“Personal Identity: Explore some aspect of your identity about which you’re curious, troubled, conflicted, or unsure.” You read the prompt. You read it over and over. And all you can think about is… That you hate writing about yourself. You hate it. You remember writing your college essays, answering eternal…

I never truly liked my birthday. Every year, without fail, my family tells the story of how I almost killed my mom. Her pregnancy was going well, great even, until she was actually delivering me and there was too much blood everywhere. Hours after a near-miss, I (being the problem…

A photo essay:

A photo essay.

Some people possess the god-given talent of “neat handwriting.” Teachers marvel at their penmanship and friends regard them with awe, always prefacing their name with “the one with the super pretty handwriting.” Emma, my high school friend, possesses this gift. I would find myself gazing over her paper whenever she…

Many philosophers have struggled to make their philosophies align with the human concept of free will. Cosmology and the matter of religion are two areas in which contradictions arise between the belief in the distinctly human trait of free will and the belief in a higher power. Philosophers have taken…

As political scientist Sir Alfred Zimmern – an advocate of the League – once said, “the League of Nations was never intended to be, nor is it, a revolutionary organization,” rather it strategically provided an efficient international institution by accepting the world as it was. Although Zimmern expressed notable concerns…

Artists throughout time have done impressive pictorial recreations of literary works that speak to them. However, what would the recreation painting be like if the poet painted it himself? In “The Blessed Damozel,” Dante Gabriel Rossetti tells the story of a dead woman in the Heaven, or the damozel, dreaming…

From my birth until I was old enough to stay home alone, my grandmother babysat my younger sister and me when our parents were at work, and we lovingly called her our Nana. Nana was an excellent babysitter given her experience as an elementary school teacher for most of her…

The Christian Bible is the most read book in the world. And the impact of the Bible’s wide readership can be seen everywhere—in history, in modern day, in politics, in culture. Even in the United States, which does not consider itself a Christian nation, Judeo-Christian values have often been cited…

Throughout history, humans have expressed ideas that are beyond our understanding of what is around us. The stars were told to be omens of the past and future, and comets were labelled as prophecies of impending disasters. These untold superstitions of our forefathers are some of the first examples of…

Preface As crowds of people waited in line for health services, I asked patients questions about where they got their drinking water, their living situations, and I was always told to ask women if they were pregnant or could possibly be pregnant. I found that many of these girls were…

She walks to the bus stop and sits on the bench. The 12-year-old girl is making her way home after a school ski trip, so she patiently awaits the arrival of the 28. It usually comes frequently, but strangely enough—not today. As she waits, she whips out a book from her bulging backpack, which overflows with dozens of novels, loose papers, and anything else you can imagine. Packed beyond capacity, the bag probably weighs more than her, so she nearly buckles under its weight. She’s a bit of a hoarder with an urge to keep everything at her disposal. If you stay ready, you don’t gotta get ready. But this time, nothing could have prepared her for what was about to happen.

At the intersection of medicine, ethics, and literature exists a practice known as narrative medicine—an approach which stresses the humanization of patients and the subsequent care that follows attentively tuning into the stories of those grappling with illness and death. Dr. Rita Charon, an internist and literary scholar

Introduction Open year-round, the open-air “Moskva” pool was oblivious to the infamous Russian winter. The heated water, especially during snowfall, sent up waves of steam. Snow fell on the diving platforms, the pool ropes, and the brightly colored caps of the swimmers; some would have snowball fights with the still…

The degree of carnage and destruction, intensified by technological advances of a new industrial age, caused World War I to be a period of unprecedented conflict dating from 1914 to 1918 Generating catastrophic consequences such as economic turmoil, social discord and political strife, the war left millions of corpses in…

Emily Dickinson said, “Hold dear to your parents, for it is a scary and confusing world without them.”1 Emily, to you, I pose this question: what do you do when it is not a matter of holding?

Blush petals adorn the concrete sidewalks and frame the Boston skyline. The air is crowded with sweet fragrance, masking the industrial stench of the T. For the first time this semester, I can feel the sun’s rays warming my skin and marvel at the red and yellow tulips blooming all…

Preface Frida Kahlo’s boldness and confidence as a woman have always greatly inspired me. In a time when the politicization of feminism is a heavily debated topic, sharing Frida Kahlo’s stories is more important than ever. I began reading about Kahlo in high school, and her bravery immediately struck me….

Amitav Ghosh’s 2004 novel The Hungry Tidecontemplates the complex relationship between humans and the natural world through a series of parallel, intersecting narratives. The novel centers around the research project of Piya, an Indian-American cetologist, who meets Kanai, a translator from New Delhi, and Fokir, a village crab fisherman from…

If morality were a library, John Stuart Mill constructed the first two floors and Søren Kierkegaard attached a third with a large skylight. Mill, whose vision involves only a two-story library, takes great issue with the extra floor and even more with the skylight. He complains that the skylight offers…

In philosopher Martha Nussbaum’s theory, she believes everyone has the right to the central capabilities of life. One of the core capabilities is happiness. Happiness is different for everyone. For some it may be a new car, a vacation to Europe, or even a designer handbag. But for those whose…

Stalin ordered the execution of more Communists than Hitler; however, where Hitler proclaimed himself the enemy of Communism, Stalin purported to be both leader and protector of the international movement.

Every thinking person fears nuclear war, and every technological state plans for it. Everyone knows it is madness, and every nation has an excuse ― Carl Sagan, Cosmos In 1980, as the US and USSR became more entrenched in their separate camps, Carl Sagan warned of the terrifying possibility of…

As science has progressed, especially in the past few hundred years since the Scientific Revolution, the field has slowly explained away many of nature’s literal supernatural interpretations and sacred objects: we no longer view the planets as literal gods in the sky, but as the nearly spherical collections of gas,…

I stood side stage at John Hancock Hall. Blood rushed to my feet, my neck stiffened, and anxiety consumed me. This was the same kind of paralyzing, intense anxiety that occurred when I presented a final project worth a third of my grade or when I interviewed for a job…

When my parents had to break the news to my starry-eyed seven-year-old self that they had decided to move, they did so by proposing a fresh start. For many children, the idea of moving may be frightening; so my mom sat me down and explained it in the most “Sommer”…





Why might two representations from different artistic movements of the same biblical event differ greatly?

After the great rebirth of art during the Renaissance, many different styles of painting emerged that were used by artists to share their creativity, thoughts, and ideas with the world. By using a specific style, an artist could express a story or piece of history uniquely. Two artists, known as…

Since the beginning of 2020, reports on the novel Coronavirus (COVID) have monopolized international media, politics, and even private conversations. Such reports serve to track the geographic spread of not only infection, but also fear. The origination of the disease in China renders the country a focal point for criticism…

Until the British infiltration of opium into China, the Chinese had “never doubted their place in the world.”1 As the country suffocated in fumes of a foreign narcotic, scholar-official Lin Zexiu responded to the crisis with a scathing letter to Queen Victoria in 1839.

On the Waterfront, the 1954 film directed by Elia Kazan, depicts the moral development of the main character Terry Malloy. Terry was once a talented boxer with aspirations of success and a goal to make a name for himself. However, Terry’s reliance on the mob, run by corrupt union leader,…

“My parents are going to be so mad at me,” stated my dear friend Trista. The antithesis of a troublemaker, Trista had earned countless awards recognizing her honesty and faithfulness throughout grade school. She sat on the other side of the lunch table from me holding her test. When I…

American author, poet, and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson emerged as a distinguished member of the literary movement known as Transcendentalism in the mid-19th Century. The writings of Emerson enchanted readers with refreshing reflections on the individual, natural facts, and intellectual self-reliance. Emerson’s 1837 speech, “The American Scholar,” was delivered at…

On December 13, 1937, the Japanese captured China’s capital Nanking, thus marking the inception of mass murder and rape that continues to haunt Sino-Japanese relations today.1 Nanking stood as China’s capital from the third to the sixth century but fell just five months into the war under the leadership of…

In the aftermath of 9/11, the general American social sentiment could be characterized as a state of fear mixed with xenophobia. More specifically, the escalation of xenophobic tendencies were directed toward Islamic countries and Muslim American citizens. In 2001, the FBI released a report which detailed the xenophobia. The report…

A herd of toddlers crowd the ballet studio. Most of these miscreants spin in circles or invent entirely new dance moves. One child, however, marches around in tiny toddler steps to correct her less devoted classmates. She even treks to the teacher’s side (if not in front of the teacher)…

Bacchus and Ariadne is an oil painting by French artist, Eustache Le Sueur.1 The Baroque style painting illustrates the Greek myth of Bacchus (Dionysus) and his love for a heartbroken woman, Ariadne. French Baroque paintings “had non-religious themes derived from

Setting: Johnny Rockets restaurant, approx. 7:50 pm. The ladies are in the restroom discussing their plan of action while the boys do the same at their designated booth. Candace:    Okay look, I know the two of you haven’t really hit it off yet but— Amelia:    But nothing Candi!…

Dear David Livingston Smith, I must first of all commend you on your willingness to broach this controversial topic. In 1975, my book Sociobiology garnered much criticism from my colleagues, not because of its theories but because of the application of those theories to humans. I stated that our actions…

There is no doubt that current societal standards for female beauty inordinately emphasize the desirability of thinness–and thinness at a level that is impossible for most women to achieve by healthy means. In their pervasiveness, the mass media are powerful conveyors of this sociocultural ideal. – Marika Tiggemann The tension…

As we face an age of severe environmental destruction, it is now more urgent than ever to understand ourselves in order to save our reality. As renowned scientist E.O. Wilson has said: Humanity today is like a waking dreamer, caught between the fantasies of sleep and the chaos of the…

Living during the same time under relatively similar conditions, how different could two philosophers be? Soren Kierkegaard wrote his book Fear and Trembling after he broke up with his fiancé, Regine, and was able to explore the implications of faith. Karl Marx wrote on communism after being faced with corrupt…

Is it possible for an individual to single-handedly change the fortunes of an oppressed group of people? Moreover, is it believable that this individual is simply a “mother” trying to educate her “children?” This was the essence of a case that occurred at the Boston University Metropolitan College: “I didn’t…

In The Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle discusses what makes a good professional. For Aristotle the difference between the ordinary and the exceptional is his balance between reason and soul: “the function of man is an activity of the soul in accordance with or implying, a rational principle” (109a8-9). Aristotle specifically distinguished…

As a Chilean immigrant to the United States, I wish borders between countries would not exist, yet I understand their significance. Today, borders between countries work as a system for humans to coexist in safety. The importance of a sovereign territory under certain political and economic systems allows humans to…

Russification or Russizination is defined as a form of cultural assimilation in which “non-Russian” communities forfeit their cultural identity to conform to Russian norms and traditions. Throughout history, Russian politicians and social figures have sought to further “russify” Russia as a form of extreme patriotism. For instance, the slogan and…

Two months ago, I learned the truth about my family history. Ever since I was a child, I have been told about my paternal grandfather, Samuel Kitrosser. Born in 1912 in Soroki, a small town in Bessarabia,1 Sam immigrated to the United States in 1936. He settled in Massachusetts where…

Abstract: This paper explores potential genetic testing that could help doctors prescribe antidepressants that are more effective, with fewer side effects. Various methods are explored including metabolization of psychotropic drugs and levels of DNA methylation on CpG islands and the effectiveness of the GeneSight Psychotropic Genetic Panel. The findings suggest…

Jacob and David leave a Bible study class together. David finds that his personal beliefs and feelings about God are fortified. Meanwhile, Jacob leaves somewhat indifferent and ponders the class’s lesson of Abraham and Isaac. David: Oh Jacob, that class was so fascinating! I always love hearing old Bible stories…

A Historical Analysis “Let a hundred flowers blossom; let a hundred schools of thought contend.” Under this slogan, Mao Zedong promoted the Hundred Flowers Campaign, a movement that would signal a significant shift in his career as well as in the history of China’s intellectual and cultural sphere. Mao had…

A Grandmother’s Lesson in Preventing the Perfect from Becoming the Enemy of the Good ◆◆◆ Dear Grandson, Today you turn eighteen, a very special age because it means that you have become a man, but more importantly, you are now eligible to vote. Your mother tells me that you have…

The inception of literary tragedy can be traced back to ancient Greece. One can easily argue that tragedy is heavily influenced by bloodlust: most, if not all, Greek tragedies culminate in macabre finales filled to the brim with unbridled anguish: for example, Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex culminates in the titular character…

Ideology, the struggle between contending ones, and their spread throughout nations was at the heart of World War II. In contrast to the Great War, World War II was not a morally ambiguous or aimless war; it instead had clear righteous and wrongful sides—or so would those fighting for the…

Despite their differences, all three of the monotheistic traditions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—trace their origins back to the story of one man. Abraham, as he was named by God, is considered the patriarch of these organized religions. He is revered as the first man to actively choose a life of faith,…

“We have the good fortune to live in a great age, we must brace ourselves and triumph over hardship!”1 exclaimed the German schoolmaster, Kantorek, who inspired many of his students to join the German war effort in World War I. His speech owed its power to the rise of nationalism…

Baxter, a young employee of a large corporation, is sitting self-satisfied in his new office, a prize for his promotion. While he is pleased by his higher status in the corporation of 50,000 people and enjoys the larger space in the office, a group of his former bosses enters his…

Russia has shifted stance toward foreign adoption several times over the past 30 years. Under Communism, there were no guidelines that allowed for Russian children to be adopted. But, when Yeltsin took over, he allowed the citizens more freedom and allowed for Russian children to be adopted by other families….

If I were a fish I’d be a pufferfish puff, puff, pass a fist. Because my eyes burn with the rage of a thousand scorned, left for dead those who bore a shade of lead. Systematic perpetuation of marginal- sized fish examined and used like a petri dish.

I heard my father talking about it with my mother all of the time. They both survived it, and now they appeared comfortable discussing their experiences. They recalled the pain, suffering, and trauma that they had to undergo before finally arriving in America in 1982, but how could they so…

“This is my hand. I can move it, feel the blood pulsing through it. The sun is still high in the sky and I, Antonius Block, am playing chess with Death.” Philosophers have long contemplated the mystery of existence and the certainty of death, but in the course of the…

Following is a portfolio of paragraphs, each written with a different goal. 1: Description The Wonderful Diversity of Italian Life On my family’s summer vacations to Italy, I plunge into Italian life, in all its wondrous diversity. Every morning, we drive down to the marina, a sandy beach littered with…

The topic of homosexuality in 1960s America faced an incredible amount of opposition. Homophobia was extremely prevalent in society and there were many discriminatory laws against homosexuals. When discussing the homosexual rights movement, scholars like Fred Fejes, author of Gay Rights and Moral Panic, focus on the struggle of homosexuals…

Most people can see that traumatic experiences such as war, torture, or kidnapping can have a profound effect on the social skills, violent tendencies, and paranoia of victims after returning home. The problem with people’s perceptions of trauma victims is that they still believe that those victims are the same…

Abduljalal al-Din Rumi, a thirteenth century mystic poet, whirled like a Sufi dervish on the sandy beach of a foreign land. As he whirled, he softly sung the lyrics to his poem titled Only Breath. “Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion…

One drop, two drops, three drops, four. The cobblestone pavements of London soon gleam under the dim streetlights. A street beggar, with a bottle of gin in one hand and a loaf of stale bread in the other, hastens his steps to escape the unsought shower.

Adam Smith challenged fundamental mercantilist doctrines and laid the foundations for classical laissez-faire capitalism theory starting in the mid-18th century. Since the Industrial Revolution, capitalism progressively dominated the economic ideologies of Europe.

Herman Hesse’s novel Steppenwolf, published in 1927, touches upon the existential theme of dual personalities and the notion that life is filled with spiritual searching and suffering. It follows the intriguing tale of a middle-aged man, Harry Haller, also known as the Steppenwolf, and analyzes his physical, mental, and spiritual…

Persons of the Dialogue: Charlotte. Gabriel. Scene: A Starbucks in Boston, Massachusetts. Gabriel: (On the phone) No, it’s okay. I’m just sitting in Starbucks. … Yes. Really cold. … No, Mom, it’s fine—… Yes—… I already have gloves, okay?! … No. Sorry. I’m okay. I’m just kinda stressed at the…

The way we use the term “technology,” implies that it is a very new concept, therein defining the modern era by our advancements in the readability of knowledge and the supposed ease added to our lives because of it; however technology by definition is simply any scientific development used for…

Whenever a disease is on the rise, people search for answers and feel the need to find a reason for the cause. This is a naturally occurring human response. Since the rate of autism has been on the rise, it is understandable that people search for a cause for the…

Comparing the size of a single human being to the vastness of the whole universe inspires feelings of amazement, wonder, and fear. Despite these feelings or perhaps because of them, humans have bravely ventured to the moon, low-Earth orbit, and have sent probes to planets as far as Mars, Venus,…

Self-objectification is the process of treating one’s own body as a mere commodity: an object that can only be appreciated for aesthetic value. Third-wave feminists have attempted to redefine objectification, claiming that by choosing to portray oneself as an object, the individual takes back agency from those who would have…

Humbly nestled next to a laundromat on 236 Brighton Avenue is a martial arts gym with a combined team record of 83 wins and only 13 losses in professional and amateur bouts. Wai Kru Mixed Martial Arts, known simply as “Wai Kru”, is one of the most respected and sought…

History is history not because events happen, but because there are people there to witness and testify to it. However, since a single individual could not possibly know every detail surrounding any particular event while it happens, it is the role of the historian to see and understand history from…

The live studio audience laughs hysterically, its frantic clapping steadily increasing in the background as the flaming redhead on screen pouts her lips, tilts her head, crosses her arms, and groans loudly as she realizes her most recent mistake. Lucy’s newest scheme has blown up again and a laughing Ricky…

Dear Mr. Keynes, I am writing to address your notions on the current depressed state of the economy and your proposals concerning how to solve the difficulties the United States is facing. The Great Depression is an example of the instability that lies within capitalism. The law of accumulation has…

On Saturday October 4, 1957, Americans all over the country listened at their radio sets to the sound of a beacon being projected from a 183-pound man-made satellite orbiting earth at 18,000 mph.1 Given their intensity, Americans might have been celebrating the first US satellite launch.2 Instead, the country erupted…

Traditional Eurocentric historiography attributes Japan’s ascendance as a powerful actor on the international stage at the end of the 19th century as being the result of an adoption of Prussian and German paradigms regarding politics and the military. However, a more in depth analysis reveals that Japan’s ascendance stems from…

How does an individual find their place in foreign territory, with different customs, and often a different language? These are only a few obstacles new populations must overcome to be associated with the dominant group. Historically the United States has, for the most part, welcomed immigrants and embraced the concept…

In an on going controversy regarding the very origins of the human species, ideas essential to the founding of our nation are being challenged. The line which separates church from state, an especially crucial boundary in terms of public education, is being continuously challenged by creationist science enthusiasts, who proceed…

Deep learning is by nature next to impossible to teach in school because it relies so heavily on students’ self-motivation. A deep learner can always be recognized by the way he articulates his scholastic experiences. Instead of recounting which books he was assigned for class, he recalls specific discussions or…

This essay is missing from our archive, but we hope to locate it soon. Here’s an abstract: A critique of Sue Williams’ recent documentary about the post-Tiananmen generation. Jonathan brings Marxist theory to bear on Williams’ Young and Restless in China in an effort to explain why Williams’ effort to…

In the America of today, suburbia is simply a fact of life. It’s the place where much of the country eats, sleeps, plays and returns to every day after work. But why is it that modern America has not emerged as an entirely city-based culture as had been the natural…

This essay is missing from our archive, but we hope to locate it soon. Here’s an abstract: A thoughtful analysis of the ethics of photojournalism. Using Richard Drew’s iconic photograph of one of the jumpers from the World Trade Center as his point of reference, Thomas takes note not only…

Children of all ages “The greatest show on Earth is now the tallest show on Earth, the strongest show on Earth, the most amazing show on Earth, and the funniest show on Earth.”1 These are the lines heard in the television commercial shown in the Cleveland, Ohio area when Ringling…

Often artists’ works speaks more to the human condition when they have a deep understanding of the human body’s physical makeup and how it relates to the mind and soul. Christine Borland, for instance, combines both scientific thought and medical research into her art in order to examine the ethics…