Yuto's Yip Yap

What kind of robot would you like?      Back in middle school, I could play games after school and still get everything done by my 8:30 pm bedtime. Now it seems nearly impossible to go to bed that early. Although I believe that part of the reason for this is that my homework is more difficult and time-consuming, it’s also because my time-management skills are not the best. Some nights, I feel lost on my journey to bed, with procrastination lurking around the corner and surprise attacks from sleepiness slowing me down. On those nights, I wish for a time management robot to help guide my journey.      A time management robot would have two main functions: it would help me plan my evening to achieve the earliest possible bedtime, and ensure I work efficiently at all times. It would be like my Google Maps for working; it would give me an ideal route and adjust depending on how my trip is going. Before I begin my homework, I like to think about the order I sho...

Although I’ve heard a variety of wise words from different people throughout my life, I believe that the Japanese phrase, “一日一善 [ichi nichi ichi zen]”, which translates to “one day, one good,” has stuck with me and affected my life the most. This is a phrase my parents have always told me since I was little, and it means people should strive to do at least one good thing every day. Every day, I would aim to do a good deed, whether it was opening the door for someone, complimenting people, picking up litter, or anything else to help someone out. As I grew older, this phrase became something that I think about every day, which has made it a natural habit for me to do good deeds for others. In fact, I have come to enjoy these kinds of actions because of the feeling of being appreciated by others. Back in seventh grade, one of my new classmates was having issues with their computer, which I had similarly had in the past. After class, I went up to them and helped solve their issue, and afte...

What’s the most memorable thing you ever got in the mail? When I was in second grade, my family had moved to Champaign, and I had begun a new chapter in my life. Soon enough, I would face a big challenge: going to a new school. One of the things that helped me overcome this challenge was a piece of mail sent to me from the other side of the world. The summer before we moved, my family went back to Japan to visit my grandparents. During that time, I attended a Japanese school for two weeks to learn and have a different experience from school in America. I was scared. I was worried about not making any friends and spending the two weeks without having much fun. On the first day, I walked into the classroom to meet nineteen other classmates who were eager to meet me. Everyone would come talk to me at any chance they got, hitting me with question after question. After coming home from school, my parents asked me how my day was, to which I responded, “Not bad.” I wasn’t lonely, but I didn’...

Have you ever felt embarrassed by the things that you used to like?      I don’t remember how I discovered superheroes, but by the time I was in preschool, they were my favorite topic. I personally was a huge fan of the Power Rangers and the Japanese Masked Riders series, and watched every new season. I collected the figures, collectible cards, and the big, chunky gadgets with flashing lights and sounds. When I saw new toys at my friends’ houses, I would spend hours playing with those toys, fascinated by them. I was so into them that I went to a Power Ranger museum, taking photos with each of the heroes that, at the time, I didn’t know were random people dressed up. I’d write my own comics based on the superheroes and pretend that I was one of them, fighting the invisible monsters in the backyard.      It wasn’t until maybe fifth grade when I started to feel embarrassed talking about superheroes. My friends that I had once talked about superheroes with ha...