“Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?” — Mary Oliver [1] The older I get, the more often I find myself grieving the ache of passing time. I’ve often reflected with peers on how so many adults told us that time would pass quicker as we got older, but no […]
Beyond Productivity and Into Purpose
At any given Wednesday around 1 AM, you can find the libraries of Vanderbilt filled with computer screens, energy drinks, and students furiously typing away at assignments, prepping for job interviews, or cramming for exams, driven by a hunger to work. This obsession over work has practically become an identity that we pride ourselves in. […]
Reflection: Becoming What We Behold
We live in a world of mirrors. On any given day, we are forced to face our own reflection countless times—in bathroom mirrors, hallway mirrors, car windows, and front-facing phone cameras. It often feels impossible to escape our reflection and the constant reminder that we are being seen and perceived by others. We strive to […]
Beauty: The Transfigured Bride
The first literary piece that I remember writing was in my fourth-grade class. We were tasked with writing a personal narrative about any event in our lives, and I wrote about my family’s trip to Yellowstone National Park that summer. Its majestic mountains, gentle, babbling streams, and sprawling plains dotted with bison remained deeply ingrained […]
Letter From The Editor, Issue XVIII – “Foundations: The Values Behind Our Vision”
“The joy of a new year is not its magical ability to grant a new start, but in the deep work of returning to one’s purpose. Reflection is often not the most comfortable work, but it is certainly necessary work in living a life of intention.”