Photo by Kleigh Balugo By Brigita Pryzbylski ** Warning: Spoilers ahead! ** We grow up on the promise of happily ever afters, an unrealistic and unattainable idea fed to us through movies with romantic fairytale endings. These stories can make us feel lonely and unhappy when comparing them to our own lives. We all innately crave…… Continue reading Loneliness on the Big Screen
Category: Essay
An Ode To Gossip Girl
Photo by Kleigh Balugo By Jana Marquez The second the leaves start to change and the air becomes crisp, I know it’s time for my annual Gossip Girl rewatch. A tradition just as special to me as the holidays they celebrate in the show, Gossip Girl has become customary. It’s my comfort show – especially…… Continue reading An Ode To Gossip Girl
winter things
Photo by Kleigh Balugo By Janetsa Keo Winter started to feel like mid-July. It was warm outside for once, in the dark hours of the season. The trees were dead and dry, the leaves were shriveled up and thin on the ground. The sun had been absent for quite some time, leaving only sparse clouds…… Continue reading winter things
Thursday in December, Maybe Six Years Ago (I’m Not Counting)
Photo by Jennifer Prewitt By Jennifer Prewitt On the hill I realized I was grossly underdressed. Wind blown snow giving cold kisses on our cheeks. “You go first,” and I did. We sled for hours, laughing when the thorns swallowed me up, the roses long dead. After, we sat in my car while it warmed…… Continue reading Thursday in December, Maybe Six Years Ago (I’m Not Counting)
without central heating
Photo by Angie Shenouda By Angie Shenouda i’m used to layers and layers of blankets, a rainbow to burrow underneath until the quivering fades, or until i fall into a dream. snooze buttons abused, resisting the inevitable unraveling of myself into the sharp shivers of the morning. i’m best friends with the way my feet…… Continue reading without central heating
July 23, 2022
Photo by Leili Najmabadi By Leili Najmabadi Lately I can’t stand the motorized, not the highway traffic alongside the walking trail and not the sound of drilling first thing in the morning. Keeping a person’s spirit alive before they are gone comes with stuffy air, untouched cafeteria food, and frequent diaper changes. If we are…… Continue reading July 23, 2022
What Pixar’s “Soul” Taught 20-Year-Old Me
Photo by Angie Shenouda By Angie Shenouda ** Warning: Spoilers ahead! ** “All the times I’ve been so close to getting to my dreams. – something always gets in the way.” – Joe Gardner, Pixar’s Soul If you’re anything like me, you’ve sometimes felt like the world has been playing a massive prank on you. These…… Continue reading What Pixar’s “Soul” Taught 20-Year-Old Me
Wild Onions
Photo by Niki Dreistadt By Niki Dreistadt My picnic basket fits snugly on the rear rack of my bike. The wicker is a little busted and the lining reveals berry stains and tiny rips but it holds up. Stuffed with a light blanket, grapes, hard cheese and the end piece of what was once a…… Continue reading Wild Onions
Being Asian in White Spaces
Photo by Kleigh Balugo By Kleigh Balugo Dear Kindergarten Readers, What happens when you’re the only Asian person in a room? When I was younger, I found that being Asian in a white space had detrimental effects on my self esteem. I longed to fit in with my white peers, despite their tendency to isolate…… Continue reading Being Asian in White Spaces
Nurturing Your Roots: My Visit to the Nuwu Art Gallery
Photo by Lauren Dominguez By Lauren Dominguez As someone who is of mixed race, it’s always such a shock to be labeled as one side and to have the other completely disregarded. I’ve always lived within those black and white areas. My father is Mexican and my mother is various percentages of Western European. I’ve…… Continue reading Nurturing Your Roots: My Visit to the Nuwu Art Gallery
Kindergarten 