While my sleeves are patched with my heart all over, my skin is tough from needles and bruises. And as hard as I try, I can’t fake a convincing smile, but I can stare down glaring red alerts, warning that my life is in danger. I am sensitive. I feel my emotions hard and tend to express them even harder. I’ve sobbed while eating “chicken and two sides” in Mac, and I’ve uncontrollably laughed to myself on the treadmill in the Plex.
As soon as we stepped out of the theater after Don’t Worry Darling, my friends smiled and nodded as they expressed that they really liked the movie, while I was pissed off and ready to rant. I may or may not have raised my voice in the women’s bathroom an inappropriate amount, but I am here to talk about why I am so cynical about a lot of new media coming out. Our standards are too low when it comes to movies and TV shows, and we don’t care that they might be extremely derivative or downright unnecessary.
We are only a few weeks away from the midterm elections, and many organizations like Politico and 538 are predicting the House will go to the GOP with the Senate being a toss-up. It would not be surprising for the party in the White House to lose seats in the midterm elections—that is, if it weren’t for the opposing party’s attempted insurrection against the peaceful transfer of power. And by the opposing party, I do mean the GOP as a whole. The events of spring and summer 2022 have shown that—far from denouncing and removing themselves from the insurrectionist and its movement—the GOP has instead entrenched itself in insurrection apologetics.
My alone time, like many other Boston College students, comes at the end of an academically rigorous day. I lay down in my bed and then scroll through whatever social media I need to catch up on for the day or watch a mindless show to wind myself down. After my social media hunger is satiated, I set my alarm, put my phone on my desk, and cuddle up under my covers to get ready for a good night’s rest. And then the curse begins.
Picture this: you spend your whole week leading up to this moment, the one where you finally have a homework-free weekend. Everything sounds good, in theory. I mean, you finished all your weekly quizzes, submitted that one terrible essay a few minutes before midnight, and now find yourself anticipating an amazing Saturday—the one where you are free from the week’s burdens and everything it encompasses. Now, waking up that Saturday morning and realizing you can spend it doing whatever you want. You feel absolute happiness. This, however, could not be further from the truth.
The task is simple: 48 hours of rehearsal, 10 days left in production, four performances. It is tech week for the theatre department’s production of Dreadful. With a mixture of necessary hope and certainty, you know that it will be anything but. You begin—as with all great endeavors—with caffeine.
Back in the middle of the 20th century, Boston College was intense rivals with nearby Catholic college Holy Cross. This worked well—not only were the two schools within an hour of each other, but they were similarly competitive in football and basketball. There was so much hype around the annual football game that BC wins were celebrated with a school-wide dance. Eventually, though, the rivalry faded.
I have a confession to make. There are monsters in my closet. No, not literal monsters—though that would certainly make for a more interesting story—but the kinds that everyone has. Things like misshapen bags on the floor, heavy jackets slouched onto hangers, and piles of shoes on the ground that, with the lights turned off, look like goblins, ghouls, and gremlins.
For my entire life, I’ve been known as “the loud kid.” Definitely not the one to be quiet and always the one looking to chat. As annoying as my elementary school teachers found my trademark personality trait, I feel as though it has served me well. Thanks to my loose lips, I’ve made more connections, asked more questions, and learned more than if I had chosen a less outgoing path. My propensity for conversation, however, has led to one small issue: I can’t handle being alone.
In all seriousness, I actually did lose myself somewhere in between Texas and BC. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve lost yourself too. This very matter has brought me to tears at times. It’s easy to forget that you can reintroduce yourself to yourself and others at any time regardless of being in the same location surrounded by the same people.
