#julia lin

Speaking as objectively as possible, I’ve always been one of the brighter students in a classroom. Yes, there were times when I couldn’t completely wrap my head around a subject, but those times were scarce. I understood that I was smart, as I never had to study hard for a test or practice my skills. 

Tea is generally considered to branch out into four main sections: white, green, oolong, and black. Each differs by its preparation. White tea is lightly oxidized, uncured, and unfermented, whereas black tea is highly oxidized. Green tea is made by steaming minimally oxidized leaves, and oolong tea is produced with oxidized leaves that are withered and twisted under intense sun. All may prevent cancer, hypertension, and other diseases.

White tea has a delicate taste, often sweeter than other varieties. According to the University of Michigan’s medical research department, white tea is the least processed form of tea, and therefore is higher in antioxidants. It is also said to have anti-aging properties and lower cholesterol levels. An extract derived from white tea was also revealed to slow the growth of certain bacteria. 

In comparison, black tea has a lower amount of antioxidants but a higher dose of caffeine. About 2% to 4% of black tea is caffeine, which may lessen symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and increase alertness. In turn, gulping down black tea can improve mental memory and information processing skills. However, drinking more than five cups a day could lead to dizziness and irregular hearing. Risks of kidney stones also seem to be lowered by as much as 8% in women who drink black tea.

Green tea has plenty of catechin, or antioxidants that can repair cell damage. It’s claimed to be “the healthiest drink in the world” for aiding in blood circulation and possibly blocking plaque formation linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Blood sugar may be stabilized with regular consumption of green tea as well. Both white and green tea may fight colon cancer with their polyphenols. 

Oolong tea, which originated in China, is especially helpful in averting tooth decay and osteoporosis, or deteriorating bones. Similar to black tea, it has a moderate concentration of caffeine, which helps awaken the central nervous system, heart, and muscles. One study suggests that just two to four cups of oolong tea a day could cut the risk of ovarian cancer in half. Other types of tea are likely to lower the possibility of ovarian cancer too. 

White, black, green, and oolong tea offer many overlapping health benefits, but all have their individual perks. Brew a cup of each delicious tea in the name of experimental good health!

“It has come to my attention that most students hold Logical-Mathematical Intelligence and Linguistic Intelligence to a higher level than the rest of us. Obviously, this is not true; however, I would like to hear all of your opinions on this phenomena,” announced Intra-Personal Intelligence, the president of the council. As the head of the group, she was the only self-actualized member.

The treasurer, Logical-Mathematical Intelligence, nudged his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and sniveled with pride, “well, they’re not exactly wrong. According to my calculations, the SAT’s and the ACT’s test material is 100% comprised of knowledge regarding science, mathematics, and language.”

Haughtily, Linguistic Intelligence nodded in agreement. Ignoring the exasperated groans of her peers, she began to add in her own two cents, “Logical-Mathematical Intelligence, I fully concur. Why, to be truly enlightened, one must master the art of literature. As a matter of fact, prose is of the utmost—”

“Come off your high horses. We all know that the standardized tests aren’t accurate in determining a student’s brain power under pressure,” scoffed Existential Intelligence. He leaned back in his chair arrogantly. “logic and language arts are not nearly as important as attempting to answer profound questions about the human existence. After all, Stephen Hawking is one of the smartest people on Earth and he relies far more on me than he does on math and English.”

The artistically talented Spatial Intelligence, who was sketching a three-dimensional figure in short strokes, paused to tuck her charcoal pencil behind her left ear before she repositioned her beret. She looked unimpressed, eyebrows raised in high arches.

“You’re so pretentious. You want to talk about famous figures? Fine! I am the reason for Van Gogh’s, Picasso’s, and Michelangelo’s success! Who’s more important now, sucker?”

“We are NOT having this debate right now,” interrupted Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence, as he flexed his bulky biceps in an effort to seem more intimidating. “In a life-or-death situation, I make the calls. If someone’s running away from an axe-wielding murderer, painting a picture of mere birds will not save his or her life.”

Green with disdain, Naturalistic Intelligence frowned at the thoughtless bird remark and protested, “What do you mean by ‘mere birds’? I’ll have you know that birds are essential to wildlife and have sustained humans for millions of years. Humans are only able to survive to this day because of all the benefits the ecosystem has bestowed upon them. I, who helped aid their evolutionary instinct, should know this best.”

Intra-Personal Intelligence rubbed her temples to soothe her growing migraine. This was not going as smoothly as she had planned. Just as she didn’t think the fiasco would escalate any further, Musical Intelligence chucked a drumstick at Naturalistic Intelligence, annoyed that her sense of rhythm was disturbed by all the chaos.

“Can it with your environmental talk already! This is NOT music to my ears. I can’t even hear Mozart through my earphones, and the volume is all the way up. You’re killing my vibe.”

Musical Intelligence leered, “And FYI? Elvis Presley most certainly didn’t sell hundreds of millions of albums by preaching about the wonders of Mother Earth. I am the only Intelligence that appeals to the ears. Which one of you can compare to my superstar status?”

Interpersonal Intelligence, who was in charge of keeping friendly communications among the members, slammed her fists on the table and shot death glares around the table. Normally, she was fair-tempered, but she had had enough of the other Intelligences arguing needlessly. 

“Enough of this nonsense! We did not hold this meeting for any of you to prove your superiority. Let’s keep this meeting unbiased. Just because students don’t get A’s in academics doesn’t mean they are stupid. School doesn’t necessarily cater to those who have different intelligences. All Intelligences are equal, but some don’t have the opportunity to showcase themselves to their full potential. Are we clear?”

The rest of the Intelligences, although grumbling, piped down in a nine-way truce at Interpersonal Intelligence’s stern lecture. For eons-old beings, they were still childish at times. Intra-Personal Intelligence sighed in gratitude. “Thank you, Interpersonal Intelligence, for your rousing speech. Meeting adjourned!” dismissed the president curtly.

The website of First Solar, its original developer, states that using solar power from Desert Sunlight displaces “approximately 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year—the equivalent of taking about 60,000 cars off the road.” Also, no water is required to generate this form of energy, slightly relieving California’s long-term drought. 

This particular farm is catching additional interest because of its relations to big-name companies such as Pacific Gas & Electric Company and Southern California Edison, both of which contracted a deal to buy solar power from Desert Sunlight for the next two decades. In addition, Kaiser Permanente will buy 110-megawatts worth of energy to power over 35 hospitals and 600 offices. The 550-megawatts photovoltaic power station may be one of the last of its kind, as the project uses an absurd amount of land. However, Obama has made renewable energy sources a priority in 2015, loaning Desert Sunlight $1.5 billion in hopes of increasing clean energy use over oil or coal and reducing carbon dioxide emission. Others have criticized the decision, since another solar panel based company in Fremont filed for bankruptcy after receiving $535 million in loans from the government. 

Desert Sunlight has gotten plenty of complaints from the Joshua Tree National Park during construction. The enormous structure reportedly “blocked visual resources” and disrupted wildlife habitats, especially those of sensitive species such as the desert tortoise, the burro deer, and eight types of rare plants. The project also removed 4,400 acres of foraging land for golden eagles. Its request for more groundwater during construction drew concern from local residents as well. 

In response, John Podesta, politician and clean power advocate, stated, “As we look to expand clean energy production on public lands and in public waters, we must keep the day-to-day work of environmental protection in mind. Renewable energy projects can still disrupt the natural environment if put in the wrong places and if proper precautions are not taken—an outcome fundamentally at odds with the reasons we’re developing clean energy in the first place.”

Nonetheless, the solar farm is an improvement in terms of sustainable energy, as California now has the most renewable energy sources in the country. Desert Sunlight can generate nearly half the amount of solar energy produced in all of 2008. David Hochschild, a member of the California Energy Commission, says, “There were a lot of skeptics who actually didn’t believe that renewables could scale, that this cost reduction could happen, that we could introduce it to the grid. They’ve been proven wrong.”