by Timaya Pulliam ’23 “A grade does not define you.” Those are words of wisdom my mom has given me since sixth grade, but I often struggled to accept them even when I knew she was right. I have always been one to try to get all “A’s,” be involved in everything I could, and push myself to be “perfect”. … Read More
by Matt Kauffman ’23 After a Rock n’ Roll Revival Rehearsal in late February, in a tired and dehydrated state, planning to head to the Maryland basketball game, I cut my fingernail open on the door handle to the bathroom in the Ertzman lobby. In one of the most painful moments I’ve ever experienced, I let the blood rush into … Read More
by Lizzy Hermosilla ’23 Throughout four years of high school I have never escaped stress, and I can safely say that much of the time I have spent in high school was defined by a state of distress. I was caught up in the stress of getting perfect grades, fulfilling obligations, and living up to a self-imposed standard. I had … Read More
by Naomi Bang ’23 I hate cold showers. So why do I take them (almost) everyday? Because jumping into freezing cold water at 7 a.m. has taught me to embrace “the flinch,” a term author Julien Smith uses to describe that moment of panic and doubt right before you do something uncomfortable. Like Smith describes, I have the tendency to … Read More
by Sydney Wiser ’23 Leaving your comfort zone is scary. Obviously. That’s why comfort zones exist in the first place. The world is intimidating and we want to form a protective bubble around ourselves that we can choose when to expand. Looking back on my life so far, I’ve realized that the most rewarding moments happen when I expand my … Read More
by Joon Baek ’23 “What do you want to do when you grow up?” This question has followed me around for a time that feels like forever. Every Korean baby’s first birthday is celebrated with a dol-jan-chi, which roughly just means ‘first birthday party.’ On May 19, 2006, two parents laid out multiple items in front of a baby symbolizing … Read More
by Lauren Hill As a 14-year-old middle schooler preparing to enter high school, I had high hopes for the next four years of my life. Would it be just like all the high school coming-of-age movies I loved so much? Would it be as exhilarating and transformative as everyone made it out to be? In all honesty, looking back at … Read More
by Rachel Klein The feeling of rejection is already painful as is, but becomes so much worse when it’s unexpected. The college application process is possibly one of the most degrading experiences that teenagers have to go through, but for most it is rewarding in the end. However, this does not change the fact that you may not have gotten … Read More
by Joseph Oscilowski Spirituality can be a very loose flow of ideologies and beliefs, or it can be a rigid ordeal that feels set-in-stone. I spent a good portion of my high school years exploring different ideas regarding religion and forming my own thoughts on spirituality, which has ultimately led me to become the care-free and open-minded person that I … Read More
by Apurva Mahajan Four years ago today, I didn’t think I would be alive to see the day I graduated high school. In August before I entered freshman year, I tried to make sure of that. Now as June 1, 2022 gradually approaches, it doesn’t seem real. I’m about to reach the point in my life where I can do … Read More