Tina Nguyen

  Operation Catch The Mouse Investigating Disneyland Park Conspiracy Theories Date: February 3, 2024 Location: Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California Background: Since Disneyland’s opening in 1955, the park has been shrouded in rumors and conspiracy theories. Unearthly sightings have surrounded the park for years; from curses to abandoned islands, Disney’s haunting history transcends its fairy tale persona. These urban legends—some denied by Disney, some corroborated—persistently shadow the park as it maintains its status as a leading theme park empire.  Objective: Investigate Disney’s Guarded Mysteries Field Notes: ​​Our team has been tasked with infiltrating the park. Today, our primary goals are to gather intel on  (1) Real Dead Bodies at Disneyland (2) Disney’s Secret Societies  Wish us luck. 

Very rarely do I read for classes anymore. Truthfully, I don’t miss it. Getting assigned a book and being forced to hyper analyze it was never my forte. Sometimes though, I do miss the feeling of success when the novel just clicks; when the adrenaline kicks in when I connect the dots. Some of my favorite books in high school were the ones I read for World History. This is partially why I decided to read Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World by Wade Davis for my second book. Learning about history and the cultures that have come and go throughout the centuries has always fascinated me. It ultimately provides invaluable insights into the complexities of human societies that shape our world today, and this is exactly what I hope to gain out of Wayfinders.    Davis explores the diversity of indigenous culture around the world and the wisdom they offer. I anticipate following him on journey, enlightening myself on each culture’s unique perspectives. Thus, shift...

I am a chronic overthinker. I try to focus my time overthinking only when the sunk cost is big enough for me to follow through with the fallacy, but that’s not always the case. For example, I never know what I want to eat. But no, I don’t want the decision made for me; I want to scroll through Google, Yelp, and Tiktok for hours to find the perfect food spot. Additionally, I don’t love revisiting restaurants (no exciting reason, I just like feeling more adventurous than I actually am by going somewhere new), so I do this pretty often.  You probably don’t recall, but during class, you all voted for me writing about my hatred for Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for my expert article. I initially wanted to talk about better places to get coffee in Los Angeles. Except, I don’t even like coffee. I’m a fraud. I exclusively order matcha lattes and anything that won’t shock me awake with its bitter taste.  However, if there’s anything I do know about, it’s restaurants in Los Angeles. It’s...

I hate memoirs. At least, I thought I did. Sure, I had never read a memoir in my life, but I knew I didn’t like them. What makes reading about someone else’s life so great anyway? Either they’ll discuss something I already know or they’ll talk about something that’s not relatable; maybe they’ll even sound privileged while they’re at it. I was less than excited when I found out that every book option we had would be a memoir. I honestly spent days searching for what I considered to be the least bad one to begrudgingly read. However, after reading American Like Me, I’ve realized that I was wrong. So utterly and dumbfoundedly wrong. Maybe I simply didn’t like the idea of memoirs because I read to escape reality—not delve deeper into it. As it turns out, delving deeper into reality isn’t always a bad thing; reading about other’s lives—especially in their own voice—can be quite nice.  Growing up I always struggled with grappling at my American identity. I never truly understood what it ...

Investigating Disneyland Park Conspiracy Theories (along with food suggestions at the end) *sorry the formatting is weird, will update later Date: February 3, 2024 Location: Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California  Objective: Investigate Disney’s Hidden Secrets and Operational Tactics  Field Notes: ​​ 4 prior teams sent in, none successful. Teams have never been the same after their mission. Words used to describe them: happier, ecstatic, overjoyed. No current cure.  Our team will be sent into Disneyland Park to investigate the following: (1) Brainwashing and Mind Control Allegations (2) Walt Disney’s Frozen Head (3) Ghosts at Pirates of the Caribbean Wish us luck.  Brainwashing and Mind Control:  Upon entering the park, immediate immersion into the enchanting atmosphere was noted.  Sights of Cinderella’s Castle promptly after entering the park inspire awed gasps and excitements from guests. Castle uses forced perspective and bright colors to look more magni...