Volume 4

Volume 4

The Spark Vol. 4 is the collaborative creation of the students in AT Nonfiction & Rhetoric 2026-27.

Meritex™: A Prescription for Success

Meritex™: A Prescription for Success

What if learning for the sake of learning was a serious condition that needed treatment? Meet Meritex™, the latest prescription for surviving today's achievement-obsessed school culture.

Dana Roldan • Cultural Criticism

GTA 6: What 2026’s Biggest Blockbuster Game Shows Us About Consumerism — Image from Rockstar Games / 4kwallpapers.com

GTA 6: What 2026’s Biggest Blockbuster Game Shows Us About Consumerism

GTA 6 made history with its pre-order numbers before Rockstar had released any gameplay. The game releases in just over a month. What do its pre-order numbers say about consumerism and herd mentality?

Vishy Chandramouli

Ted Bundy: Can Evil be Genius?

Ted Bundy: Can Evil be Genius?

Can one of the most infamous serial killers be labled a genius? Behind his heinous crimes lies a ethical debate between intelligence and morality.

Lana Zuckerman • Issue 2: Intelligence

Cooked Without the Search Bar — Tioman Island -- Photo by Louis Gan / Unsplash

Cooked Without the Search Bar

How often have you found yourself reaching for the enter key when encountering the minutest of problems? If your answer is a “very much so," don’t worry. You are definitely not alone. And if your answer is a “not very much,” consider giving yourself a pat on the back.

Michael Chu • Personal Essays

Just Ask the Question

Just Ask the Question

In the classroom, "Any questions?" is often met with silence, and this is not because everyone understood. We think that asking a question will make us look clueless. But research suggests that raising your hand does the opposite.

Maya Nair • Issue 2: Intelligence

The Depressed Face on Kumon Lives Up to the Hype — Photo by Chris Liverani / Unsplash

The Depressed Face on Kumon Lives Up to the Hype

I think I have PTSD from Kumon.

Srinithi Chidambaram • Cultural Criticism