In this weekly creative nonfiction series, we explore themes of intimacy and sexual assault, as experienced by Stanford students. Storytellers take agency over their bodies, directing narratives that make their experiences visible. This story is a retelling of the sexual assault our storyteller experienced her frosh year — the story was constructed based on verbal … [Read more…]
Stanford students are a notable magnet for strange animal encounters. Everyone has or knows someone who has had an unbelievable run-in with the third kind, including Sierra Knudsen ’22. Knudsen was a victim of Grand Theft Trail Mix in the fall of 2019. As a resident assistant (RA) in Muwekma-Tah-Ruk, she moved in early to … [Read more…]
Ben sets his sights on new frontiers of the navel — and sometimes beyond. One professor of Renaissance art, visiting the Stanford Palazzo, presented on a project I found fascinating and disturbing. He was trying to use 3D room-scanning technology to “digitize” Renaissance-era buildings in Florence, and in the process restore the original art that … [Read more…]
An enthusiastic and self-indulgent journal about my discovery of and infatuation with Hong Kong cinema. This summer I went back home to Northeast China for the first time in two years. The three and a half months didn’t do much to ease my homesickness, and I didn’t want to fly off again. As a measure of … [Read more…]
This column combines the intimacy of a diary-like narrative with the writer’s own experiences of things little in life and things big: politics and culture. Dear Diary, I’m thankful for my limbs. I really am. But sometimes — and I’m sorry, I know I should be proud and grateful and introspective on things like this, … [Read more…]
I feel frozen. Numb. Heartbroken. I want to cry, but no tears form. I want to scream, but no sound vocalizes. I seek purpose, but I wander aimlessly. I am the grandchild of a Holocaust survivor and Jewish immigrants who left Morocco in the 1960s. My maternal and paternal ancestors zig-zagged from their origins in … [Read more…]
Buried beneath a mountain of academic and social pressure, students at Stanford often find themselves grappling with two unique mental challenges — imposter syndrome and duck syndrome. Imposter syndrome, characterized by a persistent feeling of inadequacy despite accomplishments, frequently coexists with duck syndrome. Originally actually coined by Stanford, duck syndrome refers to the outward appearance … [Read more…]
Amid the stress of juggling school, extracurriculars and relationships, a perhaps surprising — but scientifically endorsed — outlet is calligraphy, an art that can stimulate the brain and improve cognitive function. Calligraphy is the visual art of handwriting with either a pen, ink brush or other utensil and requires focus on not just what you’re … [Read more…]
When I was in first grade, I had a friend from France. Her name was Sidonie. I don’t remember her last name, and I’m not sure if I ever knew it. When you’re a kid, you don’t care about people’s last names unless they’re A) an adult or B) another kid with the same first … [Read more…]
On Aug. 9, 2023, Taylor Swift announced the release date of her re-recorded album “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” during the final show of the Eras Tour’s first U.S. leg. Many already saw it coming. Taylor Swift’s fans are infamous for being Swifties by day and detectives by night, diligently following the trails of clues that Swift … [Read more…]