Dec 31, 2019Not All Bad Girls are Icons: The Unsettling Martyrdom of Bonnie ParkerIn my family, we give gifts on Valentine’s Day. Or, more accurately, my mother gives gifts: ever since I was little, I’ve come downstairs for breakfast to find a “little something” on my chair-a book, a pair of socks, a set of pens. One year, when I was in high…Racism6 min read
Dec 30, 2019The Last First DayLet’s talk about milestones. Chance the Rapper’s first official album, The Big Day, came out just 48 hours ago and I’ve listened to it all the way through twice, once while following along with the lyrics on Genius.com. I don’t want to miss a word because he’s a brilliant writer…Mental Health6 min read
Dec 29, 2019So You’re an English Major — What are You Going to do with That?As an English major who has spent the last summer at Make Muse working with a crew of brilliant young women-many of whom study the humanities- I know I’m not the first to experience the stigmas surrounding the humanities. The age-old judgment seems to be that the humanities are simply…Education6 min read
Dec 27, 2019To My Younger Sister (For When You Are Older)I have to be honest with you: you know that scene in movies when a kid asks their parents for a sibling? That wasn’t me. I wanted a dog, or a guinea pig, or maybe even a bunny. At 13, I had been content with my lonely, only-child life. But…Sisters11 min read
Dec 23, 2019From Top 15 to Rock Bottom: Recovering from Honor Student BurnoutSophomore year. Yet another day of watching the sunrise and set from my bed. At least the view from my room is pretty, I think as I scroll through Instagram, focusing on how much better everyone else’s lives are than mine instead of the sun painting the reeds and lake…Entrepreneurship10 min read
Dec 21, 2019Growing Up on Social Media Changed the Way I Felt About MyselfI created my first Instagram account years ago in middle school, on the cusp of an adolescent existence that would be hallmarked by an anxiety I did not yet have the words for. The account was deleted soon after, the result of a particularly dramatic disagreement with my mother over…Social Media4 min read
Dec 18, 20191 Across: My Love Affair with the NY Times Daily CrosswordCurtains drawn, it is dark in the room aside from your singular glow. Your face is an ethereal guide across the carpet towards a comforting haven. Laying my head down on the worn pillow, you rest on the corner. My eyes burn, your face makes me cry. Pondering this cliche…Self Care3 min read
Dec 16, 2019The Day I Saw Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Author Rainbow RowellLast month, I found out about the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. because a dear friend who knew I adored books sent me the Facebook event. I’m forever in her debt, because that day was one of the best days of my English-major, book-nerd life. After looking over the…Politics5 min read
Dec 13, 2019The Experience Behind the VSCO Account: Studying AbroadI am currently studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I have been here for a month and a half and will be staying put for another two and a half months. There were so many questions I had running through my head before I left, and, to be honest, I…Travel11 min read
Dec 10, 2019Meditation and Anxiety: Why Sometimes, Silence is the AnswerThen A typical start to a day of my life in high school, around sophomore year, looked like this: I would wake up at 6:30am for classes that started at 8 (yes, I needed an hour-and-a-half to get my life together every day). After begrudgingly pulling myself out of bed, I…Meditation7 min read