“Just pull yourself up by the bootstraps!” This exclamation captures the prevailing attitude of many Americans, mostly conservatives, toward the least advantaged among us. The sentiment is accompanied by a belief that we live in

During the summer of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I experienced the tragic and unexpected loss of a close lifelong friend. His death was absolutely devastating —  undoubtedly the worst physical and

A colleague who had become a first-time mother once regaled me and other coworkers, during lunch, with the amazing exploits of her new baby. Like many new parents, each and every moment of her child’s

Sometimes, when I get caught in the tornado of Cornell’s nightlife, my brain kicks into autopilot. My eyes hunt for any and every escape route away from the dance floor. Away from the gyrating hips

Five years ago, I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, one that required some of the most aggressive treatments that the FDA currently allows. I am lucky to be alive. But despite my luck

[Editor’s note: This letter is relevant to many people in many different schools.]   Belonging. It is the one thing we always look for no matter where we are, whom we are with. We looked

There is no question that Penn is incredibly diverse — comprising twelve schools and a student body of more than 25,000, Penn’s community comes from a variety of races, genders, sexual orientations, religions and socioeconomic backgrounds. But

The autumn air, alluringly crisp, surrounded me as I opened the passenger seat door to my grandfather’s car, ready to make the five-hour trip back to Long Island. We stopped at Dunkin’ to pick up

On a bleak autumn night, moonlight peeks from behind the clouds — just enough to illuminate the words “THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED.” Pallid figures draped in decaying flesh emerge from behind the gateway of