By Zaria George ‘22
Although I’ve become more comfortable with being called Zaria, there is still the internal dilemma that I have about its origins. In a community where I’m surrounded by friends and family with culturally significant names that reflect their heritage, I grapple with being “Zaria.”
Read Moreby Eleanor Nash ‘21
“Jell-O salad is one thing I know!” exclaimed my mom. Growing up in eastern Kansas in the 1960s and ’70s, she was on the receiving end of many Jell-O-based culinary experiments. Since their invention, Jell-O salads have evolved from show-stopping dishes at dinner parties and potlucks to quaint regional concoctions, a chronology that obscures both the marketing influence of the Jell-O Company and the creativity of everyday women.
Read Moreby Samantha Elalto Cuneta ‘21
Language forms the basis of a culture, and Taglish, a combination of Tagalog and English, is a daily norm in the Philippines. Yet the concept of synonyms is almost nonexistent. “Nakakatuwa” translates into “funny” in English, and is interchangeable with “humorous” or “witty.” In my country, the word is almost never used in these contexts. To translate “nakakatuwa” from its native form—to strip it of connotations built up through three centuries of colonization—would dissolve the culture that invented this word and prevent its people from adopting a permanent culture of indignation.
Read Moreby Marie Tan ‘21
When I told my dad I got my period, he was excited. “You know in China, we give our neighbors red rice when a daughter has her period!” Please don’t do that, I told my dad.
Read Moreby Anonymous
CW: descriptions of natural disaster
I’m from Southwest Florida, and you can bet anyone who lives in the Gulf Coast region has witnessed a hurricane. Though they are a fairly common occurrence, the effects can be devastating to the families in communities hit the hardest. No hurricane impacted my family as significantly as Hurricane Irma.
Read Moreby Audrea Huang ‘22
CW: death of a parent
I grew up in a hospital.
Soft jazz fills the hallways as I hold my brother’s hand, searching for Mom’s new room.
Read Moreby Zoë Owens ‘22
CW: implications of eating disorders
She didn’t look at me as she said it. It was almost like she wasn’t saying it to me; she was saying it to get it out of her head and off of her heart.
Read MoreBy Parker Piscitello-Fay ‘22
I have two beautiful mothers, an amazing younger sister, a sperm donor father, and at least three half-siblings. I don’t know how to explain how this feels to strangers.
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