Category: Volume 2026
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Dear Mom and Dad
I’ve been thinking about my brother Sam lately, and the struggles he’s had. Having ADHD makes his everyday life a lot harder, especially when it comes to focusing, staying calm, and managing his emotional responses. I know how much you guys love him, and how hard you’ve both been working to help him manage his…
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Taking the Bottle
This was the fourth hospital our family had gone to in two weeks. The first was because my dad had to get cancer treatments. The second was my post-surgery check-up. The third and fourth were for my brother and his wife’s daughters, twins that were born about three months early. They had been rushed into…
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Say “Yes” to NIL
Dear Whoopi Goldberg, As a girl who grew up playing sports, I have so much admiration for you and the fact that you helped found the All Women’s Sports Network. I love that you have created a space for female athletes to be recognized and celebrated. Since your platform promotes female athletes, I thought you…
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The Complexity of True Crime as Entertainment
In 2011, Indiana University student Lauren Spierer went missing. Though I was young when it happened, I vividly remember being interested and involved in her case—my parents volunteered in search parties, we prayed and fasted for her and her family, and we saw the missing posters up across town for years. Everyone in Bloomington was…
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Abolish Seasonal Daylight-Saving Time
Twice a year, most U.S citizens are faced with a time change as they go into and out of Daylight Saving Time (DST). In the past, this attempt to conserve daylight hours was helpful in reducing energy costs and moving daylight hours to accommodate working hours. However, research has shown that this change in time…
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A Tale of Two Tongues: The Cognitive Benefits of Bilingualism
When I think back to my childhood, I can still hear the singsong rhythm of French music echoing in the kitchen. I was eight then, tracing unfamiliar words across the pages of my textbook, the smell of my dad’s crêpes sweetening the air. My little brother, still in diapers, tried to babble along, too young…
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Chopstick
As the oldest, obviously I’m obligated to be the hero in my family, saving everyone else from whatever monster I may encounter. The monster, of course, was my three-year-old sister, whose sole purpose (at least to me) was to fill whatever role I needed in my variety of imaginary games. She played the part perfectly…
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BREAK THE CYCLE: STOP BUYING NEW CLOTHES
EVERYTHING YOU WANT ALREADY EXISTS Shopping secondhand in better quality and usually cheaper Ways to shop secondhand: Save the planet, your bank account, and your closet. Song: Love me by: JMSN Videos used: • The Hidden Cost of Staying Trendy | Earth … • Love Me • The Clothing Waste Crisis: How Our Shoppin… • Fast fashion: The dumping ground for unwan… • Clothing Waste • Circular fashion: the $700 billion opportu… • ⋆THRIFT WITH ME⋆ (early 00s, 90s, chic, fa…
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Dear Empty-Nest Parents
Dear Empty-Nest Parents, The moment a child leaves home is one of life’s great paradoxes. On one hand, you feel proud watching your child step confidently into adulthood. On the other hand, your house seems too quiet, your routines slightly unfamiliar, and your heart unexpectedly tender. It’s a transition that people often brush off with…
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How American History and Media have Shaped the Public’s View of the Israel-Hamas War
Back in my hometown of Columbia, Missouri, I had a very diverse friend group. Some of my friends were Arabic, and we would frequently discuss religion, culture, and other differing aspects of our lives. It was almost always lighthearted. No one came away from any conversation feeling heated or being angry at one another. One…