Hi Viewers,

It has been a while. I hope that all of you are doing well. Wishing you the best for 2021.

I want to talk about community college. This is long but worth the read. I took last semester off from Tufts and attended Montgomery County Community College full time. And, it was an absolutely amazing experience. I have never had a more diverse group of professors or peers in my classes. For the first time, I had two female professors and three male professors. I also had a mix of professors from different backgrounds, and from all different races. It was a privilege to learn from them, to listen to their points of view and hear about their cultures or lives. In addition to that, I had multilingual peers who had just moved here from other countries, peers that worked multiple jobs, peers that were still in high school or older adults, etc. That diversity fostered brilliant and thought provoking discussions. My professors took the time to get to know me, and to make themselves available to answer questions. They learned about my life and my interests and tailored class content to each and every student. Without a doubt, they know me better than my Tufts professors do. The advisor there was so willing to help me, and went out of her way to make my transition there easier.

I also took a set of classes that address real world issues including Sociology, Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, Spanish, and Educational Psych. They were all interrelated to some degree which strengthened my understanding of critical topics. I began to understand crime, justice, and law through a more educated lens than what I’ve gleaned from the media and my own social feed.

Because of the rampant elitism within the college process, there is a stigma around attending community college. It is a spectacular option for college — whether you stay all four years or transfer after two years to one of the numerous schools that community colleges have relationships with. It saves so much money and provides opportunities for students who cannot afford to go to other schools. It also gives students an opportunity to fall in love with learning by taking classes that interest them. Tufts has a reputation for being an academically rigorous institution — but there were no remarkable differences in the difficulties of my classes at MontCo, in my personal opinion. Furthermore, I didn’t experience burnout halfway through the semester because there wasn’t as much added pressure. The students that go to community college are sometimes regarded as less intelligent than those students who go to more prestigious institutions and that is just grossly untrue. I’m extremely ashamed to admit that I had that notion going in, I thought my classes were going to be easy there, and I thought that I would be ahead of my peers. But I am so happy to have been proved wrong, and that I took the time to look at my internalized elitism and privilege.

Is this to say anything negative about Tufts? Absolutely not, I love my school and I am happy that I get to go there. But this was a valuable experience for me and I’m glad to be able to share it. To anyone going through the college process right now, community college is such an important option that your high school might not widely publicize or educate you on. I’m not an expert on it by any means, but please reach out to me if you want to know more about my experience!Thank you Montgomery County Community College

XOXO. S.

Hi Viewers,

I am not political on this blog usually. I am not being political now, in my opinion, I’m speaking about a human rights issue. I realize that I don’t want to talk too much and take away from the voice of black people right now. I also realize that with privilege comes responsibility and this is what I’ve learned and want to pass on!

There’s so much that you don’t see on social media. So many conversations that everyone is having that have an astronomical impact. In the last few days, my opinions have evolved because I’ve learned from different sources and talked to all different people. I’ve learned new perspectives and had some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve ever had. I have learned how to approach confronting people on their racism which is something I used to be afraid of. I’ve found in the conversations I’ve had, that making sure the person knows you aren’t personally attacking them encourages them to be more open to listening. I’ve also learned how increasingly crucial it is to be well informed. I’ve never been as informed about a current (and historical) group of events than I am right now. And I still have a long way to go, but it’s invaluable because it allows me to support the movement and spread awareness in a much more powerful way.

The current events are all consuming and so terrifying but it’s also so important. The the exhaustion that white people and allies are experiencing from trying to fight racial injustice and having difficult conversations is just a tiny tiny tiny (*a million) piece of the lifelong exhaustion that black people and POCs experience on a consistent basis in the face of racism. Don’t turn it off because you’re tired, don’t turn off your compassion. The fact that I’m choosing to care and choosing to work to align myself in solidarity with BLM whereas black people don’t have that choice, speaks volumes to me.

It is not new that this violence is happening but nonblack people (sadly including me) somehow haven’t been paying attention because it’s easy to ignore when it doesn’t actively endanger your own life. If you’re not pushed out of your comfort zone right now, you’re not paying attention or being an ally. If you aren’t speaking up and supporting Black Lives Matter, you aren’t understanding what America is and what the right side of history is. It can be scary to speak for fear of saying the wrong thing, but there is time to learn and it’s so important to try!! I’m working to become a better ally and I really hope that you will join me. Thank you for taking the time to read this 💙💙💙

XOXO. S.

Hi Viewers,

When hearing George Floyd’s story, I was devastated. I’m not even in disbelief this time. I’m just sad and ANGRY nothing is changing because for every story we hear about, there are a hundred more not being reported. There are so many instances where the victims of racist crimes like this are not getting justice, they aren’t even acknowledged. The fact that it is being announced that the police officers were fired is ridiculous, because that should be assumed. It should be assumed that when anyone, let alone a person in power, murders someone else, that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

I am so disgusted in our justice system. But it goes deeper than that. I always think about what I would do as a lawyer to get justice for people who have been mistreated or murdered — and you know what? I could never do enough in my simulations. The problem is not just with the justice system, because by the time a case like this gets to lawyers or prosecutors, the damage has already been done. In this case (and way too many others), a young man’s life has already been taken too soon for no reason. And the fact that people have to post on social media to bring attention to murders like this and further to demand justice means that our system ISN’T working for ANYONE. Because, if it isn’t working for every single person, it should not considered to be working for anyone!!

Every single time I walk, I am cognizant of how lucky I am. That when a police car drives by me, I am not afraid for my life or my liberty. The police are an institution meant to protect Americans, ALL AMERICANS, and yet they are murdering some of us instead. I should not have the privilege of our institutions working for me and not against me based on the color of my skin. And yet I do. And it makes me sick.

Maybe some people will listen more to me saying this because I’m white (which is horrible yet a reality). I hope that more people will start to listen. Because somehow, someway, something has to change.

XOXO. S.

Hi Viewers,

As Kamala Harris said, exercising while black should not be a death sentence. How unfair is it that I can dance around and walk wherever I want, without being afraid. I walk around dripping with privilege because that never crosses my mind. But Ahmaud Arbery is murdered while jogging. Where is his justice?? Why can I exercise however and whenever I want, but he couldn’t and so many can’t without facing awful consequences? It is so disgusting that our justice system and our world is so inherently racially-biased and racist. It’s easy, as a white person, to miss it or to forget. But that’s why these issues continue and persist. It’s all too common that I do not acknowledge that I’m lucky that I can do that, and yet I am incredibly so. Ahmaud Arbery’s death shouldn’t have to serve as a reminder for me. It shouldn’t have happened. He should still be alive and instead, his death is going unpunished. For more information and to sign the petition, please visit https://www.runwithmaud.com/

XOXO. S.

Hi Viewers,

Today I stopped and realized how devoted and compassionate my professors have been. They noticed that every student had different needs, different fears, and different hardships during these uncertain times. I have been incredibly lucky to be able to safely distance at home with very few obligations. However, I still find these to be scary times.

One of my professors in particular did everything she could to make sure that we were doing okay. Every single class we had began with an individual check in, she asked how each one of us were. To chat and laugh and engage us in her class. We maintained the zany atmosphere of our class even as we dispersed all over the world. She built a community amongst us.

This last week has been really frightening with finals piling up. It sounds almost stupid to be nervous about finals in the midst of a global pandemic, but that is exactly why they are so difficult. Because your mind is focused on 1200 other things and the idea of studying for a final seems overwhelming.

My economics professor alleviated almost all of that stress. She review zoomed with large groups of us for almost two hours both Saturday and Sunday. It would’ve been easy for her to have checked out for the weekend, but she didn’t. She held office hours again for us today to assuage more worries and answer more questions. Ultimately, I’ve learned so much from her this semester. International Trade is positively fascinating to me, and this class further confirmed how much I love it. But also, she went out of her way to make sure we all understood what she was teaching all the time. Checking in specifically with different people. To joke around with us, and to sprinkle in really really interesting stories into her lectures.

Honestly, my trade economics professor is the professor I hoped to have when I chose to go to Tufts.

Stop and take the time to appreciate the people that are making this situation better. The professors and teachers who are teaching in a way they didn’t sign up to, but are still doing everything in their power to make it easy. I feel very lucky to have (and to have had over the years) such powerful professors and educators in my life.

XOXO. S.

Hi Viewers,

What a feeling of unity Philly just experienced. Tons of people standing in the parking lot, six feet apart, excitedly waiting together. The Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds flew over Philadelphia in a show of support for healthcare workers. Everyone was cheering! It was more people than I’ve seen in almost two months. More people smiling than I’ve seen since what feels like forever. There were people shouting to each other to make sure everyone could see it. I’m in awe every single day of this isolation. At the health care workers who work constantly, at the other essential workers who go work every day (the mailmen, the garbage workers, the delivery people, etc.). How selflessly they continue working to save lives and to flatten the curve. I’m astonished at my professors and all of the teachers who have transitioned to online teaching. By all of the parents working from home and taking care of their kids at the same time. How quickly we all came together in this time of uncertain crisis.

It’s so easy to fall into a spiral of angst. When I walked in the sunshine today after having the luxury to not get off of my couch for three days, I realized what a privilege that is. That I can laze around in my house and do nothing while being safe and healthy. That honestly, doing my part to flatten the curve has not had that big of an impact on my life. My gratitude is simply overflowing for those who are on the front lines, for those who are keeping us safe, and for everyone doing their part — sending a huge THANK YOU!

XOXO. S.

Hi Viewers,

Today, if I were at Tufts, it would’ve been Spring Fling. Last year on Spring Fling, i got into a terrible fight with one of my best friends. It wasn’t even a fight exactly, we had been fighting for weeks but that day it wasn’t a fight. That day, I was absolutely terrible to her. It’s so hard to admit when you do something wrong, and to take responsibility for something that you deeply regret. It is a skill that I continue to work on. After that, we worked through our issues. It took a long time for both of us to be in a place where we actually accepted the others apology and came back to being best friends. However, I’ve realized that the most amazing friendships are the ones that triumph over strife. I know that her and I will always be best friends because there has never been a fight that we haven’t overcome. She’s one of those invaluable people that I couldn’t be more grateful for.

As I have grown up through grade school and high school, and now almost half way through college, I’ve learned a lot about who my true friends are. I’ve learned that fighting with your friends is normal. That sometimes a fight can benefit a relationship and create a stronger, longer lasting bond. When I’m looking at the aforementioned friendship specifically, I realized that we fought so much because the friendship meant so much to the both of us. I also learned that when your friendship dissolves after one fight, it wasn’t a friendship worth maintaining anyway.

The people you surround yourself with are endlessly important to the way that you live your life. If you care about them, it doesn’t mean you should never fight. It means that you should put just as much energy into making up as you do into fighting. It means that when you see an issue, don’t let it build up into a blow up. I’m so grateful for the friends that I have, and the ones who have stood by me after arguments etc.

It’s not every day that you meet friends that you want to keep forever, but I’m lucky enough to have done so. It took me so long to figure it out. It took numerous fits of panic and sadness when one friend group or another throughout high school didn’t invite me to something, or talked meanly about me or didn’t include me. But between high school and college, I’ve found those people. It doesn’t happen over night, and it’s ever changing. The act of being a real friend however, is one I will be working on for my whole life. If you haven’t found your people yet (your forevers as I call them), don’t worry. It takes time and new experiences, it takes arguments and reconciliations, and it takes courage to put yourself out there and make new friends. Wishing you all the best always!

XOXO. S.

Hi Viewers,

For those of you who don’t know, I love birthdays so much! I love that there is a day every year that is put aside to celebrate every person. When everyone tells them how amazing they are or how incredible they are. Today is my favorite person’s birthday! Jake has been my best friend since the 1st day of sophomore year of high school. He will be my friend for the rest of my life, I already know. I can’t imagine the last few years without him by my side or the next few! There are very few things about this quarantine that I find intolerable but one of them is not being able to spend the day celebrating his birthday. We made it work though!!

Celebrate your people!! Every day!! Don’t wait for their birthdays to tell them how INCREDIBLE they are, how much they impact your life and make your days better, and how much you care about them!

XOXO. S.

Hi Viewers,

Chag Sameach!! Passover is my favorite Jewish holiday because of the way that it brings everyone together. It unites people who rarely see each other! I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed it until I was at college for it last year and couldn’t attend in person.

Honestly, I just love the way my dad lights up when he leads the seder. He works so diligently to make it fun yet educational, spiritual yet factual, and just incredible. He is such a dynamic person because it’s all jokes and giggles but he also takes the time to acknowledge the plight of the Jews, and the tremendous hardship that people around the world face. To draw attention to the people suffering from COVID-19 right now, but also the millions who die from hunger or other diseases or unsafe drinking water etc. I think it’s really beautiful ❤️❤️❤️

Sending all of my best wishes to my family and loved ones near and far!

XOXO. S.

Hi Viewers,

I stopped writing this blog because I didn’t want it to seem like I was happy all the time (toxic positivity is a real thing) and because I was going through a period in my life where I wasn’t joyful enough to embody the essence of the smiley face sentiment.

However, during this time of stress, isolation, and uncertainty, I want to reach out again. I want to share little uplifting things or interactions that I see during my adventures.

Today in my dance walk, I saw this older couple waiting by the bus stop together. He went to push the cross walk button which meant that he could no longer hold his wife’s hand. She just held her hand out the whole time waiting for him and as soon as he clicked the button, he reached for her hand again and clasped it tight ❤️❤️❤️ the love between them after numerous years was beautifully inspiring!

Wishing you all the best during these uncertain times

Xoxo. S.