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 for the first time. Now it was back, just before performing at a ballet competition against hundreds of other talented dancers from around the world. Continue reading
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” way possible. She had told me we were going shopping in order to decorate my new room, and those who know me are well aware of the fact that the easiest way to win me over is through some old-fashioned retail therapy. I was sold. Our first stop was a paint store. Continue reading
Why might two representations from different artistic movements of the same biblical event differ greatly? Continue reading
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 Titian and El Greco, demonstrate this by using their styles to paint different interpretations of Jesus carrying the cross to His crucifixion. Continue reading
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 and reflection on the state’s response to the disease; while the extreme measures taken to negate the spread of the virus have served to substantially reduce China’s rate of infection, domestic and foreign voices alike condemn the governmental response to the disease as altogether inadequate. Continue reading
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. Continue reading
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, Johnny Friendly, derailed his boxing career, forcing him to become a longshoreman and low-level member of Friendly’s crew. Terry lacks a strong moral code at the beginning of the movie and is heavily influenced by the corrupt mob. However, after Terry unknowingly plays a role in the murder of his friend Joey Doyle, he goes through a moral awakening. Continue reading
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 found that 83.3% of all anti-Islamic hate crimes had occurred in the weeks following 9/11 and concluded with a “statistically significant increase in anti-Islamic hate crime” overall. Continue reading