Finals week is like a seven-day marathon filled with mental and physical challenges. It’s the ultimate test of how much caffeine your body can handle. As a senior at the University of California Riverside (UCR), I’ve experienced a fair variety of finals from timed essays, in-person exams, group projects and, during the pandemic, awkward virtual recordings. Each finals season...
This year, I’m preparing to vote in my first general election, and it’s exciting knowing just how important my vote will be. Casting my first ballot in the Democratic primaries made me realize the power and responsibility of voting, and the importance of honoring the struggles of those who fought for this right. Voting isn’t just a right, it...
Growing up as a Palestinian Muslim woman in post 9/11 America, I have only ever known of a government that is unkind to my people. Almost every politician has made a career out of portraying Muslim and Arab victims as the political enemy, finding a way to vilify these oppressed people.
In the safety and security of my home, my...
As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to an end, I’ve reflected on what this month of celebration of Latine history and culture means to me as a mixed-race Mexican American.
Living in the Bay Area, I grew up in a largely Asian American community away from my Mexican American family in Southern California. Connecting with my roots and Mexican heritage was...
Hispanic Heritage Month, established in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, was created to honor the contributions and civil rights struggles of Hispanic American movements like César Chávez’s marches and La Raza Unida party. While the month has a noble purpose, it has always felt underappreciated to me, along with my own feelings of being trapped between two worlds.
One...
Coming back to school after summer break is always a waking nightmare, especially as I enter my final year of undergrad. Watching freshmen move into the dorms with their wide-eyed enthusiasm while I’m caught between nostalgia and dread, I can’t help but think about how much has changed — and how much hasn’t. Back-to-school season brings everything into perspective,...
I didn’t expect much from my first year at college. Virtual freshmen orientation was enough of a deterrent, removing the clichéd first day I had spent years picturing in my head. While icebreakers, in general, are painful, something about an online introduction amidst a sea of unhappy faces peering through blurry screens had me quickly begging for reprieve.
It was...
In a speech at Benedictine College, a private Catholic liberal arts college, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made a host of offensive remarks about women, the LGBTQIA+ community, women’s fertility issues and the modernization of the Catholic Church. The speech drew ire online and in the media as the remarks were labeled offensive and outdated. After spending the...
In February, I am starved for love. I wait for “Good morning” texts and desperate “I love yous.” I re-watched “When Harry Met Sally” and “Before Sunrise,” analyzing their interactions and tenuous eye contact. I stare at the couple in front of me in Coffee Bean, fingers interlocked, hushed conversation and delicate smiles exchanged between the two. Though I...
My grandmother sends me a “Happy Birthday” card with the typical well-wishes and a $20 tucked inside every year. As a child, I remember squinting in confusion and re-reading her loopy handwriting to understand her message. Eventually, I would hand the card to my parents and ask them to “translate” her old-school handwriting. Similarly, in middle school, my teacher...