It was nightfall on October 7, 2023, when I heard the news that shattered the world. The darkness felt heavier than usual, as if it had settled with purpose. Yet above it, the stars still burned. I...

There’s a particular kind of distance that doesn’t announce itself—it accumulates. It builds quietly until it becomes the air between people, places, and the versions of ourselves we can no longer...

I (along with seven other raucous third-graders) bounded down the red-brick alleys of Old Town all the way back in 2018, racing into the IPIC theater for the limited run of The Nutcracker and the Four...

We’ve all watched animations from major studios like Disney, Pixar, or Dreamworks, but I’ve been slowly losing interest in their work. Nowadays, I watch Glitch Productions’ indie animations for...

He carries a tote bag, sips an iced oat milk matcha latte, accessorises his thrifted jeans with a Labubu keychain, wears an unplugged pair of wired earphones playing Clairo, and tucks The Bell Jar under...

On Saturday, March 7, I joined 300 Westridge alums in gathering on the ARC Patio for Westridge’s annual Alumnae Weekend, a homecoming and celebration of all things Westridge. Before the day of conversations,...

In the midst of what Jaden Smith once described as the bleak “political and economic state of the world,” I’ve found a newfound appreciation for comedy television. Over the past few months, I’ve...

Climbing has been a part of my life ever since the end of the COVID pandemic. Before COVID, I had only dabbled once or twice in rock climbing as a nine-year-old. I had gone once to the summer climbing...

In a locker room tucked away from the public, laughter exploded; the laughter of boys who had triumphantly been decked with flashy Olympic jerseys and gold medals. They were eager to share the exciting...

“You’re so lucky to be busy,” the 17-year-old Afghan girl I tutor told me after I complained about the amount of homework I had one week. This simple exchange marked the beginning of a shift in my...

“Your school gets to go to New York?” Halmoni, my Korean grandmother, said, clapping her hands and grinning with pride. “You’re such a lucky, lucky girl!” On that early February afternoon,...

I’ll admit it—I loved Taylor Swift. Between her standalone bridges in songs like “All Too Well” and “The Last Great American Dynasty,” and her unmatched grasp over the young American female...