The Monolith | Personal Essay

Political polarization extends beyond disagreements over policy, influencing how individuals perceive and interpret the world around them. The concept of interpretative polarization, discussed in “The Evolving Study of Political Polarization,” illustrates how opposing groups can understand the same political events through fundamentally different lenses, making meaningful dialogue increasingly difficult. Bridging these ideological divisions requires a willingness to question our own assumptions and consider alternative viewpoints — a principle that draws me to The Monolith’s emphasis on intellectual independence, critical inquiry, and meaningful political discourse. 

The study of language and literature has been central to my academic development, informing a broader interest in the relationship between argumentation, interpretation, and public understanding. Growing up in Long Beach, California, I developed an early determination to pursue educational opportunities beyond the conventional academic timeline, eventually petitioning to lift an enrollment restriction at Long Beach City College while completing high school one year ahead of schedule. I subsequently earned my Associate of Arts in English, Language, and Literature before attending the University of California, Berkeley, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric with a concentration in Public Discourse. I was drawn to rhetoric by an interest in how political arguments are constructed, communicated, and interrogated, and how their framing influences public perception. 

Berkeley provided an intellectually rigorous environment in which exposure to differing perspectives challenged me to examine my own underlying assumptions and develop a more nuanced understanding of political and social questions. At the same time, the notion of the “Berkeley bubble” prompted me to consider the prevailing assumptions that can emerge within academic environments, underscoring the necessity of intellectual engagement beyond familiar perspectives. In a course on Political Discourse in the Twenty-First Century, I explored how ideological differences shape contemporary political debate while learning to challenge opposing viewpoints and remain attentive to my own ideological blind spots. 

That course ultimately inspired my first published op-ed in The Daily Californian, UC Berkeley’s independent student newspaper. In “The Education Privatization Scheme,” published in May 2025, I examined how fear-based rhetoric and competing interpretations of  “school choice” shaped public perceptions of proposals to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. In my August 2026 op-ed, “Using the LSAT’s Own Logic Against Itself,” I applied the exam’s own principles of logical reasoning to question its predictive validity and implications for prospective law students. These publications reflect my commitment to engaging directly with questions of political rhetoric, institutional accountability, and public policy. 

Those same interests also informed my professional experiences. As a former Judicial Review Assistant at the San Francisco Superior Court, I conducted research on human trafficking and domestic violence while gaining firsthand insight into judicial proceedings, legal reasoning, and the complexities of dependency cases. My work at the San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking broadened my practical experience through policy advocacy for funding the city’s 24-hour human trafficking hotline, community outreach, and organizing and moderating educational panels on human trafficking  with representatives from law enforcement, federal agencies, and community-based organizations. Involvement in interagency collaboration and advocacy deepened my understanding of how differing institutional priorities influence public policy. 

Outside of my professional pursuits, chess has also been a longstanding hobby of mine, leading me to participate in tournaments at San Francisco’s historic Mechanics’ Institute, where I enjoy the challenges of strategy and problem-solving. Drawing and painting provide a creative counterpart, offering opportunities to explore perspective and interpretation through visual expression.

My experiences across academic, legal, and policy settings have shaped an analytical approach grounded in the careful examination of differing ideological viewpoints and the underlying assumptions that influence how public issues are interpreted and debated. In my current role, I apply this perspective to research on media bias across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., examining patterns of political bias. Through this work, I contribute to The Monolith’s mission of bridging political divides by bringing diverse perspectives together through transparent analysis of how competing narratives are framed and presented. 

Works Cited: 

Ell, Adeline. “The Education Privatization Scheme.” Www.Dailycal.Org, 9 May 2025, https://www.dailycal.org/opinion/op-eds/the-education-privatization-scheme/article_de2d2453-7394-4db3-b023-ac3c1c8e4da4.html. 

Ell, Adeline, and Special to the Daily Cal. “Using the LSAT’s Own Logic Against Itself.” Daily Cal | Berkeley News, 25 Aug. 2026,

https://www.dailycal.org/opinion/op-eds/using-the-lsat-s-own-logic-against-itself/article_7bbd5529-205a-47dd-af2d-7d4a60367ca3.html. 

Erdogan, Emre, et al. “The Evolving Study of Political Polarization.” Open Research Europe, vol. 6, Apr. 2026, p. 93, https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.23252.1. PubMed Central.

Luby, Timothy. “The Monolith.” The Monolith Media, 2026, https://themonolith.media/.

“The Berkeley ‘Bubble’: How Berkeley’s Liberalism Influences BHS.” Berkeleyhighjacket.Com, 2026, https://berkeleyhighjacket.com/2023/investigative/the-berkeley-bubble-how-berkeleys-liberalism-influences-bhs.