Self

Desire paths, ‘Walden,’ and walking without a path

Inspired by walks around campus, Senior Writer Gabriel Robare meditates on the desire path — a trail created by repeated foot traffic — in a passage from Thoreau’s “Walden,” as well as in his personal life, as someone who finds joy in creating patterns and routines out of the chaos of life.

Inspired by walks around campus, Senior Writer Gabriel Robare meditates on the desire path — a trail created by repeated foot traffic — in a passage from Thoreau’s “Walden,” as well as in his personal life, as someone who finds joy in creating patterns and routines out of the chaos of life.  

How (and why) Minecraft YouTube raised hundreds of thousands for cancer research

As someone who has (thankfully) never had to experience the anguish of having a loved one suffer through cancer, I foolishly thought it wasn’t something that affected me. Since then, I’ve taken time to educate myself on sarcoma, which, due to its rarity, has had relatively less research. 

As someone who has (thankfully) never had to experience the anguish of having a loved one suffer through cancer, I foolishly thought it wasn’t something that affected me. Since then, I’ve taken time to educate myself on sarcoma, which, due to its rarity, has had relatively less research. 

For all the queer tigers, but especially for myself

On National Coming Out Day, what does it take to come out and then to live unabashedly and fully?

On National Coming Out Day, what does it take to come out and then to live unabashedly and fully?

Intersections: 10/8/21

Spend fall break in SoHo!

Are you looking for somewhere to visit over fall break? We would highly recommend the SoHo area in New York City. Here’s a few spots that we checked out there over the past summer.  

Are you looking for somewhere to visit over fall break? We would highly recommend the SoHo area in New York City. Here’s a few spots that we checked out there over the past summer.   

The death of the pleasure read

Contributing Writer for The Prospect Clara McWeeny reflects on how the burdensome reading load of the Humanities sequence has practically killed the pleasure read, keeping her from returning to the books and worlds she’s grown accustomed to calling her own.

Contributing Writer for The Prospect Clara McWeeny reflects on how the burdensome reading load of the Humanities sequence has practically killed the pleasure read, keeping her from returning to the books and worlds she’s grown accustomed to calling her own.

Intersections: 9/24/21

Only human: Reflections from a pre-med in a pandemic

“When I tell people that I want to be a doctor, most of the responses I get focus on the clinical and scientific aspects of the job. I’m keenly aware of the fact that I’m viewed as one of those pillars of science and logic — someone who is simply providing the next diagnosis, seeing the next patient, filling out the next chart. But as I’ve learned from this pandemic, it is the resilience, dedication, and paramount concern for the greater good that keeps that pillar standing strong.” 

“When I tell people that I want to be a doctor, most of the responses I get focus on the clinical and scientific aspects of the job. I’m keenly aware of the fact that I’m viewed as one of those pillars of science and logic — someone who is simply providing the next diagnosis, seeing the next patient, filling out the next chart. But as I’ve learned from this pandemic, it is the resilience, dedication, and paramount concern for the greater good that keeps that pillar standing strong.” 

Remembering the day the Towers fell

In observance of the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, The Prospect asked Princeton community members — students, faculty, staff, and alumni — to share brief personal reflections and anecdotes. Responses were edited for concision and clarity. 

In observance of the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, The Prospect asked Princeton community members — students, faculty, staff, and alumni — to share brief personal reflections and anecdotes. Responses were edited for concision and clarity. 

Visiting Princeton’s 9/11 memorial, 20 years after the towers fell

Remembering is something so deeply ingrained into the physical campus in which we make our lives as Princeton students. Still, it’s so easy to walk through its arches and towers and halls without ever taking the time to really contemplate the people and stories the campus embodies.

Remembering is something so deeply ingrained into the physical campus in which we make our lives as Princeton students. Still, it’s so easy to walk through its arches and towers and halls without ever taking the time to really contemplate the people and stories the campus embodies.

Triangle's Frosh Week Show and the future soon to begin

“In this instant, the most tangible change I feel is a resurging joy, almost childlike, after a somber year, all thanks to the promise of soon, finally, participating behind the scenes in the Triangle tradition that helped me fall in love with this school and this club when I was only an audience member.” 

“In this instant, the most tangible change I feel is a resurging joy, almost childlike, after a somber year, all thanks to the promise of soon, finally, participating behind the scenes in the Triangle tradition that helped me fall in love with this school and this club when I was only an audience member.”  

DISPATCH | What being a camp counselor taught me about life after loss

Reflecting on a summer spent working as a camp counselor in Kentucky, Managing Editor AG McGee writes about coming to terms with grief and how to move on after a major loss.

Reflecting on a summer spent working as a camp counselor in Kentucky, Managing Editor AG McGee writes about coming to terms with grief and how to move on after a major loss.

Barely hanging on

“I’m barely holding on, and I would love for you to leave me alone if you aren’t willing to help.” In a guest submission to The Prospect, Associate Opinion Editor Kristal Grant responds to the administration and faculty’s inadequate and too-late (in)action on students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m barely holding on, and I would love for you to leave me alone if you aren’t willing to help.” In a guest submission to The Prospect, Associate Opinion Editor Kristal Grant responds to the administration and faculty’s inadequate and too-late (in)action on students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The reality of imposter syndrome in the COVID-19 era

“At a time when students, including myself, find themselves questioning their validity, high-achieving universities should emphasize the importance of rest instead of adding to students’ stress.” 

“At a time when students, including myself, find themselves questioning their validity, high-achieving universities should emphasize the importance of rest instead of adding to students’ stress.”  

When you silence Asian pain, you light us all on fire

“Today, I'm still wearing my KF94 mask to protect others, but I’ve shed my other mask — the one I wore to convince myself and others that the flames weren’t real. They are real, and the world is on fire — both literally, but also within the millions of minds that white supremacy and racial capitalism set ablaze centuries ago.”

“Today, I'm still wearing my KF94 mask to protect others, but I’ve shed my other mask — the one I wore to convince myself and others that the flames weren’t real. They are real, and the world is on fire — both literally, but also within the millions of minds that white supremacy and racial capitalism set ablaze centuries ago.”

Racism, innocent deaths, and Asian-American art

The Atlanta shooting is a clear call for me — and everyone — to take action for the Asian and Asian American communities by raising awareness and working to fight the thinly veiled, yet pervasive racism hiding behind our internal biases and microaggressions.

The Atlanta shooting is a clear call for me — and everyone — to take action for the Asian and Asian American communities by raising awareness and working to fight the thinly veiled, yet pervasive racism hiding behind our internal biases and microaggressions.

Rachel, who's an Asian

“A large part of my aversion to Asian dramas came from generally wanting nothing to do with any kind of Asian culture. Growing up in America, there was always a xenophobic undercurrent to products from my culture: Asian things were weird.”

“A large part of my aversion to Asian dramas came from generally wanting nothing to do with any kind of Asian culture. Growing up in America, there was always a xenophobic undercurrent to products from my culture: Asian things were weird.”

A defense of doing less

“The way I see it, if success in school requires crying on the floor, I don’t want to be successful. Success, I think, is being happy, at any given time. I still think it’s good to work, it’s good to struggle, it’s good to fail.”

“The way I see it, if success in school requires crying on the floor, I don’t want to be successful. Success, I think, is being happy, at any given time. I still think it’s good to work, it’s good to struggle, it’s good to fail.”

Why we should start listening to those ‘minor minorities’

“Watching the anti-Asian violence unfold on the news, I could not help but see my experience with dermatillomania as an allegory for how many Asian Americans, including myself, experience racism. There seems to be a pervasive insecurity that our struggles are unimportant, or simply not worthy of discussion.” 

“Watching the anti-Asian violence unfold on the news, I could not help but see my experience with dermatillomania as an allegory for how many Asian Americans, including myself, experience racism. There seems to be a pervasive insecurity that our struggles are unimportant, or simply not worthy of discussion.” 

It feels like America again

The Prospect associate editor José Pablo Fernández García wrestles with growing up in the age of mass shootings and how a return of such tragedies to the headlines grossly feels like a return to American normalcy.

The Prospect associate editor José Pablo Fernández García wrestles with growing up in the age of mass shootings and how a return of such tragedies to the headlines grossly feels like a return to American normalcy.