Naperville Central High School's award-winning newspaper.

Central Times

Menu

Let’s say goodbye to the damsel in distress

Vivian Zhao, Editor in Chief, Editorial Editor & Columnist

January 6, 2020

I grew up with Disney princesses. My favorites were Belle, Ariel and Mulan. I used cardboard cutouts to play pretend. In elementary school, I wore a dress with the Little Mermaid for my passport photo.  I thought little of the movie’s plots and certainly didn’t challenge them. Now, the movies have become increasingly...

Blanket criticism of a generation: Easy, but inaccurate

Vivian Zhao, Editor in Chief, Editorial Editor & Columnist

December 9, 2019

A retort to Baby Boomers’ criticism of Millennials and Generation Z, “OK, Boomer” has transformed into a viral phrase, an equivalent refutation to “kids these days…” Its dismissive tone may not be the ideal approach, however, “OK, Boomer” rightfully reflects a frustration with unwarranted remarks about our generation.  To...

The pitfalls of activist media

Vivian Zhao, Editor in Cheif, Editorial Editor & Columnist

November 12, 2019

At the beginning of this school year, my Instagram was flooded with stories reposting a video of the Amazon rainforest burning down.  The reason?  When consumers purchase meat, they fuel the demand for more land. In response, Brazilian farmers cut down trees, causing deforestation and rendering the rainforest...

Let’s talk about college

Vivian Zhao, Editor in Chief, Editorial Editor, Columnist

October 1, 2019

Growing up, my trajectory before 22 was certain. Anything past that fell victim to my imagination.  At eight, I yearned to become the next J.K. Rowling, though I’d never read Harry Potter. Shortly after that, I dreamt of living in the 1800s, like Jo from “Little Women,” despite nonexistent womens’ rights. I va...