I’ve rarely studied meditation in a formal sense, but the basis of mindfulness critical to its practice have always been an important part of my personal philosophy. For someone who has often struggled to feel in control in uncontrollable environments, mindfulness is an essential tool.
That night, I became one of the one-in-three women who has experienced sexual assault or coercion—without even realizing it. Yet despite our prevalence and the gravity of our circumstances, policymakers—like Betsy DeVos’ new Title IX policies—continue to neither recognize nor support survivors of sexual assault.
“In February, I accepted the Tombs’ annual challenge for seniors. On every one of the last 99 days of senior year, I planned to descend into the Tombs and hand the bartender my ID as proof of my attendance. I found the cheapest items on the menu and set aside enough money for all the checks. If you make it, they’ll put your name on a plaque, and how can you put a dollar value on that?”
Last week, I finished my second year at Georgetown. As much as I wish I could provide some eloquent update about how, despite the obstacles created by COVID-19, I made the most of this semester and learned a lot, that simply isn’t the case. The reality is I’m tired. I’m really tired. I’m tired because I’ve spent every day for the past two months thinking about the fact that Georgetown doesn’t seem to consider me, a first-generation student, valuable.
“With the rise in anti-Asian sentiment, I can’t help but feel uneasy in the rare times I do leave my house since the stay-at-home orders began. I wonder if the man who pushes his cart past mine in the supermarket sees me and feels hate. I worry if today might be the day some crazed stranger passes me or my family and reacts violently. “
“The disparity between the facile attempts at female empowerment on Instagram and the ways women’s rights are under threat demonstrates how misdirected good intentions can actually be more harmful than empowering.”
“Our schools’ new policies reveal that professors’ lack of support for disabled students exists not because of “lazy” students, but because of a lack of empathy and the excessive competitiveness that institutions such as Georgetown instill in their community members.”
There are moments when your life depends on a single foot. As I traverse the snowy upper slopes of Colorado’s Mount Harvard at 14,400 feet in elevation, the stakes are high. One misstep here and I could conceivably fall hundreds of feet down an icy cliff. There are no ropes and no second chances. My…
I have short hair. Not shoulder length, not a bob, short. I cut it the day of sixth grade graduation, modeling it after Emma Watson’s then new, now infamous pixie cut. Life is subtly different with short hair. You get mistaken for a man more. You spend less on shampoo. You don’t have hair ties…
The year 2020 marks the 100th year anniversary of women’s suffrage in America. It is worth quickly reflecting on the change since the landmark amendment had passed (partially thanks to my home state and one awesome legislator’s mother who changed her son’s mind at the last minute! Go Tennessee!). These past few decades have been…