When I was a kid I was obsessed

When I was a kid I was obsessed with being cool. I always wanted to have the in clothes, the in shoes, and whatever all of the other kids had. But I wanted to go one step further, I wanted to have the things they didn't have yet - the latest upcoming trends. I wanted to be a trendsetter. So, I was really excited when I got an email - in sixth grade - from this company that said they would send me these free clothes, and I can't remember exactly what it said, but it was going to be the new trend, and nobody else would have these clothes yet. I was really excited about it. I responded, told them how excited I was - I gave them my home address, which might have been a mistake, but anyway... I got these clothes in the mail, which is a miracle that this wasn't actually a scam. I tried on the clothes and I was so excited because they seemed so different from what everyone else in my class was wearing. I don't remember exactly what made it different - but it made me feel more adult. I had broken my arm at the time, so my mom had to help me with getting dressed every morning. I showed her the clothes and even she was excited, she thought the outfits were really cute, and somehow I managed to get away with not telling her I'd give a strange company my address. I went to school, and all of my friends seemed really excited about this outfit too... but then I was sent to the principals office. I couldn't figure out why, I'd only been at school for a couple of minutes.

The principal told me I had to be sent home because my outfit had broken our school dress code and was too 'provocative.' I couldn't understand what he meant. I didn't see anything wrong with my outfit - it was really just jeans and a loose, patterned shirt. The jeans weren't even ripped, something that kids had gotten reprimanded for but never sent home over. I asked him what it was about my outfit that was too provocative, but he wouldn't answer and my mom was called to come and pick me up. When my principal filled her in she was livid. She couldn't understand why my outfit was coming under fire when no part of me was exposed. The principal, after much berating, finally told her that my shirt had exposed too much of my shoulder, in a way that could be considered inappropriate. I don't know why, but I can't remember what happened after this point in the conversation. I went home, changed, and came back to school, but I don't remember telling my friends about what had happened, or wearing the rest of my new trendy clothing. I was too embarrassed. To this day I spend a lot of time picking out my outfits. I worry more about my outfits now, but I think I'm worried for the wrong reasons.

~Anonymous

So, when I hear this question

So, when I hear this question, for some reason I just think about my childhood. And I guess it's pertinent to say that I come from a family of divorce - I don't know if that's the right way to phrase it? - my parents are divorced. My parents divorced when I was really young, like younger than I can really remember them being together. And so, I actually only have one memory of my parents being together - which is when I was like... God I must've been like four, or younger. The only parts of it I remember are, I was in my house, and it was nap-time, and I never liked naps. It was nap-time and I looked out my back window and my parents were doing yard work. And then, my mom found a bunny that had hidden in the garden, or something. She picked up the bunny, and since I was watching them I ran down and they were like 'it's fine that you're awake, this bunny is clearly more important than nap time.' So we pet the bunny for awhile, and then my mom let it go. For a long time I thought maybe that was a dream, and not a real memory, but it was just a recurring dream. But then one day I asked my mom and she said no we did find a bunny in the backyard once. She couldn't remember the details, but she remembered it, so I thought it must be true since my mom confirmed it separately.

I guess my parents later divorced, but they were always amicable, which isn't always the case, I know, because my dad was remarried, and I had two step-brothers. One day I came downstairs, and I saw my stepmom and the kitchen table and she was just crying. And, I was like "my God, are you okay?" - all the regular stuff you ask. My step-brothers' dad, he was a bad guy. He got restraining orders against her for the kids. Like, imagine if one day you went to pick up your kids and you were told no because there was a restraining order against you, you can't pick them up. She's a regular suburban mom, there's no reason for that. He was just a bad guy. So she was just crying because of all the things the boys' dad had done at that point, because he'd done so many things, she was like "I just wish me and my ex-husband could have the same relationship that your dad and your mom can have" - that they can be amicable, that they can be in the same room. That's what this question makes me think about. Those two moments, together.

~Anonymous 

The period of upheaval that most upsets

The period of upheaval that most upsets me is the use of electronic media for personal relationships and communication. Even though people seem closer than they used to be, particularly those living overseas communicating with family and friends, there isn't the letter writing and the phone-calling, and the personal contact that we had in previous years that brings people closer together. Along with this, is a trend, for young people in particular, to ignore books. There's no longer an emphasis upon reading the classics, either Western Literature or Easter Literature. People don't read anymore. They don't communicate effectively, verbally, or in writing, and this deterioration of their language skills I think will lead to long term consequences, if they haven't already in terms of societal divisions and violence.

~Anonymous

Last Tuesday, I wandered into a coffee shop

Last Tuesday, I wandered into a coffee shop that was smaller than I expected it to be. Before I go any further, I should clarify, because I'm concerned that when I say "coffee shop," the image in your mind is that of a midtown Starbuck's in the middle of an afternoon rush, or maybe even something more charming - a community space with board games and bulletin boards spilling over with notices for bands needing drummers, roommates seeking sublets, pet owners hoping for reunions with their missing companions. that's what I expected too, when, on the outskirts of Williamsburg, I saw a sandwich board on the sidewalk that read only COFFEE. I thought of a friendly place to hide away. I thought of a place where I could escape the cold with a cup of coffee and scroll through my tweets for a while.

What I found would more fairly be described not so much as a coffee shop but more of a coffee kiosk.. in area, it was about half the size of my freshman-year dorm room (not very big). It was so small that when I walked in - before I'd even had time to prepare myself for any human interaction - I was face to face with an exceedingly outgoing barista. Before I had even had time to prepare, she had asked me what I'd like to order. I panicked. In the nanosecond that she'd given me to skim the menu, I hadn't seen my regular order, so I sputtered, "A latte? Is that ok?" If course she happily obliged, as most places that advertise the sale of coffee - whether large or microscopically small - can manage a latte. As she began to make the drink, she caught me off-guard again. "So how's your day been?" she asked. In retrospect, I can't fault her for her affability. working in such close quarters, I imagine it would become unbearably awkward to pretend as though your patrons don't even exist. As a rule, I don't like talking to people about the weather. As small talk goes, I think it's a clichŽ and that generally we should make more of a real effort to get to know one another, even in moments so fleeting as to only be able to fit in conversations that can be categorized as "small." But, as I mentioned, I was unprepared. So, in absence of conscious thought, I seem to recall that I said, "It's so cold out! I can't believe how cold it's been." and the barista seemed crestfallen. I'm sure that at no point, in the history of retail coffee sales, has "amateur meteorology" been required as a job skill for baristas, and yet I'm sure she must spend hours a day yammering on about the weather. I could have told her that I had successfully haggled for the first time that day - and gotten a vinyl record for half price. I could have told her that I had been given that day off work and was taking the opportunity to pamper myself. Instead, I chose to discuss the lowest common denominator of human experience, and hadn't even had anything nice to say about it. After one or two more awkward exchanges, I walked out of the coffee shop, accepting the blustery weather as a fitting punishment for my faux pas.

The next evening, with the incident in the coffee kiosk completely behind me, I found myself again in another cramped situation. This time, leaving work and boarding an M train in rush hour, I was lucky enough to find a space between commuters wide enough to accommodate my narrow behind and not much else. I squeezed my shoulders in, leaned forward, and slid my phone out of my pocket. then, I turned up some music and began to scroll through my Twitter feed. After some time, I felt a tap on my shoulder. For the second time in as many days, I panicked at the idea of an interaction with a stranger that I was unprepared for. Was my music too loud? Was I encroaching on personal space? Reluctantly, I removed one headphone and turned to face the person sitting next to me. They appeared to be around the same age as me, and featured thick, horn-rimmed glasses, and hot-pink, glittery lipstick. "Excuse me," they said, "I couldn't help but notice your Twitter - do you like PWR BTTM?" I replied that PWR BTTM are one of my favorite bands and excitedly related the story of their performance at Fordham University from just last April (see photo attached). We swapped a few more stories of having seen PWR BTTM live, as well as our preferred gender pronouns, and our anxiety and enthusiasm for our own artistic passions (mine - writing plays and poems, theirs - photography.) Before I knew it, the train arrived at their stop, and by the time the doors closed, I added them on Facebook. We chatted idly online for a while longer, and in the same space of time that it had taken me to struggle through an awkward interaction with one stranger, I had turned another stranger into a friend.

The reason these stories are important to me - especially now - is because they have taught me, in a very personal way, the problems with relying on convention and clichŽ to make it through seemingly mundane interactions. Perhaps an even more important corollary is the value they taught me in approaching these interactions with curiosity, creativity, and care. It is so easy for us to do the common thing and to remain indifferent to the world around us, but it is more rewarding to make an effort to discover the things that connect us with each other.

~Anonymous

I would like to tell the story of

I would like to tell the story of Penn State football. Back in the fall it didn't seem like the Nittany Lions had a chance of breaking barriers. I didn't think that I need to go to the game because I'm not a huge fan of American football. I can't point to a specific day but I was watching one of the Nittany Lions games and for the first quarter they were down and out. Then something remarkable happened the team just kept on playing and play by play they really started to look like they could win the game. A few seconds to go and I'm thinking to myself "Did I actually watch a whole football game? This is a historic occasion for me considering I have never vantage to make it through a full football game." A few weeks went by and the Nittany Lions kept winning games in the second quarter and I found myself keeping up with their season more than I had ever before. By this time I was heading into uncharted waters my parents where in disbelief when I told him about the Penn State football teams latest exploits.

Then one day my friend came to me telling me about an opportunity to work at the stadium and get to see a football game for free. Now thinking as a college student I jumped on the chance to see a football game for free. After 2 1/2 hours of working at the stadium store I finally got a chance to go see what people in Pennsylvania drive miles to glance. Beaver Stadium at full volume is something that even the greatest fan can appreciate, it's a special atmosphere with the home like feel to it. The visiting team were none other then the Ohio State Buckeyes a team if you gave us little chance of matching. After the first half our team had been beaten and the rain had been pouring and I was ready to go. Score was 21 seven and I told my friend that the next touchdown Ohio State score we would leave to for home.

That's when something magical happened Penn State did it again they scored one touchdown then another touchdown and then suddenly we were only one touchdown from taking the lead. At this point I was in full voice at the student section with forty thousand other students cheering on our team hoping to see something incredible. Then in one play the stadium erected with disbelief as we watched our running back scamper up the field I couldn't help but scream at the top of my lungs. When his boot touched the end zone my friend and I flung forward screaming at the event that it just occurred. I have never experienced such raw passion from set of fans.The next 10 minutes or the longestof my short football watching career. When the final whistle blew the whole crowd was hiked eight hyped of my short football watching career. When the final whistle blew we storm the field and at that moment I realize what Penn State football meant to the fans, the families and to the town. As I walked home with an army of thousands I couldn't help but think this is what I've been missing out on.

~ Yemurai Chiwota

During winter break

During winter break, I went into NYC with my boyfriend and a couple of friends. Once there, we decided to take a walk through Washington Square Park and there we noticed a group of men sitting together playing music. A crowd had gathered around them and so we figured they must be playing fairly well and decided to go check it out. Once over there we realized how much fun everyone was having. People were singing, laughing, dancing, and we started talking to people we had not previously known and joining in on this newfound fun. Looking back now, I realized it was a wonderful thing for a group of strangers to get together and enjoy music and a good time. If more of the world could be brought together like this it would be a much happier place.

~ Ilana Morris

We are living in a time of political unease

We are living in a time of political unease in the United States. Many feel that they are just one person, and that they have no power at all over the events proceeding the election. Others feel that they have no channel to further what they define as progress if a majority of people find it to be a waste of time. It is at times like these that we should look to a counter-example for inspiration and for guidance. If I had to choose a story that every American should hear, it's the story of Elon Musk.

Elon Musk is the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity, and OpenAI. His story is far more relevant than it may seem, as it was his ability to make change that earned him his CEO statuses rather than the reverse. Musk was not at first a rich man, and had to start small by starting up a software company called Zip2 with his brother. He then sold his share of the company to invest in his cyber security idea that became PayPal. From there, Musk moved on to the two changes that he most wanted to see in America.

As someone who cares about change itself more than how to profit off the change, Musk had any number off integral changes that he could have attempted to solve. He chose the two that he felt were the most important to begin work on imminently: keeping the earth inhabitable and finding ways to get humans off earth. Then he got to work. First, he developed SpaceX, the first private business ever hired to send supplies to the International Space Station. SpaceX is also the closest group on earth to achieving transportation to Mars. Second, he created Tesla, the most successful electric car company in America. With Tesla inspiring competition, electric car technology has spiked in the past few years. These two companies are making significant strides on both of the issues Musk set out to solve. Musk is still facing heavy resistance from the people who would profit off of the belief that the earth is in no danger of inhabitability, such as oil or car company executives. The Republican party has also attempted to block Tesla sales in their states.

Recently, Elon Musk had a series of meetings with President Trump centered around technology development. After these meetings, Trump enacted a carbon tax to discourage air pollution. Trump, a famous disbeliever in climate change or the dangers of pollution, was moved to action by what Musk had to say. This is precisely why this story is so inspiring. Most people would agree that people are moved to action more by tragedy than by success, but most people don't know the story of Elon Musk. Musk took home $1 for all the work he did in 2014. If a man that came from nothing can now command the change he believed the world needed in spite of powerful adversaries and without the need for profit, why not let that inspire us? These are troubling times. But no matter where you are affiliated, we can all agree that change is necessary. Let's not let this great opportunity for motivation and inspiration pass America by.

~ Alexander Giannico

During this time of upheaval in our country,

During this time of upheaval in our country, the story I would most like to tell is a simple one. It is a story of common sense, which seems to be sorely lacking at the moment. I am so completely and utterly frustrated by the American people who are currently caught up in this war between those who love Trump and those who hate him. Protests for everything seem to be all the rage these days, when in fact more times than not they appear to some as an excuse to incite chaos, destroy property, and provide no real solution to the current climate in our country. Suddenly we are a country that needs safe spaces because we cannot process feelings of disappointment.

When Ronald Reagan was elected, my parents did not sit us down and look at us with fear in their eyes because an actor, of all people, was just elected to be President of the United States. They let us be children and they handled their concerns as adults. No flags were burned, no decisions to move out of the country were made, and most definitely no turning their back on the country that helped them land on their feet. They got up the next day and they went to work! They gave the man a chance and were pleasantly surprised by some of what he managed to do. Yet here we are, three decades later, collapsing on the floor because:

"This is not the candidate I wanted."

"This is not my President."

"What am I going to tell my children?"

Americans were once strong and resilient. But in my opinion, the last 8 years have perpetuated an attitude of self-entitlement, a "millenial me" generation, a resistance to respecting the law and those who uphold it. These mass temper tantrums that result in protests that disrespect America and encourage more hatred and violence...that makes me want to say "What am I going to tell my children?"

I did not vote for President Obama and I would never have voted for Hillary Clinton, no matter who ran against her. Trump isn't necessarily the candidate I wanted but had Hillary won, would I have burned a flag? Whined and rioted? No. I'd have kept moving forward as a true American citizen. It is time to be adults and let the children behave like children. It is time to get back to work and let the man do his job instead of getting in his way. It is time for some common sense.

~ Anna DeLuca

The story I want to tell

The story I want to tell is more of a statement of fatigue of what we're constantly seeing here. It's extremely disheartening that people in a place of extreme privilege are trying to take away so much from people they know nothing of their experiences - and if they do know, not taking the time to understand. It baffles me that men are trying to take away rights of women's bodies. There are so many stories of women (including my own) who didn't have a choice to make in an interpersonal situation and now there are being moves made to make it legal for us to not have a say in what happens inside of our bodies. This is a time when using your privilege is very important, any privileges you may have, this goes for everyone. So that if one person's privilege protects someone else that has a privilege that protects them, the outcome is beneficial for everyone, we must all work together. With this fatigue, there has been great space for growth and education. In the face of an oppressor we must stand up. It's a shame that so many experiences women endure are so stigmatized, but in this time of "upheaval" it seems that an uprising of activism has taken place so an abundance of people are speaking out against those stigmas which has made me grow and develop as a person and a woman, and I hope to continue to work at this. By learning about the world around me, I have learned a lot about myself.

~ Gianna Boveri

A lot has happened in our nation

A lot has happened in our nation during the last few months. Politics aside, it seems that a casual callousness has pervaded politics, discussion and particularly the rhetoric of Donald Trump. Racism and prejudice have always existed in our nation and unfortunately form a major part of our history and values, but recently it seems that these harmful ideologies are becoming a source of pride for those who believe in them. Early in his campaign, Trump had remarked that many Mexican immigrants were rapists, criminals and drug dealers. Like most people, I was appalled by the comments. As a Puerto Rican, I've experienced this racism before and it hurt to see a man with such prejudice become validated further and further. The comments didn't really hit me until a few weeks later when I started volunteering at an after-school program. Many of the kids in the program were of latin or middle-eastern descent and many of them were immigrants or had parents who were immigrants. One of the kids I worked with was named Roberto. Roberto was Mexican and his family had come to the U.S. likely within the last five years or so. By any standard, Roberto was a normal kid. He fought with his friends, played games, didn't want to do his homework and enjoyed snack time. One day Roberto mentioned that he hated Donald Trump. Hate is a strong word so I asked him to explain. He went on to say that he hated Donald Trump because Donald Trump hates his family and thinks that they're murderers. He then went on to say that he wished his family could go home. Worst of all, he said that he was afraid. Roberto couldn't have been more than eight or nine years old, but he was already fully aware of racism and xenophobia that exists in this nation. An eight-year-old child was afraid because of something that a candidate for president said. I ended my time with the program before the election, so I can't say much to how Roberto feels about it now, but it's disgusting to me that any child should have to worry about whether his family is safe in the nation. As an adult, I've learned to live with the burden of prejudice, but it saddens me to think that a child has to carry such weight.

~ Jordan Almodovar

In light of what I have witnessed and heard lately

In light of what I have witnessed and heard lately, and in the interest of passing along to the next generation things that I think they would benefit from knowing, I would tell a story of a soldier coming back from World War 2.

He would be on his journey back from his service, he would have an unlikely travel companion, someone who was coming to the US for the first time from a place that was poor and had no freedoms. The soldier would talk about the things that he missed and clung to during his time away from home. He would talk with great passion about what made the country (of that time) so great and what was important to him. Seeing his girl dress up for him to meet him at the train station, seeing a Yankee game in the outfield with his buddies, hearing the bell of the ice man or the sound of the horses hooves on the cobblestone, knowing that the fresh vegetables and fruit were coming down his street, listening to a suspenseful story on the radio with his whole family in the living room. Simple pleasures, things that our modern civilization mostly takes for granted it doesn't even know it should be appreciative of.

Its purpose would be to illustrate that progress is not always good because sometimes it erases things that are worth keeping and once lost cannot be recovered.

I give you permission to use this and anything in it for whatever purpose you want to use it for.

~ Joseph Giannico

In all of my 50 years of life

In all of my 50 years of life, I have no memory of the people of my country reacting to a presidency as they are doing now. What I have been thinking about mostly in recent months is the controversy over Trump's policy on illegal immigration. I wonder what is going through people's minds. Why do they want to come here? Freedom? Job opportunities? Reuniting with family? To escape from violence? What do they expect when they get here? What will they contribute to our society? What do they expect our country to offer them? All of these questions lead me to think about the story of my parents, immigrants from Italy in 1961, and it reminds me of lessons I learned from them as I grew up as a first generation American.

My parents came here for a better life. They wanted to raise their children in a place that was full of opportunities. My mother grew up on a farm in Palata, Campobasso. My father became a man at age 11 when his father died of bronchitis in the same small town. He took over his father's job as the town mailman, and he practically raised his 3 younger brothers. After getting married and having their first child in Italy, they decided they wanted something better. America was the obvious choice to them. They came her LEGALLY, and took no short cuts. They took a very difficult journey over the Atlantic Ocean by boat, my mother being quarantined because she got sick. It took some time, but once they got here, my father found a job as a tailor, and eventually my mother used her sewing skills to get a job in the Garment District of NYC. They both learned English because they felt it was the right thing to do. My parents both became American citizens after a few years.

My parents taught us that THIS was our country. America. We were told that our allegiance was to the country that we lived and worked in. We also learned to appreciate and be proud of our Italian culture. That, of course, should never be forgotten. When Columbus Day came, our Italian flag went up, but right above it was our American flag. It wasn't always easy. My father got very ill, we faced racism on Belmont Avenue in the Bronx when the black kids used to beat us up, money was often very tight, and my mother had no family here to rely on. But my parents never gave up.

I think that people should be welcome here, as long as they come here legally as my parents did. We live in dangerous times, yes. So they might have to be inconvenienced and patient. But once they do find their way here, they should call this their country, feeling free to share their culture with their children, their friends, their neighborhood, their new country. That's all America wants from them.

~ Julia Giaccio

The past few months

The past few months have perhaps been some of the most volatile and unpredictable in recent memory, with the election of Donald Trump as out 45th President of the United States being the event that took the cake. Interestingly enough, at the time of this historical event I was actually studying abroad in London, which gave me a unique perspective on how this event was received internationally. I'm not a political person, so I wasn't very involved the eve of the election when it came to viewing parties and such. Nevertheless, when I woke up the next morning, checked my phone, and realized that Donald Trump was our next president, I was genuinely shocked. I knew at that moment that all hell would break loose amidst the liberal left, who was very confident that Hillary would win by a landslide. If this doesn't prove that anything is possible, I don't know what does. The people of London had recently experienced their own political shocker months before with the results of the Brexit referendum, so political tensions were also existent on the other side of the pond. However, I didn't notice any radical protests or riots or anything really. People sort of just expressed their surprise to the result, and carried on with their lives. This is one of the many reasons I hold great respect for the British people. Regardless of what is thrown their way, whether it be German bombs in WWII or a vote to leave the European Union, they keep a stiff upper lip no matter what and carry on. This is how it ought to be, however, when I returned to the States, this clearly was not the case as expected. Protests after protests, riots after riots, Facebook practically exploded with people voicing their opinions. Again, I wish to stress that I am very anti-politics. I personally believe that politics have become a dividing force against people, an unnecessary source of malice against one another. I would not want people to look at me in a negative light simply due to my political affiliation and beliefs, so I strictly fly under the radar in this respect. However, I do indeed have some opinions of my own regarding the matter.
So who did I vote for? The answer is simple, neither. That's right, I'm not even registered to vote despite being two years over the voting age. The reason for this is that voting in this election would have been like choosing the lesser of two evils. On one hand, you have a bombastic and controversial businessman that seems to be getting on everyone's nerves, and on the other you have an incredibly devious and untrustworthy politician who could arguably be considered a criminal. But nevertheless, the people have spoken and what's done is done. Well, I wish people could see it that way. Instead, many people think it's a valid excuse to riot and commit ridiculous acts and crimes all in the name of political opinion. Some of the things I've seen on the news with regards to "peaceful protests" and demonstrations are shocking and embarrassing to the rest of the human race. True peaceful protest is nothing to condemn, but some people just step way over the line in an unjustified way. I'm particularly troubled by the way that many have taken to express complete hatred towards the police, the same people that keep them safe on a daily basis. I also think that celebrities in Hollywood should not try to push their personal political views on the rest of the public, unless they try living in someone's shoes where they are simply trying to provide for their family and navigate a very unforgiving world. When Obama was elected, Republicans like myself were certainly displeased, but that didn't give us a reason to loot stores and set police cars on fire. The way some liberals have reacted to the election is disgraceful. The exact same people who proclaimed support for love, tolerance, and free speech are the same that are shutting down everyone who doesn't agree with their own views, both verbally and physically (in the case of that poor mentally challenged kid who was tortured in Chicago). With the end of Obama's 8-year term, I see that this country has taken a turn for the worse: race relations are at an all time low, healthcare is becoming too expensive for the common folk, our international image has been weakened, the list goes on. I have more faith in Donald Trump that things will change for the better, but I also remain nervous considering his tendency towards impulses and controversy.
In the end, the new leader of the free world has been chosen. There is no changing the result, what's done is done. Now, people must accept this (no more #notmypresident nonsense), because our electoral system isn't going to change just because one side does not agree with the result. America is in a state of drastic disunity and division, but as Abraham Lincoln proclaimed, "a house divided against itself cannot stand." It is imperative that we progress into the future with a stronger sense of national unity. While political opinions will continue to clash, we must simply take everything as it comes, and work towards improving our future, no matter how dire it may seem. If only we could learn from the British, who keep calm and carry on no matter that is thrown their way. We need to do the same. Constantly arguing over something that is in the past will get us nowhere. We should be focusing all of our efforts to ensure that our new president will cater to the American people as a whole. There is no going back, so its time for all of us to get a grip and deal with it.

~ Kyle Conti

I never liked politics as I kid

I never liked politics as I kid. I thought the system was all corrupt, that politicians were all crybabies that cared only about their wallets and political ideas. Then again, I was a very angsty, punk-rock loving child in middle school and high school, who really only cared about himself. Growing out of my whine-about-everything phase, I leaned out of politics altogether to because I was lazy. I was bored of seeing people argue. The presidency never mattered, it was just a system I couldn't control. This election had me disinterested like everything else in the beginning. My family is fairly Democrat. I'm more diluted than they are. I lean toward the left, but I try to see the logic on both sides. My girlfriend is a Republican and we're both middle class. I'll get to her later.

In the end, everyone wants to make America better, right? It's just some people take it to the extreme and that's where problems happen.

I didn't think our current President would make it at all. He had no perception of statical data or logic, he made broad claims, he has a slew of lawsuits against him, failed businesses, etc.

My main reason for not liking him (and to this very day) is his complete and total lack of experience. I'm currently studying for a job in healthcare, and one thing they drill into us is to be well-educated and experienced at what you do. Otherwise, you will end up hurting your patient (therefore breaking the Hippocratic Oath, hurting your insurance, hurting the facility's reputation, so on and so on). I wouldn't ask my dentist to be a lawyer. I wouldn't ask my architect to be a surgeon. I wouldn't ask a magician to drive a crane. Therefore, why would I want a psuedo-successful, more-than-slightly crooked business man to run my country? It just wasn't logical. My girlfriend would say "Of course he's stupid- but he hires smart people for their jobs." I was still uneasy.

He would act out in debates, he was rude, uncompromising. He made up facts and denied real statistics just as quickly. He sub-tweeted more than a fourteen year old girl after a breakup. He went out of unwritten laws of our election, he reminds me of Joseph McCarthy. The problem is, McCarthy got kicked off TV. Our president is still there. My girlfriend liked him because he was transparent. "At least I know he's an asshole and not lying about it." My problem was, that he was an asshole and proudly not lying about it.

If he was a Republican, I would have voted Democrat. If he was Democrat, I would have voted Republican. The content of his character was disturbing, narcissistic, dysfunctional. It wasn't a matter of left and right, it was a matter of right and wrong.

One thing led to another, political issues and the racism/sexism behind it became more transparent. More riots. More protests. He got elected. I wasn't happy, I was scared. I got over it. But I'm always uneasy. Next story, the Russians hacked the election. And he denied it, then accepted it, denied it again, accepted. And we are just, watching? In a game of Monopoly, if someone wins but cheats? They lose. If someone helps them cheat, they still lose. More and more of his Cabinet picks are, unlike my girlfriend's opinion, completely unqualified. Our Secretary of Education was so unqualified I even wrote my congressman to consider rescinding his vote, something I have never done. I'm not a political person. But I worry. I'm reading the news everyday now -- ALL the news, not just articles that support my opinion of him. It's only getting scarier. The more I know, the worse I feel. I don't share this on Facebook, I don't show my solidarity to anyone. I live my life, you live yours, we respect each other even if we don't necessarily agree. That's democracy.

I'm trying to work harder and focus on myself so I can do good in this world. But I'm still uneasy.

I feel like my government is an ellipsis...

~ David Cartolano

One of the turning points in this election

One of the turning points in this election, for me, was when I came across an article that talked about a radio host suggesting that undocumented immigrants become property of the state. I was so disgusted and just completely devastated. I cried for hours after reading that article and my mindset from that moment on was forever changed. I became obsessed with people like Ann Coulter. I started reading all her hateful tweets and the comments of approval on them. I would call my brother and I read all the tweets to him, frustrated, and he would tell me to stop. He told me to stop doing this to myself, that she's only one person. But she wasn't. Those comments that the radio host made came only months after Trump's announcement for candidacy and his initial comments on Mexican immigrants. This host already had these extreme feelings about undocumented immigrants, but Trump's announcement emboldened him to publicly reveal his plans that he probably happily fantasized about before but would never dare to say. And Coulter was so fucking happy to endorse Donald Trump and was thriving off of his platform.
So, this election, where more than 50 million people voted for this man who revealed how many people truly hate and wish harm on the people that I love most in this life, is not one I will get over. It's heartbreaking to see and hear my peers and people in my community fear for their life and/or the people that they love because they can't display their love safely, they can't practice their religion safely, and they can't walk the streets safely. I hope that now people will realize how much progress this country really needs to make, but it's even hard to believe that at this point.

~ Selena Casas
 

Last semester in my Theories of Comparative Literature class

Last semester in my Theories of Comparative Literature class, my teacher and fellow classmates took the time every single morning to talk about how we were feeling on that particular day. It was not until the election that my classmates really began to open up and talk about their feelings. It's difficult to tell a class of over 20 people that you feel awful or that you're sad. I want to thank and remember all the amazing people in that class for being so open and creating an environment where I could learn so much and still be open and in touch with the realities and hardships of the world outside of the classroom. In that class, I learned how truly indispensable the people around me are, and how much I can learn from the people in my classroom. If I can learn one new thing from someone in a day, then they have helped me grow and shape the student/eventual graduate that I hope to become. People are amazing and there is always something to be learned from one another. My story I want to be heard, is to spread positivity and knowledge the same way all the students and teachers have done for me.

~ Sydney White

The last couple of months just reminded me

The last couple of months just reminded me of how people can just defy your expectations. I always go back to the story of disgraced astronaut Lisa Nowak. She was a robotics mission specialist for NASA in the late 90's. She was incredibly talented, both having become a Navy Captain and receiving a degree in aeronautical engineering by the time she joined NASA. However, during her career, she was having an affair with fellow astronaut William Oefelein. However, Oefelein had to break off their relationship because he was romantically involved with Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman. In response, Nowak drove 900 miles from Houston to Florida just to assault Shipman. She literally went up to Colleen in a parking lot, and tried to pepper spray her after driving almost 1000 miles. She was later arrested facing charges of kidnapping. After hearing that story very few things surprise me anymore....

~ Jason Irukulapati

Today's Muslim ban reminds me of around 10 years ago

Today's Muslim ban reminds me of around 10 years ago when my dad sponsored a young doctor from Egypt to come work for him in San Francisco for a year. His name is Muhammed, and he is a practicing Muslim. When he stayed at our house for a few days while looking for an apartment, he was a very gracious, kind, and polite guest. Eventually, his wife and 2 small children came to join him in San Francisco, and my family and I became close friends with them. Muhammed's wife, Rasha, would always tell us how she was nervous to go out in public wearing her hijab. It makes me so sad that such kind hearted people lived in fear, right here in the U.S. We still keep in touch, but I remain discouraged by today's anti-Muslim sentiment in a country that supposedly values the freedom of religion.

~ Julia Bonacini