When I was seven, my grandma decided I was going to be a pianist. For the next twelve years, I sat through weekly piano lessons, despite a complete absence of enthusiasm for the instrument.
When you read the byline for this article, how did you pronounce my surname? Chances are, you worked through it phonetically, elongating the vowels as you went along.
When I went back to my high school last year to talk to prospective applicants, the number one thing I was asked was: “Are all your conversations, like, really smart?”
"This time of year can be difficult for some, and while this is not a new discovery, it is more important now than ever to look after yourselves and look out for your friends."
"Overall, Banana Tree is a pleasant surprise. Despite the occasional missteps that are somewhat inevitable when trying to deliver a menu covering an entire continent, it is defined by a selection of star dishes and reliable classics."
"You wake up the next morning fifteen minutes before the submission deadline and after swiping through attempt after attempt of varying degrees of failure eventually arrive at the very first take."
"I have many a playlist (a surplus one might say - a boring one mind you) and each one has a very specific vibe, a specific function, a certain 'je ne sais quoi'"
"I remounted the bike with some difficulty and started wobbling along the road as the amber glow that bathed the Italian countryside faded into darkness."
"Black history is so diverse but for black people it can be complex to process; immense pride can be matched with sorrow and disappointment at the history of our people."
Students in Iran are in an existential fight for freedom. At academic institutions such as Sharif University of Technology and Khajeh-Nasir Toosi University of...