To My Depression, Thank You: At the end of the day I’m still here.
Dear my enemy, my weakness, and the one thing that manages to cripple me to the core, Growing up, I learned all about you. As long as I can recall,…
Ode to Birthday
Every book I have read this year in English has focused on characters who are ostracized. For example, in We the Animals, the narrator’s sensitivity, literary pursuits, and homosexuality…
An Open Letter to the Friends Who Turned on Me in High School
Dear Friends Who Turned on Me in High School, I'm not sure why it happened. And quite frankly, that isn't the point. It doesn't matter that you ditched me right…
Bottom line: Looks can be deceiving
So often we judge a book by its cover. We fail to see beyond what is on the surface. I understand completely that this is human nature. We allow visible…
I Got the SAT Blues
Why do I believe my standardized test scores are not a valid indication of my college readiness? (A) I read Sian Beilock’s Choke and I lie on the spectrum between…
Open Letters to the Slut and Prude Shamer
Dear "Slut Shamer," Please stop. Whether you are a guy or a girl, slut shaming is not okay. Who are you to say what a woman can and cannot do…
A message for girls who have “no feelings”
People always say sex is a beautiful thing. I guess there is something almost indescribable about the ability to connect with someone so deeply. Who knew that something so empowering…
What’s the Point of Body Shaming
"Oh, I knew you were a swimmer, your shoulders are huge! Must be a nightmare finding stuff that fits your body;" "Wait you swim? But you have boobs..." "How can…
The Real Deal with Senior Year and All That “College Stuff”
by Alana Willsey Your SAT/ACT Scores Matter, but They’re Nothing to Stress Over Take it from someone who stayed up more than one night obsessing and stressing over her SATs.…
The Seven Deadly Sins of High School
Working too hard: If you’re spending hours bent over a textbook every night, writing 10 drafts of that essay, or taking AP classes in subjects you’re not even interested in,…