Archive for October 2021
How I used honesty and action to overcome my anxiety
I vividly remember my first-year panic episode. It occurred the night before I had to deliver a major speech for my communications seminar. I woke up at 4:30 in the morning, drenched in sweat, shivering, struggling to catch my breath. After realizing this was a panic attack, I began performing breathing exercises in an attempt…
Read MoreSmartphone addiction, ambition and our fear of silence
Perhaps, like me, you instinctively reach for your phone. Standing in line to buy cupcakes this summer, I scrolled on my phone. Waiting for my dentist appointment several weeks later, I scrolled on my phone. I plug in every crack of empty time by reading news articles, emails and Tweets. I overuse my phone partly…
Read MoreThe Myth of Passion
These days, it seems like the resume obsession is real. Everyone is scrambling for jobs, internships, shadowing, clubs, research positions and whatever else the pre-corporate world has to offer. It seems like any use of our time is only as valuable as the number of professional buzzwords we can squeeze out of it. The landscape…
Read MoreWashing Dust From the Soul
“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” – Pablo Picasso We are in the midst of a prolonged dust storm in America. Daily life brings reports of yet another shooting, a pandemic surge on the horizon, emotional fatigue from a year of isolation, the threat of domestic terrorism…
Read MoreEmpathy, Balance, & Dilution
(Editor’s note: Although this article focuses on a specific school, its implications have universal application.) Empathy. Balance. Inclusion. [EBI] These three values are essential to the pursuits of Andover, drilled into its students and even visible on the front page of its website. Unfortunately, they’re beginning to feel hollow—a sentiment that echoes the efficacy of…
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