The majority of people who display signs of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are those who are in their early twenties and in their teenage years of adolescence. As youth, we are constantly under the pressure of our own ego’s. We’re young, we need to be social, we have expectations to live up to, and we are insecure, so it’s no wonder 1 in 200 in the United States are affected by NPD. But that's only for those who have been medically diagnosed. According to Health Direct, you must only need to check off 5 of the following criteria to be considered a narcissist:

• • • • An exaggerated sense of self importance

      • Fantasizing success, power, attractiveness, and/or ideal love

      • Believing themselves to be special and only understood by others with the same traits

      • An exaggerated sense of entitlement

      • A yearning for constant admiration and attention, more than they would return

      • Taking advantage of others, being overly envious, or believing that others envy them

      • Displaying arrogance and pride

      • Lacking empathy and any sign of humility

The causation of NPD is complex and varies, however, the most common known causes for NPD are linked to childhood and development and trauma. People with NPD likely have family members who have it, in other words, it can be genetically inherited. It is also through observation as an adolescent. Consider relationships with parents, family, what is their parenting style like or was there abuse? In other words, they grow up in an environment and/or culture that teaches or even drives them to be self-entitled and arrogant.

The common misconception and also the excuse that narcissists will likely use to justify their personality is that they are simply self-confident. That is an inaccurate perception. Self-confidence does not equate to self-centeredness. Someone who is simply confident in themselves is still capable of showing signs of humility and is able to see value in other people while being able to keep up a healthy sense of self-esteem. They are not manipulative, exploitative, or have a drive for constant attention. 

The reason narcissists lack the will to change is because they center their lives around power. They fear changing will make them vulnerable and thus lose control of themselves and control over others. They feel as though humility is a trait that displays weakness. Most importantly, it is a hard truth to be confronted with. It’s easy to reject facing the reality that they put themselves above others and genuinely believe in the entitlement they think they hold. In shorter terms, someone with NPD can only change if they recognize their negative traits and come to their senses that self-centeredness is ultimately problematic.

Whether or not you think you display traits similar to that of those with NPD, these are good practices and things to keep in mind regardless: Learn to be accepting of others and learn to be forgiving. Remind yourself that no one is perfect, including yourself. Being aware that we are capable of making mistakes and being wrong decreases the stress in the pressure of being faultless teaches us to be accepting. Recognize what triggers you and think before acting. Find new hobbies and interests. This is a way of practicing self-love as you direct your energy into your creative side that can be beneficial than putting energy into anger or stress. Practice comprehension. You often hear that it is good to listen to other people, but you should understand and empathize with what people are saying to you. Pay attention to their feelings rather than always focusing on how the situation makes you feel. Learn to apologize, and not half heartedly. Know why you may have been in the wrong, assess how the situation made the other person feel, and own up to it. You might often try to alleviate fault from yourself or lash out in anger as a response, but remember that we are capable of making mistakes. Being vulnerable in such a manner is not a sign of weakness. Lastly, stop making everything about yourself. Have a sense of self awareness and consideration for other people. Practice your morals and do good deeds for others. Remind yourself of the Golden Rule that elementary school taught you: “Treat others the way you want to be treated”

Climate change, you hear it everywhere, but what is climate change exactly? “Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperatures and typical weather patterns in a place.” This could be represented by extreme weather such as constant heat waves during summer, and colder temperatures during winter. Climate change is very much a real, an effect of it can be seen today with ocean conditions tending to be warmer. This is incredibly concerning as oceanic organisms are heavily affected, such as corals with coral bleaching where colorful corals turn completely white which is irreversible. When corals die they rarely come back. It is reported that almost half of the world’s coral reef has been lost to coral bleaching over the last 30 years.

Climate change affects not only ocean conditions, but also the Arctic ice sea. Polar ice caps are reportedly melting at an alarming rate of 9% per decade, and almost 40% of the polar ice caps have melted ever since the 1960s due to this exceeding rate people. Wonder what would happen if the whole Antarctic ice melts? An expected result of this is the extinction of antarctic animals, sea-level rise, and immense changes in ocean currents which could all very much affect our future. Though it will take hundreds of more years for the whole Antarctica to melt, it’s hard to imagine a world without it. Thus, climate change should be taken seriously as it’s damage cannot be reversible and many of the effects is something we can all experience in the future whether it’s extreme pollution (carbon footprint), sea level, global temperatures and more.

Written by: Rhiane Kate Dalisey 9th

Written by: Jayla Amparan 11th

These next week of school are gonna feel long and stressful. Before you realize it,

you're gonna be preparing for your final exams in the majority of classes. But, before that you will most likely take a CIA in your main core classes, along with taking end of unit exams for. So, how are you going to be able to prepare for your finals, that counts for a majority of your grade? Well, preparing for finals is gonna call for a lot of self discipline, despite having class time for reviewing important topics that will appear on your exam. You will more than likely have to prepare for finals in your own time. In order to prepare for these excruciating exams here are some tips!

My first piece of advice is to start studying or preparing now. I know it might seem absurd to start preparing weeks before the actual exams. But, if you look at the bigger picture, you are gonna be having at least 6 exams or projects to be preparing for. Starting now will allow you to feel stress and pressure as your exam dates roll around. To start preparing this early, choose the subject you feel isn't your strongest.  Or the subject you have the lowest grade in to focus on. Start off by listing the topics you remember from past lessons. Then, day by day go over each unit of the class chosen, and review each lesson topic. Take notes on what you can’t remember and then review them after each study session. Once, the date of finals start approaching review all notes taken over the weeks,

Next, have a study session with your friends  or people in your classes. Studying with one other person will make studying more fun. Instead of being alone in your room reviewing old notes, studying with friends will allow studying to be more engaging. As you study with your friends I recommend you guys quiz one another on whatever topic of your choice. Make flashcards on important terms or concepts that will show up on your exams, then quiz each other. Continue this process until you all feel confident for your exams. You also don't even have to test each other. Being in the same room with people who are also studying will also make you feel more productive to get your work done, however this is gonna take lots of self discipline. You will more than likely feel more pressure to get off task, benign around your friends. It's really just up to you if you decide to actually use this tip and make progress. 

Lastly, I know at the end of the day your grades and passing your classes are important to you. But, make sure you remember to prioritize your mental health/wellbeing. Take time to relax and enjoy the little things that make you happy. Since Christmas is coming up, buy yourself a

ESSJ, The East Side and even Sal Si Puedes are just some of the many names that the East Side of San Jose holds, the most common being: home. For years East Side San Jose has been home to many people of many different cultures: the Ohlone Nation, immigrants and their children ranging from all over the country and now its newest addition: the techies of the Silicon Valley. 

For those who grew up in the East Side surrounded by hundreds of taco, pho and burger places, the Jesus fanatics at the Tropicana, graffiti surrounding all walls of the Eastside, lowriders and the booming sound of Brenton Wood or Bootsy Collins and of course the chickens from Emma Prusch Park, ESSJ is their own personal Wonderland. Yet most won't even look at what it truly is and would rather mistake it for a new dumping ground for the most recent employees and CEOs of Apple, Google and Microsoft. 

Data from recent years show that San Jose residents must be able to make $109,000 a year in order to afford a two bedroom apartment and while the minimum wage increases little by little, housing costs increase lots by lots. Although housing rates increase, the East Side has proven its resilience with new solutions. City Council members like Magdalena Carrasco have called attention to the growing problem of Gentrification but families in the East Side have found ways to stay in their community.  It is common to know families who choose to share a multi family unit instead of uprooting and leaving for “better pastures” because when you live in the East Side, to truly be able to have your home in the East Side you have to understand that there's more behind what people might call “ghetto” and “trashy”. 

The East Side is beautiful and vivid, it has life and a voice made up by its people. The walls aren't just scattered with random words of graffiti but they are the voice of the people whether it be murals, tags or a message saying to neighbors not to litter (which others neglect). The rumble of car engines of people going to work, home, Super Taqueria. The people you meet telling you stories of their time in San Jose, the places you go to and find a newfound (or familiar) comfort. So whenever you see a essj_ on your Instagram recommended following it is more than just a prefix to an instagram username it's a badge of honor and pride that somebody holds in their home, something no finance bro or big tech giant can take away.