Since January 1, 2025, the UK government has imposed a 20 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on private school fees, while abolishing their charitable tax relief (HM Revenue & Customs 2024). This move aims to raise approximately £1.6 billion annually to invest in public education, with a particular focus on improving resources for disadvantaged students (Sibieta 2023). This policy stems from growing concerns about persistent educational inequalities in the UK, where private schools—attended by only 7 percent of students—have historically dominated access to elite universities and high-status careers (Sibieta 2023).
Nicolas Fu
October 29, 2025
In the iconic Pale Blue Dot image captured by Voyager 1, Earth appears as a tiny speck of dust suspended in a sunbeam, a fleeting glimmer against the vast cosmic canvas. If the world we occupy is a whisper in the vastness of the universe, what does a single individual signify on this scale? Throughout human history, humans have regarded themselves as the center of the universe, speculating that they will be punished for violating religious codes, such as eating forbidden food or engaging in premarital sex. Why would the creator of a trillion galaxies, if they even exist, care about such trivial behaviors in this infinite cosmos?
Xiyu Zhu
October 29, 2025
The UK’s education system remains one of the more divided in the developed world, with private and state schools operating in separate spheres. Even as the students go through largely the same assessments and eventually attend the same universities, the skills and networks developed differ vastly. Just 7% of UK children attend private schools (UK Government, 2025). Meanwhile, these institutions dominate elite universities, top professions, and positions of power. Many would argue, as I do, that this system perpetuates a cycle where privilege begets privilege. On the other hand, state schools grapple with funding shortages, teacher retention crises, and postcode lotteries that leave many students at a disadvantage before they even sit their GCSEs at around 16.
Hiu Ho Kwok
September 30, 2025
In 1935, President Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor was slated to give a speech at the University of California, Berkeley, but was denied by the university representative, who refused to host the Secretary due to their political status. Later, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, when asked whether the Secretary had been snubbed, said that “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent” (Quote Investigator, 2012). Even today, people still find the quote to resonate with them as a reminder to keep their head up high, their emotions under control, and their dignity intact.
Yixuan Liu
September 30, 2025
World War II broke out in 1939 due to a series of factors, including, but not limited to, the Great Depression in the United States and the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. During the war, several important figures were involved, such as Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi party; Franklin Roosevelt, President of the United States of America; and Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister.
Yuching Choi
September 30, 2025
Debates regarding the existence and feasibility of objectivity have been commonplace within the sciences, and are a major focus of behavioral science and philosophy research. The philosophical belief of dualism as a response to the mind-body debate asks the question, “What is the relationship between mind and body? Or: what is the relationship between mental properties and physical properties?” (Robinson, 2020). Mind-body dualism, developed by Rene Descartes in the 16th century,“evolved from propositions that the mind and body exist independently and do not interact” (Moini et al., 2024).
Qiyang Jin
September 30, 2025
(for college and high school students)
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