Crossthread offers a community space for San Jose teens IRL Walking to Guitar Wars, a recently opened musical instrument store in downtown San Jose, we immediately noticed its location at 447 South 1st Street. Situated in an area predominantly populated with bars and restaurants, this hybrid retail venue feels like a welcome addition. From down the block, we spotted a small crowd gathering outside, which served as a clear cue that we were in the right place. The doors open in

Education is key to combatting this deadly epidemic Major Manning turned 17 on September 29th, 2023. He died five days later. What he thought was a Percocet pill, turned out to be a counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl. On October 3rd, 2023 Rhonda Manning's whole world changed forever. Never in a million years did she think her son, Major, would make the decision to take a pill, let alone pass away from that decision. She started a nonprofit organization to spread awareness a

An American Story Thanksgiving was always one of the strangest days growing up. Most people spend the day with one family, eating one type of food and following one set of traditions. For me, it usually meant splitting the day in half. The morning always started with my dad’s side of the family meeting up for the annual family soccer game. Uncles, brothers, and cousins would all play and it was much more competitive than it should’ve been. Afterwards we would all eat tamales

How social media disrupts authenticity and the essential awkward phase I remember a time before Covid, and before TikTok blew up, when following a trend meant growing your wardrobe over time, buying pieces you actually wanted and searched for. In 2018, where checkered vans, cat ears, high waisted and skinny jeans were all the rage in my middle school. Then to 2019, with the rise of puka shell necklaces, and hydro flasks were a must have. These trends lasted the whole year, th

Walking down the aisle of my local Dollar Tree store, looking for a birthday present, a puzzle caught my attention. My sister was turning nine so I thought a puzzle was a good gift. This particular puzzle had two fuzzy cats all cuddly and cute, and I thought “perfect!” My sister absolutely loves cats but unfortunately she is allergic to the hair. So I thought a cat puzzle would be the most amazing gift for her, I would be gifting her a cat with no allergic reaction. As I look

America’s appeal as a chance for a new beginning is slowly dwindling away After three tries and thousands of miles traveled, he had finally made it to the United States. With only a couple of dollars in his pocket, he was ready to start his journey to live out the American Dream. Greeted by his aunt, and before he even had time to settle in, he was already looking for work. Despite making it over the border in one piece, each night he faced the trauma he endured. It haunted h

Horror films have been consistently tanking on review platforms like IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes, so why do film directors keep making the same mistake? One weekend in March 2024, me and my friends bought tickets to see the newly released Blumhouse film Imaginary, a movie about a childhood imaginary friend that eventually turns into a gruesome, toothy monster. It came not long after the release of Night Swim, which had already built some infamy among critics as a slow, confusing

Kylie was six years old when Minecraft was released on Xbox 360. Her sister, Reese, was 14 at the time and happened to be the main player of their console at home. Reese heard everyone talking about this game and begged her mom to get it for her. After her success, she quickly grew bored of it, leaving her sister to pick up the game for herself. This is where Kylie fell in love with Minecraft. While survival mode was fun, the struggle to stay afloat in a world full of hostil

When one can say we are thinking about the power of authority we first think of an adult, specifically a parent which includes the relationship between a son and a mother, but what if we saw our mom as something else? Is an adult someone we should perhaps hate? Why should we look at them differently? These questions are answered in the film, We Need to Talk About Kevin, directed by Lynne Ramsey. The main two actors in this film are Erza Miller who plays Kevin Khatchadourian,

Gen Z’s Apathy Epidemic: If Everything Matters, Then Nothing Does. After months of the constant flow of negative news on my phone – unsuccessful ceasefires, wars, accusations of rape and pedophilia – I found myself feeling… Nothing. Not anger, sadness, not even shock. I don’t know if it’s a defense mechanism, or a retreat from constant trauma, but it feels like apathy has started settling in. I know I should care, and deep down I do, but my brain is idle; waiting and almost p

With this latest entry Scream has become the type of movie it once satirized. I’ve been a fan of the Scream franchise since the first movies came out in 1996, 1997 and 2000 respectively. If you grew up in the late 90’s/early 2000’s, then I’m sure you remember the ubiquitous Ghostface costumes that showed up every Halloween. I was that kid who somehow convinced his mom to purchase the full costume so I could then wear it to school. I was into it. However, as the seventh fil

These Wraps Can’t be Remixed Tucked on Main Street in Redwood City sits Mazra , a Mediterranean restaurant. As a family-owned business, Mazra is very community-oriented. It was built on the values of family and hospitality, which truly do show in their service. The Makableh brothers came to the Bay Area in 2012 to share vibrant Levantine flavors. Levant is located in the eastern Mediterranean region, which includes modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and southern Tu

Temperatures in the Bay Area rise during the Month of March A heat wave caused by a high-pressure “heat dome” trapping warm air in the atmosphere swept across the Bay Area and pushed record temperatures of 15-30 degrees above normal , from March 16 to 20, raising concerns about public health and resources. Temperatures have been recorded to break records in the month of March, hitting averages in the 80s along the coast and upper 80s to mid-90s inland, according to the Natio

Vacationing on a remote island like those in the Azores can slow down life and help you escape from modern day worries. The dream of most people is to travel the world and gain new experiences. While most people are drawn to popular tourist destinations in big busy cities there is another type of travel that focuses on nature, culture, simplicity and isolation. Traveling to remote islands brings a special experience that is difficult to replicate in developed areas. These pl

How Starting in your 20s Will Build a Pathway Towards Wealth If a 20 year old invests $95 a month (approximately $3.17 a day- the price of a cup of coffee) in the stock market, they would be a millionaire by the age of 65. If you can swing 100 more dollars, now we are in multimillionaire status. This is the magic of compound interest. It seems simple enough and it isn’t new information. But more than half of American households have no retirement savings. On top of that, acco

Students and staff report coyote encounters on West Valley campus. Recently this spring semester students have frequently seen coyotes around West Valley's campus as they make their presence known during the early morning hours and night times. According to the College’s district Safety Alerts and Data records there have been reports of coyotes acting aggressively when students and staff come into close proximity with them. Students have reported encounters such as coyot

Hundreds of thousands of children have played Minecraft, even more have heard of it and seen their favorite YouTubers streaming the childhood game. Gamers who don’t fill their time with building and exploring the cubic terrain often grow tired of the lack of challenge. They find the game too easy but love the mechanics. Thousands of mods have been created since Minecraft’s first release in 2009. These Mods can do anything from introducing common boss-level mobs, to giving the

An unlikely consequence of AI’s reign, water consumption is at critical levels. As someone who has used AI extensively, whether it be for a curious search, math problem, or just a short, simple sentence to help me call out of work, I understand its convenience and appeal. Seeing firsthand how a task that could have taken hours can be reduced to minutes or seconds, it's easy to see AI as a gift from the tech gods, but all that convenience hides a growing environmental cost tha

A review of Lake County’s hidden spa retreat. Spring is finally in full swing now that the temperature is starting to drop again, which means relaxing in warm water is back on the table. If you’re looking for a quiet place to unwind in Northern California, Harbin Hot Springs is definitely worth a visit. Harbin, located about an hour north of Napa Valley, in the small town of Middletown, has long been a retreat destination. The resort dates all the way back to 1856, when it