As soon as I wake up, my mind starts racing. I always had a lot of thoughts in my head. Most of all opinions about movies, myself, people, the latest trends on social media. Really, anything. I don’t think I’ve ever had the chance to express my thoughts. Often, I feel like I’m criticizing something, rather than simply sharing what’s on my mind.

Over the years, Minecraft’s audience has shifted and become more diverse, attracting people of all ages and genders. However, despite the gradual rise in female gamers, there are still significantly more male players––only 32% of players are female. Why? 

I’ve lived in Texas my whole life, but recently I went to my first honky tonk. I put on my True Religion bootcut jeans, pulled on cowboy boots, and borrowed my friend’s cowboy hat, (she insisted it completed the look).

Sonder: “The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries, and inherited craziness…”

Whether I need to be certain that I’m not a pedophile or a murderer, that I’m in the right relationship, or sick with a rare disease, OCD questions my every thought, every move, my everything.

We need to remember that we’re all human beings with unique experiences and ways of seeing the world. We need to recognize each other’s struggles. We need empathy. Lots of it.

“Can we speak?” someone tugged me. I turned to see who it was, and the moment I recognized him, my expression fell. I shook my head firmly. “I don't want to talk,” I managed to say, but I think it was more of a whisper. He didn’t seem to hear me, but I didn’t care. My body language said enough. Without waiting, I made my way downstairs to the dance floor. 

Depression is something I have grown accustomed to managing in my life, especially as fall turns to winter. When I tend to feel it most deeply. Over time, I’ve learned to navigate the cycles of depression that come and go. I hope to offer some support and advice to others who may be going through similar experiences.

My birthday is no longer my favorite holiday, but maybe that’s a true sign of growing up. Maybe they don’t have to be a bad thing as we get older, but rather a time for reflection. 

As a recent college graduate, I know firsthand how tough it can be to make friends in college, even though it’s full of people. I’m a bit more reserved, so finding “my people” was definitely a challenge. My younger brother, who’s very social, recently shared that he’s struggling with this too, which surprised me. But it made me realize that so many students, even outgoing ones, face the same thing. Here are five recommendations that helped me (or that I’ve shared with others) for making friends in college:

We should recognize that celebrities’ deaths are bigger than them. They were someone’s childhood. But please remember, they were also someone’s friend, partner, parent, sibling, and child. We can grieve the person we knew while respecting those who knew the person they really were.

TikTok really makes it a time of year where anyone can dress however they want. You’ll see guys wearing dresses going as the Powerpuff Girls, while girls can choose to wear whatever they feel best in, even the tiniest outfits. Since many costumes are homemade, people aren’t just copying each other’s ideas but continuously inspiring new ones.

There’s no need for prejudice in Doll Land. Everyone can live how they want to. So why should this experience be deprived of others because of the exact same prejudices that exist in the real world?

Over time, the term “witch” became entangled with sinister stereotypes: old, isolated, and possibly engaging in dark magic. Yet, this perception has evolved, and I think it's fascinating how the modern witch trend, largely shaped by pop culture and social media, has taken on an entirely different meaning.

I don’t need to be gifted, or even decent, at playing classical songs. I don’t need to beat myself up for messing up the left hand, thereby messing up the right hand, thereby the entire song. I can just play. I can just write. I can just…be.

Like any movements, body positivity needs to evolve. Loving our bodies should remain at the core, but we also need to foster more empathy toward others.

Heartstopper is joy. It’s beauty. It’s passion. It’s pain. But most importantly, it’s hopeful. Always hopeful. That’s why so many gravitate towards this show––we know that in the end, everything will be okay.

I was in a car crash. One that I'm lucky to have survived with only minimal injury. This is what happened, what that was like, and a reflection on how I'm feeling afterward.

Our four-legged friends are just that––our friends. But more than that, they’re also our family. They depend on us, just as we depend on them.