Confronting my loneliness was a double-edged sword
March 1, 2021
I first moved to Boston in the fall of 2017 from Westminster, Massachusetts; a small, rural town. It was a
I first moved to Boston in the fall of 2017 from Westminster, Massachusetts; a small, rural town. It was a
Most of us can agree that the Senate’s vote on Feb. 13 to acquit Trump of inciting the Jan. 6
When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a painter. But I became discouraged after my mom told me
Since the pandemic began in March of last year, our time has been consumed by WiFi and computer screens due to the nature of remote living. Suddenly, people who worked nine to five corporate jobs are rolling out of bed
For Valentine’s Day, Netflix gifted its subscribers with the third and final installment of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movie series based on the book trilogy of the same name by Jenny Han. The movies featured Lana
On Feb, 4, NPR released a segment of their morning edition broadcast, where they discussed the current legal state of consulting giant McKinsey and Company. Recently, the company reached a total of $573 million in lawsuit settlements with nearly 50
The general sentiment of last Sunday’s Super Bowl seems to be ‘disappointment.’ Many viewers felt the game itself was boring for the standards of a Super Bowl, with a lackluster game and a referee that some see as biased against
It’s been one month since the House of Representatives introduced articles of impeachment against former President Donald J. Trump for incitement of insurrection. The argument against him? The role he played in encouraging a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol
As journalists, we are taught that objectivity is the key to good reporting. We’re taught we must not allow our biases to seep into our reporting and writing. We either must keep our opinions to ourselves or drop them off
When I think of the year 2016, it seems like eons have passed. In the past four years, time has moved awry, with one headline after another bringing waves of turmoil caused by the Trump administration. Empathy and compassion are
Since Aug. 2020, farmers in India are protesting new laws passed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that significantly lessen government regulation around sale, pricing and storage of produce. Three bills were passed on Sep. 14, 2020 by the Bharatiya Janata
In February of last year, the president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, hired Rudy Giuliani as a consultant for national security services. Today, the former New York City mayor is being sued for more than $1.3 billion by Dominion
Content warning: This Op-ed discusses topics of domestic violence, murder, sexual assault, and gender-based violence. On Mar. 9 of last year, millions of women carried out one of the largest protests in Mexican history. We did not leave our homes—we
The stock market uproar over the past two weeks has enthralled financial institutions and social media platforms alike. It threatens to prove, if nothing else, that the “free” in “free market” exists only in the eye of the beholder—that is
On Jan. 20, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. stood in front of the Capitol Building and gave his inaugural address. His words had a resounding theme, one that I wasn’t surprised by but was still startled to hear. He spoke
COVID-19 has heavily impacted the fashion world, which has led to more than a one-third drop in revenue within the fashion industry. Even though the world is forced to adapt to the pandemic, the fashion world may never be the
Moving onto campus for the first time as a freshman is daunting. Stepping out of your comfort zone while meeting new people from different backgrounds is one of the building blocks of the college experience. During a pandemic, the freshman
Video games have been around since the 1950s, bringing forth old-school classic computer games like “Tennis for Two” and “Spacewar.” Since then, video games are continuously proving to be the newest technology on the market and the increased demand for
When a friend in middle school told me she couldn’t wait to spend her Bat Mitzvah money on a nose job, I told her to “go for it.” I remember thinking that plastic surgery was a positive thing; that it
Amid a pandemic that has taken 1.96 million lives and is set to infect many more, the world anxiously awaited a vaccine. Vaccines typically require years of development before reaching the clinic, but the events of 2020 forced scientists to
On the day Congress met to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over incumbent President Donald Trump, a violent mob of pro-Trump insurrectionists attempted to overrun the Capitol building. Trump supporters stormed the typically peaceful Rotunda, touting confederate flags and shattering
Much like everyone in my generation, I use dating apps. Tinder, Grindr, and Hinge are currently downloaded on my phone. And despite the desperation that list gives off, I don’t particularly like dating apps. I think they’re superficial, placing the
As the fall semester slowly comes to its end, many students across the country are preparing to return home for Thanksgiving. This year has been a whirlwind, and let’s face it: we all need and deserve a big fat break.
As inauguration day approaches, leaders of Caribbean countries are coming together to congratulate the newly elected president, Joe Biden. As we move from an administration that strained international relations these past four years, I wonder what the inauguration will mean
When I think of emo music, I used to think of Gerard Way, Patrick Stump, Brendon Urie, or Hayley Williams. After the 2020 presidential election, I now know the truth—President-elect Joe Biden is the undisputed King of Emo. Dear readers,
Back in March, it was easy to chalk up the changes in my mental state and my struggles with online classes to the fact that every CNN notification felt like it came straight out of Stephen King’s The Stand. Following
Why are the doors to the dining hall so heavy? My noodle arms absolutely cannot handle so much weight. Why does it always smell so funky in the dining hall? Where is the normal food? Talking through a mask is
Embed from Getty Images Saturday became a record-breaking day as Joe Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump in the election—the first time a sitting leader only lasted one term since George H.W Bush was just known as George Bush back
Four years ago, I had just turned seventeen. I was balancing the stress of school at Medford Area Senior High in Wisconsin, a social life, and the mental toll from losing three grandfathers within the year. But all those emotions
Embed from Getty Images Basketball superstar LeBron James’ nonprofit voting organization More Than A Vote played an integral role in last week’s election by helping drive the record turnout of Black voters—a move that boosted former Vice President Joe Biden
On Election Day, before Joe Biden’s final stops on the campaign trail, he paid a stop to Greenville, Delaware. He attended Mass at Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church. After the service, he visited his son, Beau, at
Around four years ago, I became a citizen of these “United” States. I was reluctant to become a citizen because of the reputation Americans had cultivated to outsiders—selfish people who did what they wanted and did everything gluttonously. With that,
The whole world has been waiting for this victory — for four years. As soon as The Associated Press called that Democratic nominee Joe Biden won the electoral vote of his native Pennsylvania, pushing him over the 270 electoral-vote threshold
This October, I celebrated the birthday of an emo icon. My Chemical Romance’s third album, The Black Parade, officially turned 14 years old in October 2020, meaning the album beloved by angsty teenagers everywhere is old enough to be an
Tags related to America have only trended once a while on the Chinese Twitter-like social media platform Weibo since the pandemic began. I remember seeing trending terms like “U.S. COVID-19 cases climb,” “Trump blamed China for coronavirus outbreak,” “Trump tested
My stomach has been in knots all day. I have already gotten into multiple arguments with my family members and peers regarding the presidential election. The sheer thought of another four years of this administration makes me feel as though
Tension is in the air on Election Day. Even across the world, people are anxious to know what lies ahead for the United States and how it will affect them for the next four years. Here in the Dominican Republic,
While I am cautiously optimistic about the outcome of this year’s election, I am not optimistic about the potential fallout. No matter what the results are, a lot of heavily-armed people may be really angry, and anger plus ammunition is
Several countries around the world are highly reliant on tourism for generating foreign exchange, attracting international investments, increasing tax revenue, and providing job opportunities. Many have had to slow down or completely shut down these sectors in order to control
Many people highly anticipate Election Day. Each and every voter sits staring at their TV screen, hoping they did enough for their candidate to win. This election is no different, and it carries even more weight and importance than previous
I’d give the Paramount Hotel three stars following my brief stay in the college’s on-campus quarantine residence hall. After showing symptoms of COVID-19 but receiving a negative test last week, I was advised by the college’s Center for Health and
Temperatures have started to dip below the sixties. The leaves in the Common are fluttering off the trees. The pumpkin spice latte is back. It’s official: fall is here. Yet there is a much more sinister season creeping up on
English poet Alexander Pope, once said “To err is human,” alluding to the fact that all people make mistakes. Some of these mistakes are more serious than others, like knocking over the coffee mug onto your expensive computer or accidentally
As a Latina woman, I’ve always been surrounded by happiness and the mindset that everything is fine. Even my grandma, who fought depression all her life, always put up a positive front. My mom—a single mother—never showed signs of weakness.
Although my luggage now collects dust and remains hidden in the depths of my closet, I often think back to the days when I traveled around Spain with my family. My parents are originally from Spain, but I was born
Donald Trump supporters and Democrats have one similar perception of this year’s election: that it will follow in the steps of 2016. Though it appears America is heavily divided on almost every important issue on the ballot, there is similar
“If you’re not going to wear a mask, at least wear a condom,” posters around Emerson dorm buildings read. However, safe sex means a lot more than just wearing a condom. Just because there’s a pandemic happening doesn’t mean people
“How’s the U.S. election vibe? Who do you think will win? Does any candidate pose policies that hurt China or international students?” I received this list of questions from family and close friends back home during the first presidential debate
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly transformed our college’s culture and the way we interact with others. After classes resumed in the fall, students adapted to their altered social lives — on and off-campus or remotely. We asked students to tell
Almost nothing about my 21st birthday will be how I imagined. It won’t take place in a crowded bar. My friends won’t buy me frozen margaritas and toast to another year in the books. I won’t celebrate in a nice
My mom lives in Westchester County, New York, a place that is most known for being the home of the Clintons’, and the last place Robert Durst’s wife was seen alive. After COVID-19 touched down in America, I was forced
*Content Warning: This article heavily references suicide and depression. The American Psychiatric Association defines mental illness as a medical condition, just like heart disease or diabetes. From my experience, however, it is usually treated as something else altogether. Earlier this September,
When I first heard the news of the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18, I was in disbelief. I was aware that Ginsburg had been battling pancreatic cancer, but contemplating the possibility of her passing was too scary
For those of you who spent too much of your childhood obsessing over Legally Blonde and Beverly Hills, 90210, like me, you probably had an inflated image of what college life would be like when you got here. I imagined
This election season, a vast majority of the American population is likely going to vote by mail. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended just about everything in our American way of life, including the way we vote. Like anything else, voting
What does it mean to vote? When anyone casts their ballot in a normal year, they are fulfilling their civic responsibility as an American citizen. But this November, for the first time in a long time, there is a pandemic
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Billy Brodeur is a senior studying comedic arts. On a walk to Paramount my sophomore year, I turned a corner and saw my friend Paul slumped on the ground. Paul is a homeless man in his late 60s who sports
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Jillian Kay is a middle blocker for the Emerson women’s volleyball team. Kay is a rising sophomore studying broadcast journalism. When COVID-19 cases first surged in March, I had no idea how much the virus would challenge my athletic identity.
When I first landed in the U.S. during high school, the customs officer asked me what I wanted to pursue as a career. When I told him journalism, his immediate reaction was to ask me, “So you want to work
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Sophia Speciale is a rising senior studying visual and media arts. Like many young couples these days, my ex-boyfriend and I met on the dating app Bumble. We connected quickly while text messaging and clicked on our first date. We
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Claire Rodenbush is the Student Government Association Executive President for the 2020–21 academic year. Rodenbush is a third-year student studying creative writing. The following is a message to the Emerson Board of Trustees: You have a moral obligation to significantly
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Kaitlyn Bryson is a senior at Emerson College and serves as a student representative on the Title IX working group created by President M. Lee Pelton in the summer of 2019. She is also a contributing Op-Ed writer. Last spring,
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On March 6, all 81 Kasteel Well students were brought back to Boston by the college due to rising concerns about the spread of COVID-19. We were told this decision was made out of the best interest for our safety—yet
Recently, my dad told me on the phone that after 70 days of home quarantine, he was finally able to go out following China’s ease on their lockdown. I almost screamed when hearing this good news. COVID-19 had forced him
In an email to the Class of 2020, President M. Lee Pelton announced that Commencement on May 9 and 10 will be postponed. “No doubt, this news comes to you already anticipated,” he said. Maybe I’m an unwavering optimist, but
On Friday, March 13, Emerson College announced it would close its residence halls, effectively kicking us all out of our dorms. Across campus, students cried, raided The Max, and frantically texted their parents. Only the night before, in 172 Tremont,
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A few weekends ago, I went bar hopping with my friends in Amsterdam. You would probably expect me to be dancing and singing to the reggaeton music playing at the bar, living my best life abroad. Instead, my mind was
On Tuesday, I followed along on my phone as I flew back to Boston and watched school after school announce their plans to address the COVID-19 outbreak. My boyfriend received the notification that his school, Suffolk University, would be moving
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The ‘college triangle’ states that students can only have two of the following: good grades, a social life, and enough sleep. The first time I saw this triangle years ago, I chose to prioritize “good grades” and “social life” without
As a college student studying in a new city, finding relationships isn’t as easy as it seems. There are nightclubs, parties, and dating apps, but in my experience, none of those ever lead to anything serious. From what I realized,
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In my sophomore year of high school, I was excited to find out about a course called Asian Studies. The popular course focused on the significance of Indian religion, traditions, holidays, food, traditional clothing, and music, and incorporated field trips
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Every year, Feb. 14 represents a day of love. Valentine’s Day. But this year, and for every year of the rest of their lives, many people will not celebrate love and instead mourn the deaths caused by this hateful act
Last summer, a clip of U.S. Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez went viral on Twitter. Standing alongside fellow Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley, she shouts into the camera, “Experience doesn’t pay the bills!” Ocasio-Cortez is highlighting the challenge I and so
In my five years spent studying in the U.S., I’ve never been so worried about my family in China as I have now. When my dad recently said over the phone it was fortunate for me to return to the
In 2009, Spread the Word gained traction in the public school system of Colchester, Connecticut, my hometown, as well as in schools across the country. The campaign spread awareness about the derogatory and negative connotations that the “R-word” holds towards
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