After reading Mohja Kahf’s “My Grandmother Washes Her Feet in the Sink of the Bathroom at Sears”, I was surprised to read about the… — After reading Mohja Kahf’s “My Grandmother Washes Her Feet in the Sink of the Bathroom at Sears”, I was surprised to read about the ignorance that Kahf’s grandmother faced in America. Her grandmother was simply completing a ritual but the other shoppers in the Sears were disgusted at her actions, even though it was a part of Kahf and her grandmother’s culture. I began to wonder, would these shoppers at Sears react the same way if Kahf’s grandmother was white?

After reading “To converse with the greats” by Vera Pavolva, I realize how grateful I am to have the ability to interact with items as a… — After reading “To converse with the greats” by Vera Pavolva, I realize how grateful I am to have the ability to interact with items as a human. Not only can we interact with books, but we have the ability to write and rewrite them. Her poem also raises questions about our human boundaries — what if we were able to not only interact with items, but talk to them too? In her words, we would be crossing the “solitary confinement of the universe.”

“No one is going to pick you. Pick yourself.” — “No one is going to pick you. Pick yourself.” When reading Seth Godin’s Reject the tyranny of being picked: pick yourself, the last two sentences of his blog post stopped me in my tracks and allowed me to come to a realization. Much like many others, I am a person who longs to get picked for anything, whether if its for a job, a project, etc. The most common and simple solution for this is to work harder, push harder, grind harder. Although, picking yourself is a completely different story. I was delighted after finishing Godin’s blog post because I realized that instead of following these “cultural instincts” and relying on others to get picked, I should pick myself.

I love this essay about Animal Crossing! Ananya Udaygiri writes about how this simple Japanese video game has such an effect on our… — I love this essay about Animal Crossing! Ananya Udaygiri writes about how this simple Japanese video game has such an effect on our generation. Not only is it a “miniature escape” from our everyday chaotic lives, but it is a way for Gen Z to have a vision about better times. I especially loved this essay, since I am addicted to Animal Crossing. I actually have over 400 hours of gameplay on Animal Crossing New Horizons as of now. After reading Udaygiri’s essay, I want to explore more about why and how video games, specifically simulation video games, have these kind of effects on our generation. Perhaps they make us want to escape from reality and have our own separate lives? Or maybe we simply enjoy the idea of living a life different from our current one.

“You see, Isobel. Beauty is in your mind, not in the rose.” — “You see, Isobel. Beauty is in your mind, not in the rose.” Agnes Martin is an American abstract painter famous for her work of art titled “With My Back to the World”. Hearing Arne Glimcher’s story about his granddaughter’s interaction with Agnes Martin stopped me in my tracks and made me come to a realization. Even if a rose cannot be physically present, it is still beautiful in the minds of everyone. This story delighted me because not only does it spread a powerful message, but it demonstrates how Martin was not only an abstract painter, but also a philosopher.

Ed Ruscha is a famous American artist known for painting and drawing unique art and using unique materials. He is associated with the pop… — “In the early ’70s, Ed started painting with actual foods: chocolate, cilantro, catchup, caviar, hot sauce.” Ed Ruscha is a famous American artist known for painting and drawing unique art and using unique materials. He is associated with the pop art movement and is most known for his book Twentysix Gasoline Stations.