When my mom was in college, she was obsessed with boy bands. A defining cultural phenomenon of the late 1990s and early 2000s, these groups dominated the pop landscape at the height of their influence, gathering cult-like followings. My mom was among the many young girls lured in by the intoxicating cocktail of heart-aching ballads, […]
“The U.K. has been colonised by immigrants,” Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the INEOS chemicals group and minority owner of Manchester United Football Club, said in a recent interview with Sky News on Feb. 12, 2026. Though Ratcliffe has since apologized for these comments, his sentiment reveals a rapidly growing, pervasive […]
It is almost impossible to spend time at Harvard without feeling the gravitational pull toward consulting, banking, or law school. It can feel like ambition has a uniform, calling undergraduates to join the sea of interns wearing the Aritzia ‘Effortless Pant,’ J. Crew quarter-zips, and lunching at Sweetgreen between coffee chats. Some flock to consulting […]
On every door hangs the symbol for fortune, “福.” Under every pillow, red envelopes rest. Aromas of oyster and soy sauce fill the air. These are the indicators of the Lunar New Year’s arrival. For me, this holiday is bittersweet, filled with celebration, but also a reminder of loss. I grew up looking forward to […]
In 2021, just after the peak of COVID-19 had subsided, I started high school at a small boarding school in northern Massachusetts. Before leaving home, I didn’t have to think much about who I was, what was happening in the world, or what I owed to it. My first disorienting memory came the night of […]
Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024 I hear a rustle from outside our college dorm door, and I know that my roommates, Ella and Mia, are back from class. Together, they burst in, throw down their bags, and sprawl themselves on the couch. Ella complains about her upcoming sociology paper, and Mia gets started on her next […]
“I’ll come out, but I’m not going to drink tonight” has become an increasingly familiar refrain as I find many of those around me falling in line with reported generational decreases in alcohol intake. While these words are not quite a commitment to full-fledged sober living, the physical and mental benefits of decreased drinking are […]
When did wellness stop being a habit and start becoming a trend? When I was younger, it meant staying home with a mug of tea when I had a sore throat, or eating the fruits and vegetables my mom set out with dinner. Now, those small, quiet acts feel insufficient. Ever since the pandemic, it […]
Since Colorado legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, cannabis dispensaries have multiplied nationwide, turning the once-distinct smell of weed into an everyday reality. But despite state policies, the American populace continues to question legalization. Some claim that the principles of liberalism and freedom—so fundamental to America’s identity—should apply to marijuana access and use. Others are concerned […]
I had been watching her for six days. This was not unusual. I watch most things. But I had been watching her with a specificity that surprised me—the way she replaced books on the shelves, for instance, running two fingers along the spine before releasing it, as though verifying it was properly returned. The angle […]