popular pop song Espresso, the male interviewer asked a group of young girls who could not have been older than 10 (trusting my visual intuition) to tell the audience what they had bought on their shopping day. The girls reached into their purses, and instead of pulling out Barbie dolls or a pair of colorful sneakers as one would expect of their age, they pulled out a whole stash of Sephora … Continue reading Social Media, Internet Influencers, and the Destructive Pursuit of Perfection 

By Arielle Wang and Charlotte Lai No one likes change. People prefer having a sense of normalcy—which dissipates with the arrival of change. When we go off to college, we miss the smell of home, of the incense our mothers burn every day after school, or of the familiar scent of our parents’ embrace. What if one day you go home to a wholly new odor? Something citrusy and tangy that challenges our palate? At the start of this year, we were bombarded with news of yet another reform to the SAS schedule. It vexed many members of the student … Continue reading 2025 Town Hall

At Shanghai American School, the student council is a vital platform for student representation and leadership. Every year, students from each grade claw at the opportunity to become one of the school’s student leaders. Officially, these councils are supposed to provide a voice for the student body, organize events, and foster a sense of community. Although everyone seems to applaud them for these tasks, no one seems to know how much STUCO actually is contributing to the our student experience. Additionally, over the past year, many controversial changes have been made to the school have created a lot of confusion … Continue reading Into STUCO: an Investigation

By Katelyn Lu and Charlotte Lai As the 24-25 school year draws to an end, the SAS community prepares to say goodbye to Ms. Litushko, a beloved English teacher who has been with the school for four years. From teaching Innovation Institute and AP Language, to performing self-written songs at Relay for Life, she has adorned the school with her talents and invigorated not only the classroom but the entire community.   Ms. Litushko’s time at SAS has been marked by unforgettable moments and profound lessons. One of her most cherished memories, surprisingly, comes from the difficult COVID-19 pandemic. She shared. … Continue reading Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle: Farewell to Ms. Litushko