Feature
-
Holiday Joy, Cultural Tension
Written by Will Chen As a Chinese-American, I often feel left out during the holiday season. Christmas is many people’s favorite holiday and the one they look forward to the most. However, as a Buddhist, my family did not celebrate Christmas. When I would come back from winter breaks as a child, all my friends would be immersed in conversations about the gifts they received, while I listened from the sidelines, unable to chime in. My house during the holidays would look the same as usual. In a neighborhood full of bright lights, my house would be the only one that remained undecorated. Not celebrating Christmas as a child wasn’t…
-
Silent Thanks: Unspoken Ways Asian Families Show Appreciation
Written by Asmi Chinauriya Asian households are known to be strict, and the children are known to be disciplined from a young age. Many Asian children don’t learn to show their appreciation for things from a young age because they never had anyone to teach them. Though the parents do a wonderful job teaching their children how to respect others and how to act in public, they often forget to teach them how to show their appreciation. Does this mean that no one in an Asian household shows appreciation? Absolutely not. It means that it just may not be in the way that many people around the world are used…
-
Passing the Torch: Family Traditions I Continue to Uphold
Written by Francesca Tero My family has been at the heart of my earliest memories, shaping the traditions that have formed my strongest opinions and values. Every June during my most formative years, I would stand on stage to perform at an annual vocal recital in front of my entire community. This included my peers, teachers, various members of the church at which the recitals were always held, but most importantly, my parents, sister, cousins, Ninongs, and Ninangs, occupying a row of their own. Out of all of the people in the crowd, this was the only row whose eyes made me nervous. I remember also feeling shy at the…
-
The Best Surprise I’ve Ever Received
Written by Ruthie Suarez The summer before my sophomore year of college was one of the hardest times of my life. My grandfather passed away from liver cancer, and even though we all knew he was getting weaker, it still didn’t feel real when it happened. He was someone who had always been there for me, someone who made me feel safe and loved. When he passed, I felt like something inside me went quiet, and going back to school with all that sadness still fresh was really hard. A few months later, I came home for the weekend. I was tired from classes and honestly just trying to get…
-
The Influence of Leadership and Becoming the Leader In Your Life
Written by Sophia Kim Group projects, public speaking, and all other types of interactions with people always have an invisible dynamic that guides the conversation between individuals. It could be you, or someone else, who decides on a group topic, or maybe it is partner work, and you have to divide the workload. Leadership can be quickly defined as a quality that a person has to direct a group of people or an organization. Within this definition, there are so many nuances and ways of expressing other types of leadership. Different interpersonal levels make this quality so important to be aware of and see how it makes an impact throughout…
-
How I Have Given Back to Communities Close to my Heart
Written by Zoe Pecson Since starting college, I have committed myself to working as a College Outreach Program Ambassador for the PUSO Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is Filipino-founded and focused on creating meaningful change in underserved communities. In this role, I’ve helped organize donation drives, promoted fundraising efforts, and connected other students to philanthropic opportunities. It has been a way for me to stay rooted in my culture while also expanding my impact beyond campus. Being part of PUSO has reminded me that service doesn’t have to be grand to matter. Every small effort adds up, and we’re stronger together when we show up for one another. This…
-
Breaking Cultural Stigmas Surrounding Mental Health
Written by Ruthie Suarez Growing up in a Filipino household, mental health wasn’t something we really talked about. When I felt anxious or overwhelmed, I was told to pray, distract myself, or just push through it. My family cared about me deeply, but mental health was seen as something you handled privately, not something you openly discussed. Because of that, I learned to hide what I was feeling. When I started noticing how easily I got distracted, how hard it was to focus, and how often I felt tense or on edge, I started wondering if something deeper was going on. I finally decided to bring up the idea of…
-
Mental Health Misconceptions
Written by Steven Pham In today’s fast-paced world, conversations about mental health have become more common but not necessarily more accurate. While society has made progress in recognizing the importance of emotional well-being, harmful misconceptions still surround mental health, preventing many people from getting the support they need. As a senior at the University of Delaware majoring Management and Marketing with a minor in Business Analytics, I’ve seen firsthand how stress, performance pressure, and comparison can affect mental health. Between balancing coursework, leadership roles, side projects, and a part-time job, I’ve learned how easy it is to overlook the importance of mental well-being in pursuit of success. That experience pushed…
-
Letter to my Future Self
Written by Zoe Pecson Dear future self,I hope this letter finds you well,you who’s many years older and (hopefully) wiser.I don’t really recognize you; it seems we have changed a lotbetween the time of me and the time of you.But you know things that I don’t,and I can’t help but ask you some questions, so here goes: Do we reach that goal, that dream we’ve had?Do we get there soon, or was it not as easy as that?Did the path to that dream twist, turn, and climb,or was it left in the past, covered in vines?Tell me, my future self, did we get out of this hole,the one I’ve dug…
-
Beyond the Burnout: A Self Care Guide for the Semester
Written by Jodie Li Hello, fall… and hello to the creeping cold, gloomy weather packed with midterms, papers, and group projects. We’ve all been there with nights spent leaning on sensory videos to stay awake (love the dancing fruits or Animal Crossing), heavy eyes in lectures, and a need for caffeine (though I personally swap it for hot water!). It’s the kind of season that makes you wish for a time machine just to fast-forward through the stress. As a seasoned senior who’s navigated this from freshman to (almost) veteran, I’ve learned these times are difficult, but not unbeatable. The key is to take care of your own needs without…
