
There's No Such Thing
By Maddy W

There's No Such ThingJul 03, 2020

What do other countries think of America?
There's no such thing as hiding America's flaws- A conversation with Anish Vankayalapati, a senior at UC Berkeley, about what America looks like through an international perspective. Anish compares India and America's social and political aspects and what it was like to grow up in both places!

Election Week and the 2020 President-Elect
There's no such thing as combatting voting difficulties amidst a pandemic- A conversation with Allen Seo about this year's election and president-elect!

Present Conversations for the Future
There's no such thing as a reason to not love podcasts! A conversation with Josh Shields, host of The Small World podcast, about everything podcast-related, from how podcasting has impacted us to the podcasts we love to listen to! (You might even learn a few tips on how to start your own podcast.) Check out Josh's awesome podcast at https://anchor.fm/joshua-l-shields

Our (informal) Guide to Applying to College
There's no such thing as the stress of applying to college- A conversation with Ananya Kuttikkad about what it's like applying to college during a pandemic and what her experiences have been like so far. Listen to her advice about surviving the process!

Nearing the 2020 Election
There's no such thing as an excuse to not vote! A conversation with Arushi Avachat- a Gen Z writer and an activist- on what the upcoming election looks like and why it is so important to vote, especially now.

Staying Motivated During Quarantine
There's no such thing as a perfect mental state- A conversation with Bobby Mason, a sports performance trainer and coach, about how you can stay motivated during uncertain times. For more information about Bobby's Strength and Stamina program, visit bobbymason.fit

Let's Get Down to Business
There's no such thing as starting a business without difficulties- A conversation with Vivian Tang, Andrea Cheng, and Kirsten Patron about how they started their own businesses as teenage female entrepreneurs. They tell us the ups and downs of owning a business and what you need to start your own business!
Vivian Tang is the owner of Tangerine Nails, which sells handmade press-on nails as an alternative to going to nail salons during COVID-19. You can find her products on Instagram (@tangerine.nails), TikTok (@viviantangerine), and Etsy (TangerineNailsShop). Andrea Cheng is the owner of Designs by Dre, a handmade greeting cards shop. Her cards can be found on Instagram (@designs.by_dre). Lastly, Kirsten Patron is the owner of KP Jewelry, where she sells handmade, affordable jewelry. Her products can be found on Instagram (@kpjewelryy).

Humanity vs. Technology
There's no such thing as finding the perfect balance between humanity and technology- A conversation with Shreyas Swaminathan about how technology has become an integral part of our lives and how we can work to preserve humanity in the face of advancing technology.

Back to School During COVID-19
There's no such thing as a normal school year this fall- A conversation with my two siblings, a 4th and 7th grader, about how they feel about going back to school. As the global pandemic continues amidst California wildfires, the two students express their thoughts and concerns about how their school year looks different from before.

The Importance of Local Politics- An Inside Look
There's no such thing as a local government without the citizens' voices- A conversation with Nishant Jain, a Pleasanton Youth Commission member, on why local politics matter and how people can get more involved in what happens in their cities.

Questioning Cancel Culture
There's no such thing as getting away with things on the internet- A conversation with Justin Seo and John Venzon, hosts of the Simply Stupid Podcast, discuss the relevance of cancel culture and how it affects our everyday lives. Check out their podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0JbtERKwuNK5zeuH5XdND2?si=0soKyPNtSLqHlChr6yGR_Q

High School Education on Driving Under the Influence - Every 15 Minutes
There's no such thing as being too careful as a driver- A conversation with Kylie Maeda, Jackie Harris, Arjun Subramanian, and Ruairi Dwyer, participants in the crash scene of Every 15 Minutes- a drunk driving simulation in which high school students act out a car crash to educate students about the dangers of driving under the influence. The video of our high school's Every 15 Minutes can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFAIYdaBOlg&t=1s

Film and Culture
There's no such thing as a world without film and art and the things that make us human- A conversation with Kira Minaise about her passion for film and what we can learn from film. Kira Minaise is the host of her own podcast, Qualified-ish, which discusses different movies and TV shows. Check her podcast out at: https://anchor.fm/kira-minaise

Tracking COVID-19 with Nize Systems
There's no such thing as a calculated solution for handling Coronavirus- A conversation with Logan Dickey, Tarun Prakash, and Jacob Bolano, the founders of Nize Systems, on different methods of tracking COVID-19 and what the trends say about the nation's progress in handling the virus. Nize Systems (http://nizesystems.com/) is an ed-tech startup founded by these high school graduates. They primarily focus on education management technology, but with the presence of Coronavirus, they worked on creating a Bay Area COVID tracker (https://bact.nizesystems.com/) and a volunteering network (https://choredash.org/home) to allow people to help vulnerable populations with running errands and getting supplies.

The Model Minority
There's no such thing as an identity without cultural confusion- A conversation with Allen Seo about navigating what it's like to be Asian American and what it means to be the "model minority."

Organ Donation

Using Social Media in Activism
There's no such thing as not using social media these days- A conversation with Kyra Thordsen on how we use social media for activism. She examines the positives and negatives of using posts, shares, and likes to spark social change.

Effects of Quarantine on our Mental Health
There's no such thing as seeing people without masks- A conversation with my AP Psychology teacher, Mr. Middleton, on how we can take care of ourselves while quarantining. He talks about his experience with shelter-in-place orders and how others can make the most out of their experiences.

Balancing the Two Viruses in America
There's no such thing as a world without chaos right now- a conversation with Ian Valderrama on his perspective of the two viruses in America- COVID-19 and racism. He gives input on how to help those affected by both.

Pilot
There's No Such Thing is a podcast where Generation Z answers the questions to the world's problems that everyone has been asking, using each individual's own perspectives and backgrounds to find solutions. The first episode premieres June 12.