I was curious about how our bodies—or parts of them, like nails—contribute to the soil’s microbiome. This is especially relevant in the modern age, where we generally spend our lives indoors and away from nature. But, humans still affect the earth’s soil in critical ways, including after we die.
Midterm elections have (more or less) concluded at the time of publishing this article. With the vast majority of House and Senate elections confirmed, the dust has settled on another eventful midterm election, and the second election in a row where most results weren’t finalized until days after.
We’ve all received this statement in one form or another—the one following a cryptic email telling you to check your student portal because an update has been made. An update that holds so much promise and potential, shaping your future from that moment on. It’s often opened during senior year of high school—but it can also be opened your freshman, sophomore, or junior year of college. A time when life didn’t exactly go as planned.
I am always angry, but I will never tell anyone that out loud. Anger is the emotion we feel ashamed to have. I don’t know about anyone else, but I cannot express anger well. I have been taught that anger is an unproductive emotion, so it’s better just to tuck it away in what my family calls “a box” and just let it fade. As it sounds, this is more unproductive than anger itself.
I have never owned a pet hamster, but I can imagine they are fun, lovable creatures. I once knew a classmate in elementary school who would not stop raving about her orange hamster, Priscilla. She looked for every opportunity to talk about her, sharing moments when the hamster had curled up in her hands during family movie nights, performed a tummy roll for a couple treats, and kissed her nose softly.
Picture this: It’s Tuesday morning, and you’re anticipating Taylor Swift’s Good Morning America announcement. You, and the rest of Taylor Nation, are predicting a tour announcement, but you can’t be too confident. Many times over you have let Taylor Swift and her reputation for cryptic messaging get to your head, leading you to believe things like album releases and re-recordings are imminent. But this time, things are different. Taylor Swift gets on national television, announces her first stadium tour in five years, and suddenly, all of your wildest dreams have come true! But just like with any dream, you eventually wake up and are forced to face a less than picture-perfect reality.
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.
