by Tilda Wilson This morning, after 20 minutes on hold, I spoke to a woman in the Cornell financial aid office named Karen. Had she used a different name, our conversation would not have felt so much like a foregone conclusion. A ‘Susan’ or even a ‘Sharon’ might have lulled me into wistful imaginings of … Continue reading
by Bex Pendrak I sat nervously on my porch, staring out across the backyard at the line of trees shielding my house from the rest of Ithaca. What if I had made a mistake, if my impulsive decision would lead to months of regret? My legs began to bounce in a futile attempt to release … Continue reading
by Christina Ochoa It’s the morning after a long but good night. We attended a wedding together. His cousin from Miami was getting married, and his entire family was in attendance. They were a conservative religious family, and he had warned me that they could be judgemental of newcomers. I wore a shawl to cover … Continue reading
by Christina Ochoa First category of expression: Safety I don’t want to be seen. I don my oversized sweats like armor, to envelop me in the same way my depression has. They swallow every noticeable form, shape, and contour of my body. I become a clump of cloth, finding safety in the certainty of my … Continue reading
by Emma Bernstein From the ghosts that supposedly haunt Ithaca’s centuries-old buildings, to the various pumpkins that have been tossed, flaming, into gorges or been found perched atop the clocktower, to the legend of certain campus statues’ vested interest in the social construct of virginity, our school is no stranger to the unique or the … Continue reading
by Emma Bernstein Latent. /ˈlātnt/. Adjective. In biology: “(of a bud, resting stage, etc.) – lying dormant or hidden until circumstances are suitable for development or manifestation.” In medicine: “(of a disease) in which the usual symptoms are not yet manifest.” In speech: “(of a quality or state) existing but not yet developed or manifest; … Continue reading
by Jean Cambareriart by Belle McDonald The coronavirus pandemic, however terrible it has been, has given many a chance to slow down, learn new skills, dive deeper into hobbies – you know, get creative. They do say that Shakespeare or one of those other old white geezers was the most productive and creative under quarantine. … Continue reading
by Grace Lee I’m friends with a lot of brilliant people. Not to brag, but it’s true – they’re intelligent, mature, empathetic, and passionate. They’re the kind of people who excel in life, who win flashy awards, write brilliant papers, and get accepted to prestigious programs. However, very few of them, if any, feel like … Continue reading
by Faima Quadir Qadr(قَادِر) – power; one of the 100 names of God in Islam, meaning “Almighty.” I went to preschool in the basement of a church in suburban New Jersey. I did not realize it at the time, but in hindsight the room with stained glass windows and columns of benches was definitely a … Continue reading
