Student Speak
Gen Z is falling short of who we were destined to become
I think for most members of my generation — the illustrious Gen Z crowd — it is a relatively common phenomenon to have a parent or other older adult turn and look at you, pleading with you to “save the world” or “be the change.” As an individual who is planning to attend law…
Read MoreWe are losing ourselves to the internet
The calculus of Blackness
Who has jurisdiction over Blackness? Who gets to determine who is and isn’t Black, and why? And what is it based on? Is it phenotype — complexion, hair texture, lips, eyes, your nose? Is it who you hang out with? Is it how you dress, or where you went to school? Is it where…
Read MoreWhat to do when the world is crumbling
Banning books is detrimental to intellectual growth
[Editor’s note: Our archives contain several years of excellent articles, most of which remain relevant and important to today’s young people and the adults who work with them. This one is a “Director’s Choice” that we are reposting this week.] Back in February, The Daily Princetonian’s podcast Daybreak interviewed English Professor Anne Cheng on the…
Read MoreThe rotten seed of American individualism
The rotten seed of American individualism has grown into a mighty tree, spreading its branches and curling through the hearts of American citizens. It whispers in our ears lies of self-sufficiency and the lonesome American Dream, promising freedom but leaving cracks in the Earth and sowing division. It has wrapped its tendrils tightly around our everyday lives, taking root in the…
Read MoreYou may have eyes, but do you know how to see?
There’s a difference between looking and truly seeing. What color is the floor where you took your last class? Could you describe one painting in that building? Chances are you have no idea. Why would you? Life is busy, work needs to get done; you know the drill. So you go through your life…
Read MoreYoung men versus young women: Where did we go wrong?
For the nation’s prosperity and personal happiness, young men and women must reconnect with each other in a meaningful way. It isn’t hard to imagine a dystopian novel where the political parties of a country become split by gender rather than by genuine ideological framework. It seems we may be headed there. The upcoming…
Read MorePlan ahead even if you have no plan
One random evening my first year of college, I set myself up for more success than I have at any other time during my college experience. I was a lowly political science and math major trying to consider what minors or certificates would best prepare me for a future career as a lawyer and…
Read MoreAdvice from a graduating senior — make friends with your professors
The language of tribalism: How political shibboleths are destroying discourse
We live in a world dominated by the sound bite, the clip and all things scrollable. To facilitate this shortened content, different groups have had to find creative ways to convey great meaning in small packages. Though this may sound ingenious, these words — known today as political buzzwords — have had a divisive effect.…
Read MoreFriends should intellectually challenge you
When I imagined college as a place for intellectual growth, I visualized riveting exchanges with professors and radical arguments in textbooks. When I stepped foot on campus, however, I realized that my ivy-covered academia fantasies perpetuated rigid expectations of what qualified as “growing my perspective,” and I had underestimated the importance of developing relationships with…
Read MoreThe gifted and talented program is flawed
In the fifth grade, my family moved and I transferred to a new school district in New Jersey. In the West Orange school district, I gained admission into the High Aptitude Program, a gifted and talented program that I would get bussed to weekly. When I entered the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District, I applied to…
Read MoreBlack Princeton is fragmented. Let’s consolidate.
[Editor’s note: Although this essay focuses on Princeton, the issue may be relevant to many colleges and schools.] BSU, PASA, PCC, PEESA, PNSA, PABW, PBMA — call it the alphabet soup of Black student organizations. These are groups intended to cater to specific niches in the Black community and serve to represent its diversity. These organizations serve critical community-building needs that Princeton’s diverse…
Read MoreIntolerance towards disagreements is dangerous
I’ve always considered myself a rather stubborn individual, but alongside that trait, I’ve prided myself on a certain level of self-awareness. I’ve been cautious never to impose my thoughts onto others, respecting their perspectives even if they differed from mine. However, as of late, I’ve noticed a shift within myself — it’s not stubbornness that’s…
Read MoreThe feminine urge to apologize
It is almost as if “sorry” is the default response for women. They apologize for having emotions and showing them, for asking a valid question and for walking in the same direction as someone in the store; they apologize for their failures and their successes. In every situation women automatically respond with an unnecessary “sorry.”…
Read MoreUnlocking the dopamine code: A blueprint for college student well-being
As college students navigating the complexities of academia, we often find ourselves contending with formidable adversaries: seasonal depression, lack of motivation and high levels of stress. According to the National College Health Assessment, approximately 80% of college students report experiencing overwhelming levels of anxiety, and nearly 40% grapple with symptoms of depression at some point during…
Read MoreRejection is normal, but not normalized
After a grueling college admissions process, I was excited to begin my journey at the University of Michigan. Yet, I was surprised by the campus’s intense culture of club recruitment and internship applications. At the beginning of each semester, I applied to some clubs but was hesitant to apply to others, intimidated by the grueling…
Read MoreCan’t find a job? You’re not alone
As a senior in college still figuring out my post-graduation plans, I am far too familiar with the dreaded question, “What are you doing next year?” In an effort to defend my “I don’t know” reply in the face of judgmental adults, I have done extensive research to defend the claim that the job hunt…
Read MoreStop interacting with people you dislike online
On Dec. 18, 2023, comedian Ziwe Fumudoh sat down with recently-expelled congressman George Santos for a satirical-style interview to recap his short-lived career in Congress and inquire about what he plans to do in the future. When asked how the United States could possibly get rid of him, Santos gave some of the best advice of his…
Read MoreThe Art of Mattering
Many people at Andover are familiar with issues such as anxiety, imposter syndrome, and burnout. These are phenomena that are generally unavoidable and in most cases attributed to the stress of school. However, I would argue that these symptoms point to a bigger problem: students don’t feel like they matter. According to Isaac Prilleltensky, professor…
Read MoreFinding my father in Sterling
Stepping out of the rail on Georgia Avenue, my father, Guarocuya Batista, entered the Freedmen’s Hospital, the largest African American hospital in the Washington area. A fresh-faced doctor, he walked through its halls with a quiet determination and sage awareness that this was the start of his medical career. He was also bearing the mantle of a…
Read MoreIf You Prick Us
We need to talk about the real emotions of speaking up as a minority
“I thought doing the right things made you feel strong and proud not sad and angry.” This is a text I received from my mother after she confronted ignorance and xenophobic comments in the workplace. She told me that while she was in the break room, two women were having an offensive conversation, spewing false…
Read MoreDollar signs and sob stories
From my fragmented Mandarin to my distaste of “chow mein,” I avidly explored the facets of my Asian-American identity in creative writing. When I picked up the pen, I found myself writing about my mother’s rice rations during the Cultural Revolution and the internal strife of life between two cultures, inspired by writers like Ocean…
Read MoreA message to the aspiring quitter
“I never should have dropped. I can’t believe you let me do that,” I said. This was minute 10 of me walking around the patio in distress, whisper-yelling to my parents on the phone. In hindsight, my dropping out of my computer science class was not their doing. But it always feels a little easier to blame…
Read MoreYou and your family aren’t getting any younger
This past weekend, my dad surprised my family with a trip to downtown Chicago for a bit of fun. Needing to make a trip to meet with some higher-ups at his company, he had figured that it was a good opportunity for the rest of us to take a brief vacation. The trip was great…
Read MoreA Cure for Senioritis: How to No Longer Be “Sick” of School
Are you constantly plagued with a lack of motivation? Do you find yourself scrolling through Tik Tok instead of through your extensive list of assignments? Have you claimed, “I’ll just do this in the morning,” knowing full well that you most certainly will not be doing this in the morning? Would your friends describe you as ‘checked…
Read MoreThe future of AI might be scary, but let’s focus on why it’s scary today
In a recently published open letter, some of the most prominent figures in technology urged for a full-fledged six-month pause on developing certain Artificial Intelligence technologies, including Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, Tesla and Twitter; Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak; and Pinterest co-founder Evan Sharp, among many, many others. In the letter, they ask that all companies…
Read More#TeacherQuitTok: The face of a current teaching crisis
For the past few months, my TikTok For You page has been riddled with teachers using #TeacherQuitTok on their videos. This hashtag has become a place for teachers to shed light on current problems in education and advocate for change, and it is clear that change is needed. While some teachers have quit their teaching…
Read MoreCollege is just the beginning
“College is the best four years of your life.” If I had a nickel for every time I heard that phrase, I could have paid my tuition in cash. Every time I think about that statement, it seems even bleaker. Why would anyone want to peak that early? As I reach the end of…
Read MoreDeath to the GPA
The GPA system can stunt our intellectual growth due to undue pressure and excessive grading. As an international student, the concept of the ‘GPA’ — the grade point average — was foreign to me. Since coming to Penn, long gone are the days where homework did not count towards your grade, due dates were…
Read MoreBlack history is your history too
People of all races should see themselves in Black history. In elementary school, February was the only time I learned about Black historical figures. I recall cutting out paper dolls of Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks — all the same shade of brown due to the singular brown crayon. While…
Read MoreAn Open Letter to my 7th Graders
How Penn did and didn’t prepare me to teach you I took a leap to become your teacher; after four years as an undergrad at Penn, I thought I would be ready to instruct middle schoolers. I declared a major in English very early on, but I grew a passion for serving students and…
Read MoreEntry-level jobs don’t exist anymore
If you’re frantically scrolling through LinkedIn, Handshake or Indeed looking for jobs and internships like me, you probably noticed that the standard for entry-level positions has risen exponentially. The idea of entry-level jobs is practically disappearing before our eyes. For many college students and recent graduates, the search for post-graduate jobs seems almost impossible. Since 2017, 35%…
Read MoreFinding My Own Answers
Or, Even Teachers Get The Blues [Editor’s note: Oren Karp is a recent graduate of Brown University and a Fulbright Scholar teaching English in Kathmandu, Nepal. He posts an account of his life in Nepal every few weeks. This essay is an excerpt from his most recent posting; you can read the full essay…
Read MoreGroup work doesn’t work
We’ve all been there — the group chat is going off because your group members are trying to figure out why a member hasn’t touched the shared assignment document that’s due in three hours. They are fuming because that person didn’t hold up their end of the commitment and now you all need to scramble…
Read MoreEveryone needs to work a customer service job
I was 15 years old when I got my first customer service job. I had my interview in the squeaky plastic booths of a small town’s frozen custard shop. I even wore dark pants and a thick blouse despite the 80-degree weather, just because I wanted to make a good impression for my first-ever interview.…
Read MoreOren’s First 100 Days of School
Or, The Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death [Editor’s note: Oren Karp is a recent graduate of Brown University and a Fulbright Scholar teaching English in Kathmandu, Nepal. He posts an account of his life in Nepal every few weeks.] Okay, I’ll level with you: I have no idea how many days of school…
Read MoreOpening up about my freshman year abortion
Removing the stigma of abortions is vital in the fight to achieve equitable reproductive rights. I found out I was pregnant in a Starbucks bathroom, only a few weeks after starting my first year at Penn. I was 18, and I did everything to keep it a secret. Buying a test on campus risked fellow…
Read MoreA Moveable Festival
Or, The Only Jew In Kathmandu [Editor’s note: Oren Karp is a recent graduate of Brown University and a Fulbright Scholar teaching English in Kathmandu, Nepal. He posts an account of his life in Nepal every few weeks.] I’ve grown to love the rain here, the way it paints the trees a crisp, dark…
Read MoreDon’t Expect to Enjoy College
Sept. 23, 2021, a date which will live in infamy. Only three weeks into my first year of college, I found myself nursing a tennis-ball-sized swollen ankle while poring over lines of Latin that depicted, in painstaking detail, a Roman dinner of sow udder. When in Rome this summer, remind me not to do as…
Read MoreBy The Book
Or, When it Rains . . . [Editor’s note: Oren Karp is a recent graduate of Brown University and a Fulbright Scholar teaching English in Kathmandu, Nepal. He posts an account of his life in Nepal every few weeks.] One of my favorite things about learning a new language is seeing how the vocabulary, structures,…
Read MoreThis STEMs from insecurity
Growing Into Myself At the ripe old age of 10, my dad and I ran into one of his gym friends when I was getting picked up from a late night swim practice. I don’t remember much from that interaction, but what I do remember sort of changed my life. The friend was extraordinarily tall,…
Read MoreTwo Worlds Syndrome
One of the most common sentiments you’ll hear among Asian Americans is the feeling of being torn between two worlds. As immigrants and children of immigrants, Asian Americans have a stake in multiple cultures, nations and principles. Our families expect us to live proper Asian lives at home while also sending us out to contend…
Read MoreSite Currently Under Construction
Or, Oren Needs a Friend [Editor’s note: Oren Karp is a recent graduate of Brown University and a Fulbright Scholar teaching English in Kathmandu, Nepal. He posts an account of his life in Nepal every few weeks.] At 9:55 am the bell rings (or, I should say, someone bangs on the metal plate) to…
Read MoreThe creator economy can hurt users
As spring break Instagram posts rolled out, images of my classmates in picture-perfect tropical scenes bombarded me while I returned to the bleak surroundings of central Pennsylvania. As the week continued, I found myself checking Instagram every 15 minutes, growing more and more bitter. I was filled with an urge to post something, anything, to…
Read MoreBeautiful Views of Terrifying Drops
Or, Gaining a Little Height on Life [Editor’s note: Oren Karp is a recent graduate of Brown University and a Fulbright Scholar teaching English in Kathmandu, Nepal. He posts an account of his life in Nepal every few weeks.] It’s hard for me not to see the last nine days as a little…
Read MoreDiversity, equity, and inclusion: What predominantly white universities could learn from Beyoncé’s “Black Is King”
Beyoncé’s Black Is King provides an example of cultural inclusion that universities can follow to be more inclusive of marginalized groups. I suppose that, compared to some other regions of this country, one could consider Penn to be a fairly diverse place as our student body is only about 40% white. Such percentages are a source of…
Read MoreThere’s no ‘moving on’ from queer marginalization
“Moving on…” — these words used to swiftly change the subject make me wince every time I hear them. I feel shame, embarrassment and discomfort, as if I had said something I clearly should not have; as if I lacked the self-awareness to realize how uncomfortable my words made others. It is striking to me…
Read MoreThe case against following your passion
It’s concentration declaration season for AB sophomores and BSE freshmen and the same old questions are bubbling to the surface: Do I really have what it takes to become a math major? Should I pursue classics or comparative literature? Then there’s the most familiar question: Should I choose the more “practical” major that may land…
Read MoreShe’s not leading you on — you’re doing it to yourself
During my first year at Pitt, I went on a date with a total stranger. We had met on a dating app, and I could tell within a few minutes that we were not a match. Coupled with the fact that it was this man’s first real date and I enjoyed talking with him, I…
Read MoreOppression Does Not Define My Blackness
Oppression. Whenever I hear this word in a class discussion, I am inclined to listen more attentively, knowing that somehow my identity, my Blackness, will require me to offer my stance in the conversation. As an Afro-Caribbean and a Black-American, I always feel obligated to diversify the discussion with first-hand experiences. Every class discussion subtly…
Read MoreAmy Wax is not an anomaly
Wax’s racist comments represent a larger perception of Black students in academia. Penn has been receiving national media coverage lately after Penn Law professor Amy Wax made racist comments against Asian and Black Americans. Her recent remarks are consistent with the comments that she made back in 2018 in a discussion titled “The Downside to Social Uplift”: “I don’t think I’ve ever…
Read MoreStudents should be picky about their jobs
Despite being responsible for a one-star review at my workplace that states “the little redhead behind the counter is rude,” I am a very good employee. I promise. The cruel reality about customer service jobs is that no matter how good you are at your job, there will always be a handful of customers that…
Read MoreBeing extraordinary is overrated
Ever since things have gone back to almost-but-not-quite normal, I’ve had this overwhelming feeling that I’m not doing enough. It’s almost become a mantra in my head, the words repeating over and over, “You’re not doing enough.” I’ve mentioned the feeling to friends and classmates, and the majority of them have related — each and…
Read MoreMatter over mind: You’ll get out of this what it’s willing to give
As we begin another semester of COVID-19-related uncertainty and instability, it serves us to put things in a less judgmental, self-deprecating perspective for those times when we come up short. One rhetorical trick often used to quash this forgiving perspective is the meritocratic assumption that whatever we do, wherever we are, and however many obstacles…
Read MoreTalking Bodies
A perfect version of me lies out there somewhere. His limbs are more outstretched than mine, landing his shiny head of hair at the 6’ mark. Where a shallow valley gapes between my eyes, a well-defined nose bridge juts out from his face. And he sorta looks like me, if only I could slap muscles…
Read MoreSellout season
As the semester started and junior year summer internships came to a close, the sellout season promptly began. Exciting offers from top tech, consulting, and finance companies filled my LinkedIn feed. I began to comment “Congratulations” on Facebook and Instagram announcement post after announcement post as my peers prepared for postgraduate life. I read as,…
Read MoreMost of your friends are just people you spend time with
In my senior year of high school, amid college admissions anxiety and clearly defined cliques, I learned a difficult lesson. Most of my friends were not actually my friends. After social upheaval in my senior year, I decided to distance myself from my friend group. As I isolated myself and dealt with personal issues, I…
Read MoreWe must shift the way we test understanding
Last year, many professors faced a difficult decision: How would they make sure students were given a fair chance when taking exams remotely? For a politics course I took in the fall semester, the professor normally used an exam that centered around short questions related to readings throughout the semester. The virtual format meant that…
Read MoreOn loss, grief, and not being okay: The toxic ‘constant productivity’ mindset at Princeton
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 emotional pain I have ever experienced. In the months that followed, I struggled to function like a normal person should.…
Read MoreWhen Creativity Fades
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 and the fog of body odor. I often find myself running to the bathroom three times in an hour. Or…
Read MoreNo matter what the future holds
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 — or unluck — the long-term consequences of this disease have followed me for a quarter of the time I…
Read MoreA letter to my fellow Yalies
On such a racially diverse campus, why is cross-racial engagement limited?
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 diversity means more than data points and percentages. On the ground, intermingling between people of different demographics occurs far less…
Read MoreMirror, Mirror on the “Historical” Wall
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 coffees to sip along the way and drove through color changing mountains, whose seemingly unreachable summits countered the mountain of…
Read MoreThe trouble is paradise
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 Grove Street Cemetery, keeping the promise etched in the arch above them. You awake from your nightmare with such a…
Read MoreWhat I learned after three years at Princeton
I’m almost certain that the Classes of 2024 and 2025 are tired of orientation activities, meetings, and how-tos. Despite the good intention of these events and recommendations, they seem to stretch ad nauseam into late September and early October. However, I thought it would be helpful to share my experiences in an effort to reassure…
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 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…
Read MoreIndividualism is a privilege too
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been shy in social interactions, not wanting to make the first move or reach out to others. Though I was scared of talking to others, I always loved reading. The library has always felt like a haven to me where I could experience people’s stories and their…
Read MoreCast a wide net to find the activities and clubs you love
When I arrived on campus last fall, I didn’t have a nine-month plan that culminated in becoming an editor at The Pitt News. In fact, I didn’t arrive with any sort of plan outside of my class schedule. I could certainly rattle off some interests. After realizing I was failing to leave much of a…
Read MoreWomen in academia need to get aggressive
I don’t need to dive into why women, especially women of color, are marginalized in academia — every woman knows the answer. We should be teaching men to be more accepting and less sexist rather than teaching women how to survive and thrive in male-dominated academia, but at a certain point, when your professor is…
Read MoreThe First Essay
English essays. Some of us love them, some of us hate them. But regardless, we all write them. Fear not, however, because I’m not writing to provide advice, or make you feel bad about the quality of your writing. Instead, I’d like to reflect upon the aspects of English classes that have room for improvement,…
Read MoreWhat to discuss with your new roommate before move-in day
So, you got assigned with a random roommate. Congratulations! Whether it’s your first year living in East Halls or your senior year at an off-campus apartment complex, this is a great opportunity to make a new friend and learn about living with other people. You’ve likely already contacted this person and maybe talked about your…
Read MoreTough breakup?
Relationships at Yale are hard, and breakups, whether romantic, platonic or somewhere in between, are even harder. But breakups are both ugly and beautiful for the same reason: They remind us that we’re human and nothing more than human — even if Yale would like us to believe otherwise. The first thing a breakup breaks…
Read MoreMental health is not a product of one’s volition
“Live, Laugh, Love”… Let’s Not
During my freshman year at Stuyvesant, getting report cards back was like a game—people traded papers, compared grades, and calculated their GPAs. It was a bundle of excitement the first time we got back our progress reports with number grades. People nosily asked how you did, and if you refused to answer, you were then…
Read MoreIll-Conceived Identities: Social media trends are harmful to teen identity development
The existential question, “Who am I?” that teenagers are faced with as they transition from childhood to adulthood is an idea that Indie coming-of-age movies and books have centered on to gain massive audiences. All of the most popular teen movies like Perks of Being a Wallflower and Ladybird follow the plot of teens taking…
Read MoreWhy choose ignorance?
In a lot of conversations, discussing American politics replaces small talk. An awkward silence is almost always followed by a comment on Trump’s absurd tweets and policies. A recent Zoom call with my classmates cemented this for me. After the cordial questions of “How are you enjoying the break so far?” and “How does it…
Read MoreStart Starting
Procrastination is a problem that has followed me around since the early years of elementary school. As a kid, I remember flipping through TV shows the night before class and trying to immerse myself in the content before me, but failing to as anxiety filled up inside me at the thought of the assignments due…
Read MoreThe myth of meritocracy and what we can do about it
Despite our individual responsibilities, some issues are too big to be resolved individually. When we think of professionally and financially successful people, more than knowing who they are, it is important to ask where they come from. There is myriad evidence that in many countries, meritocracy is a myth and social reproduction is the norm. In…
Read MoreThe Search for Motivation
What makes someone successful? The answer might seem simple: motivated people do well in life, and unmotivated people fail. Motivation seems to be the key to so much, yet most people know so little about where it truly comes from. We often assume that some people are just born with more talent, willpower, and most…
Read MoreAcne is a true issue for teens: It’s time to treat it as such
I look down while walking through crowds of classmates hoping the fluorescent school lights won’t reveal the red bumps on my face. I shuffle through the halls praying to go unnoticed, only to be asked, “Why does your skin look like that?” This is a scenario that many teenagers with acne (including me) have experienced.…
Read MoreOn being an unlikely Leo
My experience with astrology consists of years of eye-rolling at horoscopes that axiomatically claim I’m a headstrong, assertive, domineering, natural leader who strives to be the center of attention. Recently, a friend did a birth chart reading for me. “You’re a Leo, so you have a big personality,” she said. I laughed at that. “You…
Read MoreThe college major system is archaic
While much of the learning done in college is valuable, a significant proportion of students don’t actually use their undergraduate degree in their future career. Even though a college education is a useful experience with regard to diversity of thought and academic rigor, students would be much better off if they were permitted to explore…
Read MoreDrained to exhaustion by online learning, students should be given less school work
I began to feel the adverse effects of online school while doing homework one night during our second week. My mind a relentless murmur of the same fatigue that seemed to unfocus my eyes and sway my thoughts during the school day, I spent an hour reading a passage again and again, trying to drill…
Read MoreSafe, structured lives
Over the summer, did you consider taking a gap semester? Possibly a whole year? If so, you were definitely not alone. At both Harvard and Yale, roughly 20 percent of incoming first-year students deferred. Similarly, I opted for a leave of absence, delaying my senior year to the fall of 2022. Despite how frequently the notion of a…
Read MoreI hate The Great Gatsby
Across the country, students are being brainwashed. The boomers blame social media, and they may be right. But there’s another kind of indoctrination that grinds my gears — I speak of the cult of the American high school English class. Lately, there has been much evaluation of what we teach children, primarily in history classes.…
Read MoreYou are not entitled to ‘civility’
In high school, I had a better relationship with civil discourse. I was part of my school’s We the People team, and we competed in competitions centered on debating pressing constitutional issues. At Princeton, though, I noticed that things changed. I began dreading certain classes’ lectures and precepts. It wasn’t until recently that I realized…
Read MoreMore than just a time difference: Reflections of an international student
A 14-hour time difference from Korea to Princeton is difficult, as anyone I’ve complained to about my sleep schedule can attest. Yet being an international student in the age of COVID-19 means much more than a time difference. Rather, what’s most frustrating is feeling different and oftentimes less important than our United States-based peers. The…
Read MoreThe bubble
My hometown of about 12,000 residents made the front page of the New York Times a couple of Thursdays ago. It wasn’t for something good. I live in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one of the most segregated places in the United States by some standards. We’ve remained a bastion of support for the current president, even as other suburban…
Read MoreBlack Woman’s Eulogy
In my native village of Kendu Bay, Kenya, funerals are meant to canonize the dead. The first rite of many is performed by women. Early at dawn, they arrive at the homestead of the deceased to wail, pacing about and lamenting death — the sound gives one goosebumps, and it seems to last forever. We…
Read MoreLife right now
Student life is inherently oriented toward the future. We prepare for classes that prepare us for more classes that prepare us for careers. With so much anticipation for what is to come, it can be easy to neglect what is already here. I write to caution against dismissing the present as less significant than the…
Read MoreMy prep school reckoning
My high school’s cafeteria lunches featured a build-your-own sushi bar. Teslas and Range Rovers littered the drop-off line. One time, a Fiji Water shortage caused a schoolwide panic. The Latin School of Chicago is an elite prep school whose alumni include Nancy Reagan and the Governor of Illinois’ children. Today, I think of Latin as…
Read MoreSearching for my reasons
More times than I can recall, I’ve started a class eager to learn about some fascinating topic. But as the semester progresses and piles on exams and homework, the course grows less and less interesting. The desire to perform well in the course starts to replace my original curiosity, until I’m not sure why I…
Read MoreWorking for Minimum Wage During a Pandemic
I’ve worked at the same restaurant in my hometown since senior year of high school. I haven’t had any sexy internships over the summer, just long shifts that leave my hair smelling like french fries. I work there over any break I can, and — in an industry where employee turnover is high — I’ve…
Read MoreTo be or not be a snake: how I survived the ‘major’ mistakes of college
In my sophomore spring, I returned from a gap semester spent taking care of my mental health. I felt refreshed and excited to restart my Princeton journey as a potential Economics major. Since I had skirted around sophomore fall, I had not witnessed the recruiting scene that had happened for my upperclass Econ friends. At…
Read MoreThe shadow of a gunman
I wasn’t born in the shadow of 9/11. Nor did I grow under the weight of the Iraq war. But both of those events marked my youth with fear and distrust. I was born into the echoes of the Holocaust. I was raised under the pale of 101 California Street. Very few people remember 101…
Read MoreThe MAT 202 cheating scandal is a problem of our making
For most of us, the news that the Committee on Discipline (COD) is investigating dozens of MAT 202 students warrants nothing more than a casual glance. We wonder how it must feel to be accused of cheating. Perhaps our peers under investigation elicit a pang of sympathy. Perhaps they don’t. “Those 202 kids got what was coming…
Read MoreThe future of education: A lesson from COVID-19
For the past year, I have wanted to write about technology in education. When I first arrived at the University, I was surprised that at an institution whose endowment lies multiple orders of magnitude beyond any amount of money I could imagine, I found classrooms containing no technology more recent than electric lights or plastic…
Read MoreWhy you don’t feel successful at Princeton
I spent my first two summers of high school completing state-required gym classes so that I could fit more science classes into my schedule during the academic year. Every morning, I had to run a lap on the track with my classmates under the searing July sun. I ran these sprints several dozen times, and…
Read MoreUnderstanding my inherited workaholism
My mind seems to be obsessed with this memory I have from second grade. I was playing with my friends at recess, telling them my dad got a new job two hours away from our home. I insisted we make a lemonade stand after school to raise money for him to stay. My naivete as…
Read MoreLet’s Agree to Disagree
A few days ago, I graduated from Penn. It’s a moment I had anticipated for years, and now I am entering a world and workforce rife with uncertainty. While Penn taught me a lot of unexpected lessons regarding grit and perseverance, one in particular stands out in this current crisis: Try your best to understand…
Read MoreMy body is not a joke
While casually scrolling Facebook (for the hundredth time that day), I noticed a meme about looking like a busted can of biscuits when it comes time to go back to work, to go to the beach, to go outside, etc. The comments underneath talked about how “disgusting” people would look going out to these activities…
Read MoreYou Catch More Flies With Honey
After discussing my last article detailing the performative allyship that happens on social media, my editor told me that while my article was precise and interesting, it was not as forward as he had expected. Here we are in the midst of civil unrest, where I spend my days constantly writing and detailing the injustices…
Read MoreThis isn’t normal
A tweet went around this week saying that if you don’t come out of quarantine with a new skill or more knowledge, “you didn’t ever lack the time, you lacked the discipline.” It was a harmful manifestation of the paradox we all face right now: sitting at home, you think you should be doing more,…
Read MorePanic and propriety
“What we need in the world is manners … I think that if, instead of preaching brotherly love, we preached good manners, we might get a little further. It sounds less righteous and more practical.” My grandmother has this quote, from Eleanor Roosevelt, above the stove at her home. In many ways, it embodies my…
Read MoreGraduating Jobless
I graduated from Cornell with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering in 2016. Not only did I graduate without a job offer, but I never even had an interview. I certainly applied to plenty of jobs and I went to all the career fairs. Overall, I think I had a relatively normal and…
Read MoreAccommodations, year-round
As we enter our third week of courses conducted entirely online and adjust to this new reality, we need to ask ourselves: Why weren’t these services readily available before the COVID-19 pandemic? These services include: every course material (including textbooks) available online, Zoom lectures recorded for future replay and review and more lenient attendance policies…
Read MoreUnmasking the Racist Infection of the Coronavirus
My freshman year in high school, I was playing an improv game in my theatre class. Everyone stood in a circle; one person began acting out what object or noun they were and then someone else jumped into the circle, acting as another object or noun that was subsequently added to the scenario. Usually, if…
Read MoreAppreciating random acts of kindness
My mom and I have always used public transportation to get around town. Living in Oakland since 1990, by now my mom knew AC Transit, BART and the Bay Area like the back of her hand. You’d always catch me and my momma on BART or the bus, and if our destination was close enough,…
Read MoreCollege students need to normalize interracial friendships
“I have a black friend” is an unfortunate statement that some white people still feel the need to say. College students need to normalize interracial friendships, and that can start with leaving the “I have black friend” statement and other ignorant comments in the past, as the color of one’s skin should not be the…
Read MoreDoes anyone really know where they see themselves in the next 10 years?
“Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?” The question is a favorite among job interviews and icebreakers for elementary school teachers and college professors alike. “What are your hobbies? What’s your major? Oh, and I know you’ve barely reached the legal drinking age, but what will your life be like when you’re…
Read MoreKaleidoscope
I hold my new kaleidoscope up to the light. I am five years old, and it’s snowing outside on Christmas morning, like it never does anymore. Well-kempt lawns throughout my neighborhood lie blanketed in white. I turn the soft cardboard slowly to reveal the fragmented shadows of brilliant blues, reds, purples, and greens. I long…
Read MoreBuilding bridges
I opened Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Monday afternoon on January 20th looking to retreat from the old, white male readings that had become normal to me in and out of the classroom. While I’ll admit that my required Machiavelli reading was very interesting — given the current consequences in political affairs…
Read MoreThe Ivy League Breeds Obedient Capitalists
Prestigious universities like Cornell are, in theory, institutions where talented young people receive the education, ideas and skills needed to tackle the world’s most pressing issues. A closer look into elite culture reveals that these conceptions are fantasies that serve privileged, wealthy sectors of society that equate their own interests with those of the rest…
Read MoreThe attention economy is corrupting the classroom
Distractions engendered by the use of technology in class You have 15 minutes. What would you — a curious, respectful student, part of a privileged 4.3% — rather indulge: an Instagram post or the insights of a leading academic? The choice seems obvious. But our everyday practices speak to a bleaker reality. The promises of…
Read MoreThe “upright” march on
I didn’t identify as disabled before I came to Yale. I saw myself as someone who happened to live in inexplicable, often debilitating pain, who happened to restructure his life in order to cope, and who happened to find success despite those major physical barriers. Like so many of my peers, I was accepted into…
Read MoreProfessors, show that you care
Extensive academic expertise is not enough to foster mentorships When I watched Good Will Hunting for the first time as a high schooler, I marveled over how the professor in the movie not only helped Will cultivate a passion for mathematics but also undertook Will’s personal strife and actively helped him overcome it. Although it’s…
Read MoreConsider the ethics of companies where you want to work
We have a moral imperative to avoid enabling unethical behavior It happens every fall at Penn. Corporate representatives flock like vultures to our campus, eager to take their pick of the brightest students here. From engineers to financial analysts to consultants, they search relentlessly for the students who will create the most value for their…
Read MoreOn colorblindness and cancel culture
“I don’t see color; whether you’re black, white, blue, green, or purple, everyone’s the same to me.” As a liberal, black student on a socially liberal campus — and a black person in general — I’ve had my fair share of uncomfortable conversations with well-meaning liberals. But none are more predictably cringe-worthy than the ones…
Read MoreMore black journalists are needed to tell stories for us, about us and by us
On July 14, President Donald Trump went on Twitter, and in a series of tweets, he attacked four politicians of color: Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA). He explicitly told them to “go back” to the “broken and crime infested places from which they came.” Later that…
Read MoreWho gets to be a student?
After two years at Yale, I have learned that move-in never gets easier. When I was a first-year, the chaos of move-in meant frantic runs to thrift stores and supermarkets to acquire furniture, climbing more stairs than I ever imagined and being thrown into a group of 15 peers I had never seen for nightly…
Read MoreSome advice about advice
I stopped calling my parents in the middle of sophomore year. Not because I was angry or withdrawn but because I knew that every conversation would lead to me asking the same question: Am I doing this right? It started with shopping period, when I would call my parents sometimes three times a day. Then…
Read MoreWhat is a belief?
When I first arrived on campus, I was afraid to discuss politics. It wasn’t that I was uncertain of my beliefs, but Princeton students have a formidable reputation. Coming from the dirt roads and cornfields of the Midwest, having never dreamt of attending an Ivy League university, I knew I was entering the lists. The…
Read MoreLost voices
They said that prisoners liked to have fun with little boys like me. They said that I would soon find myself defenseless and scared, forced to complete unsavory favors to survive a lifelong sentence. It was only a matter of time before the sounds of sirens on the street would drown out the cries of…
Read MoreThe role of a role model: Inspiring girls in school from a younger age
Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I saw little representation of women in STEM fields. The inspirational autobiographies I read while growing up mostly consisted of women politicians or writers. The shelves of our libraries were always lined with books written by the likes of Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, or Beverly Cleary. Once in a while,…
Read MoreKhan Academy highlights deficiencies in conventional teaching methods
Why our existing educational support system isn’t enough Have you ever prepared for an exam, only to realize that you didn’t understand what was taught in class? How often do you rely on Khan Academy to learn the material that you didn’t understand from your lectures? Khan Academy has truly changed who we are as…
Read MoreWhy a decision that lasts a lifetime for students should receive more attention and assistance
Students are settling for majors they are not happy with just to make a decision. Thinking back, most can relate to the ambitious change that occurred when moving into college. You felt eager to take on the challenges of the unknown and try new things. It is a foreign experience that is difficult to fully…
Read More1st-year students should wait to join Greek life
Don’t let your parents determine your career path
It’s up to you, not your parents, to decide what you do with both this summer and the rest of your life There’s something about going home for the summer that initially seems so satisfying. It’s been about two months since your last break, and you’ve just finished a grueling round of finals, so you…
Read MoreData are just one point in the real story of sexual assault
Sometimes epiphanies happen when you least expect them. Mine came in the form of a question from a middle-aged father as he approached the microphone in front of our panel at SXSW [South by Southwest] 2019 about how to take action in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement. Looking me in the eye, he told…
Read MoreGiving credit where credit is due
As I headed into this semester’s midterms, I tried to figure out how I was going to study for my four exams. The stress of the semester had culminated in the challenge of attempting to ready myself for my tests while keeping up with regular class work, as well. Most of this semester has been…
Read MoreThe romance of friendship
I have spent much of my Yale career looking for love. I have dated dozens of athletes and musicians, scientists and writers, boys and girls. As my friends entered into serious relationships and my own history of failed relationships and flings piled higher and higher, I only searched more fervently. However, as graduation drew near,…
Read MoreWriting Never Gets Easier — That’s the Point
You’re sitting in Bobst Library between classes, being the responsible student that you are and actually using your only break of the day to start that essay due at 8 a.m. tomorrow. But almost immediately, you find that your brain decides to fry itself and forget the entire English lexicon. You end up staring at…
Read MoreWhen the dust settles
I guess I can start by telling you I graduated from college a few weeks ago, which is a pretty big accomplishment considering I got rejected from every university I applied to out of high school. Actually, that’s not entirely true. I had originally been accepted to San Jose State as a music major, and…
Read MoreWhy we need to take more decisive measures to address racism in sports
About a month ago, Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook was told by two Utah Jazz fans to “get down on your knees like you used to.” A few weeks ago, English soccer players Danny Rose and Callum Hudson-Odoi were subject to racist abuse from Montenegro fans while playing for England. And last week, Italian striker Moise Kean faced racism from…
Read MoreThe Problem With Colleges Fetishizing POC Struggles
With the recent attention given to college admissions processes, one question remains: Why are universities so obsessed with hearing trauma stories from students of color? It’s no secret that it is much harder for students of color to be admitted to elite institutions. A New York Times analysis from 2017 indicates that black and Hispanic…
Read MoreTough on trade (schools)
The bias against blue collar is hurting the country and its students When Aidan, who requested his last name be omitted, graduated from north Seattle’s Roosevelt High School in 2016, he knew almost nothing about vocational schooling. “I feel like Roosevelt was pretty focused on getting students into college,” Aidan said. “Most of the time…
Read MoreIn defense of Black American culture
Since arriving on campus, I have been involved with many conversations with my peers similar to the following: “So… what are you?” Huh? “Like, where are you from?” Texas. “No! Like where are you really from?” Texas. Something that I quickly learned upon arriving here is that I am a minority. So now you’re probably…
Read MoreConquering the fear of loneliness through independence
Loneliness is an inevitable feeling. No matter how many people you may surround yourself with, you’re going to feel lonely at some point. It may sneak up on you during a quiet moment in the day walking between classes, or when you’re pulling an all-nighter and find yourself alone in a group study space. While…
Read MoreHold On Tight
Floating alone with my life preserver in the middle of rippling black water, I feel the whole world slow down. I push wet hair out of my eyes and watch the scene in front of me as if through a TV screen. The sound of the boat’s engine and the touch of the waves slapping…
Read MoreFinding Your Voice
Writing is difficult – especially when what you’re writing will be published on the Internet, where anyone and everyone can read it. I started this column last fall hoping that it would help me improve my writing. I’d always enjoyed the rewarding feeling that comes with putting your thoughts down on paper, and I’d reached…
Read MoreThe Finale, for Now
We had four hours on the road before we had to officially call ourselves final semester seniors. The road was a safe haven — if you didn’t look at the hills of snow everywhere, spindly trees and the depressingly gray sky. Still, we were safe. “Would your freshman year self have thought you would be…
Read MoreToday is the Day: I drop down
It’s week two of my sophomore year, and I’m already near tears. I don’t belong here, I think as I flip through the test. “Skip the hard ones,” they tell you. But what if they’re all hard ones? I had taken honors biology the year before and done well in it, getting a pretty solid A. I…
Read MoreWere our textbooks really that helpful?
Before break, some friends in my dorm and I were discussing the different types of educations we received from elementary school through high school. There were the expected differences that arose between private and public schools, but we also realized there were stark differences based on where we grew up. Three of us — from…
Read MoreRigor is not value
Taking a course at Princeton, conventional wisdom would have it, requires a commitment to intellectual life and academic output. Yet it seems evident that our institution prioritizes rigor — or perceived rigor — over other considerations. This isn’t because rigor is required for understanding, nor because difficulty-for-the sake-of-difficulty is a pedagogical necessity. Rather, the point…
Read MoreWhy I’m happy with my useless majors
Impracticality matters much less than you’d think when the alternative is a practical field of study that’ll lead to lackluster and underwhelming performances and interests. I have a useless major — two of them if you ask some people. As a cinema and political-science major, with a creative-writing interest, I feel as if I’ve…
Read MorePosture and confidence at Kenyon
As a senior, I’ve been battling feelings of anxiety of being ordinary and failing to stand out. In a world of competition, you can never really feel too comfortable in your own skin. When we try our hardest and give our best attempts, there’s an internal pulse that carries us to the next step, ideally…
Read MoreProfessors are right — taking notes by hand leads to greater comprehension, learning in class
Though banning laptops seems juvenile, taking notes by hand eliminates distractions, making lectures more conducive for learning It seems as though the age of laptops in classrooms came and went in the blink of an eye. To start off the school year, many professors have put their foot down and begun to insist that…
Read MorePenn may have changed my bond with my father, but it’s just as strong
How college changes your relationship with your parents My dad and I are unusually close. When I was nine, my mother died following a six-year battle with breast cancer. In many ways, experiencing something like that at such a young age was a curse, but it also bonded me to my father. Starting college inevitably…
Read MoreLessons from high school
“In a few years you’re going to college,” my ninth-grade English teacher cautioned us. “And no one is going to care about what you did in high school.” Similar sentiments have echoed around me for years — from teachers, parents and, just this April, students at Yale. “Next year, nothing from high school will matter anymore.”…
Read MoreStartups, a Millennial Myth
Earlier this month, I went to watch my best friend pitch her non-profit startup at Harvard’s 2018 President’s Innovation Challenge. Of the fifteen competition finalists, only two teams were entirely composed of undergraduates. This surprised me — at a top school with no shortage of young talent, where entrepreneurs have access to a vast array of resources and a…
Read MoreSelfishness Won’t Save Us
Last semester, I went to an event at Oxford organized by The Economist called “The Future of Work.” This title has become shorthand for nebulous concepts such as “the AI/Automation revolution” and how they might lead to mass chronic unemployment in the near future. I have had a keen interest in this for a couple of years and…
Read MoreRe-orientating our attitude toward loneliness
Recalling first-year orientation brings back little besides the sensation of immense loneliness. Watching as my peers made fast friends with each other, feeling like an outsider observing social rituals conducted in a foreign tongue. I didn’t connect to anyone that first week at Brown, or the second. As my first semester slogged on and I…
Read MoreIn moments of trial, are we ready to act?
My blood ran cold as I watched the man smash his fist into his victim’s face. The other man crumpled to the floor, but the assailant continued to strike. I was terrified. This was neither a scene from an action movie nor a training simulation. It was real-life violence, unfolding before my eyes. *** Last…
Read MoreThe faces of autism
It’s serendipitous that I write this column in April, which just happens to be Autism Awareness Month. It’s promising to see events that raise awareness about autism, such as the annual 3K walk organized by Spectrum: Autism at Cal. But despite these causes, there is still a lot of confusion surrounding this diagnosis. And as…
Read MoreDon’t romanticize destructive habits
According to the American College Health Association, nearly one out of five university students is affected by anxiety or depression. There are many reasons why these disorders may be prevalent on college campuses, including smartphone addiction, the rising cost of college and mental exhaustion. Nearly all students at Brown experience some form of mental exhaustion at least…
Read MoreChanging the way we teach race
In the eighth grade I was asked if I wanted to step out of the room while the class learned about slavery. When I politely declined, I was allowed to sit with my classmates as we were taught the wonders of slave culture — the music and religions cultivated from a beautiful blend of two cultures,…
Read MoreAre Your Shoes Classist? Are You?
You see them every day, probably. They’re ugly, but we’re expected to believe they’re a subversive type of ugly, emblematic of revolutionary sentiments and avant-garde innovations in fashion and culture itself. Yes, I mean the Balenciaga Triple S Trainers. People that sport this clunky, worn-in footwear probably don’t realize that their ironically and offensively expensive apparel choices…
Read MoreHow campus culture cultivates body-image issues
College cultivates a toxic culture surrounding beauty expectations for women and forces us to try to imitate unrealistic ideals. As college students, we tend to be under perpetual stress. It’s an expected, although unwelcome, aspect of school. Exams, essays, loans — not to mention the ever-elusive social life — are enough to break down even…
Read MoreAm I Growing Up?
We’re told that college will fundamentally change us, but that’s not how it always pans out. Back in high school, everyone was clamoring to get out. “I can’t wait to leave,” they said. “Senior spring can’t come soon enough,” they said. And when August rolled around and summer came to an end and college loomed large right…
Read MoreConnecting the Ivory Tower to the real world
The classes I’m taking this semester have me circling back to this one thought: How applicable is the stuff I’m learning in the classroom to the real world? We’re so fortunate to attend a place like Brown. Only a small minority of us will ever get the chance to receive a college education, live in…
Read MoreFor the miles ahead
As a senior on the track and field and cross country teams, my time at Yale has revolved around seconds, miles and a 15-minute bus schedule. Like all distance runners, each day brings its own demands, including a consistent stream of prescribed miles. Though a mile may seem to be a uniform measure of distance,…
Read MoreKindness is a powerful form of activism
After a year that even the creators of South Park found impossible to parody, current events have lost their ability to shock us, and something of a formula has formed. As attentive and impassioned students, we see the way things are, we measure our dissatisfaction, we react. But a realization struck me last month as I…
Read MoreOvercoming rejection
It was only Thanksgiving season, and I’d already been rejected by three academic conferences, three a cappella groups, two fellowships, two summer internships, and one guy I really liked. I’m not even done yet; I’m applying for a multitude of other programs, with the hope that maybe I’ll be accepted to one for the summer. I once thought…
Read MoreToward a broader job search
As the spring semester begins, students are scrambling to secure summer internships and post-graduation positions. The pressure is especially high for seniors, who will soon be completing their final semester and walking through the Van Wickle gates into the dreaded “real world.” For those of us seniors who still don’t have a job lined up…
Read MoreLeave millennials alone about their piercings and tattoos
Over the summer, I interned at Long Beach City Hall. I had to apply for the position and was eventually interviewed. My interview went well: I brought my resume, dressed for the occasion and made sure I appeared qualified. I also had bright blue hair in high school, including when I interviewed for my internship.…
Read MoreDoes the stress of high school ever end?
I have thought about the above question for as long as I have been at Kenyon, and even as a sophomore, I am still not sure if I can answer it. The preoccupation with getting into a “good” college consumed my life beginning in the ninth grade. Even though admissions officers encourage potential applicants to…
Read MoreGroup projects are horrible
There are a few things a professor can say that will automatically make me fear taking a class. For example, “This class is not curved,” or, “I expect half of you to fail or drop out of my course,” or the awful “The final is cumulative.” But in my opinion, nothing is worse than the…
Read MoreA Case of Mistaken Identity
Escaping some stereotypes while embracing others presents a difficult task. Stereotypes have always followed me around. In elementary school, the “Asian” accent was a running joke. All my friends did it and I did it too, perhaps as a way of deflecting the joke, owning the joke, showing that it didn’t matter and that I…
Read MoreImproving our civic knowledge
Last week, while investigating a politician using public records from the Rhode Island Superior Court and State House for a course, I made a startling discovery: I quickly realized my basic high school education about American government had slipped away from me. As I spoke to administrators who asked me what type of court case…
Read MoreTeaching tolerance
When my sister told me she was trans, her eyes wide open for my response, I almost laughed. I told her that she should give it some time, that she was too young to make such a big decision. I didn’t understand why she took off in front of me when I suggested that maybe…
Read MoreStudents should understand the benefits of getting involved
Being active in your field of choice early on increases the likeliness of future success There is no denying that college life is busy. The average student’s planner is filled with lists of commitments, exams and work schedules. But college is also a time to grow, make memories and develop foundations for the future. Amongst…
Read MoreMy mid-college crisis
As a junior who came into Brown thinking she had it all figured out, I’m more confused about what I want to do with my life now than I was as a bright-eyed freshman. In high school the choices seemed black-and-white: I imagined I’d spend my undergraduate years preparing for either law, medical or business…
Read MoreSaving for retirement, now
Two weeks ago, I wrote an article in the News encouraging students to over-borrow for their education while simultaneously investing money for the future. This week, I want to backtrack and answer the question: “Why on Earth would I save for retirement during my bright college years?” As is so often true, the limitations of…
Read MoreInbox anxiety
There are a lot of things about myself that I expected to change once I started college — more friends, better classes, less junk food (a delusion and a failure, I assure you) — but one thing I didn’t expect was my newfound addiction to checking my email. Walking to class? Let me refresh my…
Read MoreCredentials over color
This year has been a big one for women’s tennis. Serena Williams, arguably the greatest living tennis player, won a Grand Slam while pregnant and delivered a beautiful baby girl. Meanwhile, her rival Maria Sharapova not only returned to the circuit after fulfilling the conditions of her suspension for using banned substances but also authored a book. That book immediately…
Read MoreA message from “dumb” athletes
While some seem to believe that nothing athletes have to say is worthy of their time, we want to discuss why recent statements about student-athletes have underestimated just about every Yale student, in addition to shaming and devaluing a specific group within this community. The central message of these negative stereotypes is that student-athletes do…
Read MoreGrowing up (wanting to be) white
On Hollywood whitewashing and why representation matters When I was younger, I wanted to be an author. I wanted to write short stories and plays and novels. I thought something was keeping me back, though — my name. I didn’t think the name “Jessica Li” would look good on a byline, underneath the glossy title…
Read MoreMore Than a Token
Parting reflections on being black at UChicago. “If I were you, I would just go to whatever state school you’ve already been accepted to. The University of Chicago is really a tough institution, and I’m not quite sure you’d do well there, if we’re being honest.” I felt my heart beating fast, my mouth getting…
Read MoreWhat I (actually) wish I knew freshman year
As of writing this, two weeks from now I’ll be sitting on a beach somewhere. Three weeks from now, I’ll be enjoying my last Reunions as a student. And four weeks from now, I’ll probably be at home, waking up and wondering if this was all a dream. Knowing this is my last column for…
Read MoreThe art of opinion-making
I love opinions—I energetically spatter them around with Pollock-like imprecision, with the Columbia student body as my canvas. And at a campus like Columbia, that is not a distinct characteristic; the campus is colored by our vehemently expressed viewpoints and opinions. However, before being an opinion columnist this semester, I honestly believed that my opinions…
Read MoreDemanding respect for women in intramural sports
A few weeks ago, I played in an intramural soccer game in which I was the only woman playing. When I walked into the gym and saw four or five extremely tall, muscular men warming up on the other side of the field, I was a little intimidated. As a 5-foot-3-inch, 140-pound woman, I wasn’t keen…
Read MoreWhy Young People Should Embrace the Whole Life Movement
At first glance, the term “whole life” can conjure up numerous different feelings, depending on the context. There are those who believe it’s just another euphemism for the right-wing anti-abortion mob; there are those who see it as another movement in the Christian community that won’t actually take us anywhere. I believe it to be…
Read MoreEx-Stream Entertainment
Netflix exploits and distorts serious issues to create binge-worthy shows. For a large percentage of students, exam procrastination takes the form of Netflix. I love Netflix. But it’s a love-hate relationship. While I appreciate the instant access to a wide variety of easy procrastination, recently released Netflix shows like 13 Reasons Why have capitalized on the addictive…
Read MoreEmbrace failure
Steven Spielberg was a repeated failure. He received unimpressive grades in high school, and was rejected three times — yes, three — from the University of Southern California. Yet Spielberg went on to direct 51 films, win 3 Oscars and amass a wealth upward of $3 billion. It is no coincidence that before succeeding, Spielberg…
Read MoreThe Era of Not Knowing
I know enough about myself, and what I tend to write, that this final, end-of-the-semester piece will be reminiscent of this school year. I’m no longer the freshman who can write about the conflicting feelings of dorm life and the realization that everyone struggles, but never wants to leave Cornell. And I’m not a senior,…
Read MoreThe Honor Code Vote – One Student Senator’s View
Should an honor code place one student against another? Is it the best way to ensure an honest and trusting atmosphere at a high school? Will it ensure moral action and thinking? In the Final faculty-Student Senate meeting of the winter term, we voted to adopt an honor code for Lawrence Academy. I left with…
Read MoreGetting Along with Others – Article
As students we should learn to live with one another right now, because we’re going to have to do it the rest of our lives. By learning to live and accept that others are and will always be different, we take a step away from ignorance, and a step towards knowledge. Address to New Students…
Read MoreSupporting What We Don’t Believe
– November 1999 Freedom of speech is not absolute, as Supreme Court decisions have told us. Yet what rights do we have about seeing our funds being used as we want them? The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that will affect colleges and universities across the nation, including Columbia. In…
Read MorePublic School Reform: Innovation Not Renovation
– November 19, 1999 Public schools are in serious trouble: Standardized test scores have not increased while dropout rates, teacher turnover rates, and school violence rates have all increased. Students are more belligerent, curricula are less modern, and teachers are less skilled than ever before. Is there a cure? From Columbia Spectator,…
Read MoreThe Rise of Gun Violence – Who Shoots Whom
– November 16, 1999 What can be done to end the senseless mass killings? Are the Media to blame? Can the Media paint a more accurate picture? It was by chance last week that I caught wind of a breaking story of another shooting, this time in my hometown in South Florida. The…
Read MoreThe Most Productive Third of Your Life
– November 12, 1999 Sleep is needed to rejuvenate the body and mind. What is the most important part of sleep? Too little sleep can be very detrimental to your health. People spend one third of their lives in an altered state of consciousness. This is required for normal growth and development, and it…
Read MoreBINGE-DRINKING PLAGUES EVEN THE IVY LEAGUE
Is boredom a factor in binge drinking? Is it a pressure relief, or a way to fit in? Ms. Dressler examines these and other possible causes of this dilemma. Many people are under the impression that Columbia University does not have a problem with campus drinking, at least not as much as the Big Ten,…
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