Personal essay

An illustration of two girls speaking to each other via string-can phone through two windows in a brick house with a green door

May 25 cultureShubhreet Dadrao, Illustrations by Ayla Cilliers

Speak freely

When I mispronounced a word or made the wrong sound because of these similar articulations, I was met with laughter and pushed to repeat what I had said before getting support on correcting myself.

An illustration of multicoloured yarn knitted into a heart-shaped pattern

May 25 cultureArianna Aportadera, Illustrations by Ayla Cilliers

Awit natin ay ‘wag na ‘wag mong kalimutan

To me, Lapu Lapu Day, while beautiful, is another reminder that I don’t really belong here. It's like being in a liminal space. I can smell the food my grandma would cook for me when I was sick, but I also remember how hard I’ve had to search for any sense of community.

A person watches a Seattle Seahawks game in a living room wearing a 'Wagner' jersey and backwards Seahawks hat.

March 26 sportsCaleb Peterson

Proud to be a fan

A girl with blonde hair lights a cigarette in the mouth of a girl with dark hair, both of them leaning against a pole

February 27 cultureTiana Khandelwal, Photos by Saumya Kamra

Google, how do I untie the knots in my heart?

Two people about to kiss and holding each other's faces. There's a glass brick wall behind them.

February 27 cultureAnonymous, Photos by Saumya Kamra

First steps

Hands holding a book open, with snow in the background.

February 26 cultureJoyce Park, Photos by Saumya Kamra

Me, my parents and the elephant in the bedroom

A person with light brown hair with bangs holds a strip of red tape reading "DANGER" over their eyes.

February 25 cultureAditi Mankar, Photos by Saumya Kamra

A fragmented account of your local kinkster

Two people hold books in front of their faces so only their eyes are exposed as they look at each other. The one on the left has red hair, a red top and glasses, and the one on the right wears a black beanie and fingerless gloves.

February 24 cultureAva Dunkel, Photos by Saumya Kamra

Search bar

Illustration of a rack of clothes, a floor lamp, books and household items with thrift store tags hanging off of them.

February 8 cultureAva Dunkel, Illustrations by Abbie Lee

Do you smell it too?

An illustration of a person running through the hall of an airport with a suitcase while wearing a backpack.

January 28 featuresSrijaa Chatterjee, Illustrations by Emilia Onar

Tradition: Catching the flight

An illustration of two silhouettes sitting under a Christmas tree through a window. The star on the top of the tree illuminates the room in yellow and the tree is decorated in red ornaments.

January 28 featuresErin Greenwood, Illustrations by Emilija Vītols Harrison

Tradition: Abbi and our dopey Christmas tree

An illustration with a swirly orange and yellow backdrop. In the forefront are two sets of hands extending from either side of the frame. They are outlined in black. The pair on the right holds a bowl of stew and is handing it to the pair of hands on the left.

January 28 featuresSyeda Sunehra, Illustrations by Abbie Lee

Tradition: Silent threads of home

An orange wreath with a skull sitting inside it hangs on a wooden door. Through the windows, there is a lit-up room containing silhouettes of Ronald McDonald, the Lorax and Ghostface.

January 7 cultureThea Turner, Illustrations by Emilija Vītols Harrison

Why Halloween is what I'll miss most about university

A girl with long brown hair rides a yellow bike. She is wearing a dark green raincoat and brown pants, and the trees behind her are blowing in the wind.

December 3 cultureMichelle Huang, Illustrations by Eylül Kara

South of the English Channel

Lower half of a person in a mud-stained pink dress, with dark brown skin and bloodied knees. Teal and blue geometric shapes are in the background.

November 28 cultureSrijaa Chatterjee, Illustrations by Emilija Vītols Harrison

Beneath the umbrella