Cecilia Atkins – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Tue, 26 Sep 2017 05:23:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://stanforddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-DailyIcon-CardinalRed.png?w=32 Cecilia Atkins – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 How to time travel https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/26/how-to-time-travel/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/26/how-to-time-travel/#respond Tue, 26 Sep 2017 13:22:47 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1130210 As we meander into our belated start to the school year, many Stanford students may find themselves still wondering how summer went by so quickly. The impending crush of unpacking, juggling club meetings and adding and dropping classes can be a rough departure from the last three months of summer break. In the first few […]

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As we meander into our belated start to the school year, many Stanford students may find themselves still wondering how summer went by so quickly. The impending crush of unpacking, juggling club meetings and adding and dropping classes can be a rough departure from the last three months of summer break.

In the first few weeks of the quarter, the question of how to manage our time looms large. For some, this is synonymous with penciling in planners or filling up calendar and reminder apps only to discover we need 25 hours in a day to get everything done. Time becomes both an enemy and a precious commodity, always pushing forward and simultaneously running out; but what if we thought about time differently?

When comparing the long, lazy days of summer that seemed full of empty hours yet collectively blinked by too fast with the staccato, chaotic days that make up the long weeks at the start of the academic year, it seems time might be something that we construct more in our minds than anything else and, therefore, something malleable.

Recently, an article put out by Brain Pickings (a weekly newsletter curation of pieces of art, science, philosophy, literature and other work) examined what has been written about the factors that shape our experience of time. The takeaway? The way in which we experience time is elastic, meaning we can speed it up or slow it down. Our control lies in our perception of time — the idea being that time doesn’t need to be considered a driving force that dictates our actions, but rather a force for us to harness.

Claudia Hammond, author of “Time Warped: Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception,” writes: “We construct the experience of time in our minds, so it follows that we are able to change the elements we find troubling — whether it’s trying to stop the years racing past, or speeding up time when we’re stuck in a queue, trying to live more in the present, or working out how long ago we last saw our old friends.”

If we break from the obsessive scheduling of time into units to be filled with tasks and, instead, shift our focus to the idea that our perception of time matters more than time itself, we gain control.

While this conception of time as an adjustable, flexible thing may seem abstract, the bottom line is that it’s ours to manage and experience as we see fit. So slow it down or speed it up and set the pace this quarter with a fresh conception of time as something more than just an adversary.

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Gap years: Looking beyond the ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ model https://stanforddaily.com/2017/06/16/gap-years-looking-beyond-the-eat-pray-love-model/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/06/16/gap-years-looking-beyond-the-eat-pray-love-model/#respond Fri, 16 Jun 2017 08:26:48 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1128911 Gap years are elusive beasts. Some of us wish we had taken one (or two, or three). Others can’t shut up about them, while others have a difficult time seeing the appeal. No matter your opinion on gap years, if — like me — you haven’t taken one, it’s likely you’ve developed some assumptions of […]

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Gap years are elusive beasts. Some of us wish we had taken one (or two, or three). Others can’t shut up about them, while others have a difficult time seeing the appeal. No matter your opinion on gap years, if — like me — you haven’t taken one, it’s likely you’ve developed some assumptions of what a gap year entails and further assumptions regarding the kind of people who embark on them. In order to dispel any lingering Eat, Pray, Love stereotypes, I interviewed three current Stanford freshmen, all veterans of the gap year. As can be seen below, there is no single gap year model, nor is there a specific kind of gap year-taker, nor is it ever too late to take off on a gap year of your own.

When did you take your gap year?

Tessa Milligan ’20: After graduating high school.

Jonah Glick-Unterman ’20: After high school.

Caroline Moon ’20: So I went a little out of the ordinary, a little out of the box. I took it after my freshman year of high school, inspired by my friend who took it after his sophomore year of high school. He was just like “I’m going to take a year off formal education… ” He came back and described it as the best time of his life. My parents are very liberal and they support what I do, so [when I asked] they were like “Go ahead!”

Where did you go on your gap year and what did you do?

T: For the first few months I stayed home and worked to help my parents pay for it. I couldn’t pay for my whole gap year, but I wanted to at least pay for as much as I could. I worked in a juice bar for 3 or 4 months at home, alone. [laughs] Then I went to Mexico for three weeks to do my yoga teacher training, which was an intensive course, 6AM to 9:30PM every day. And then directly after that I went to South Africa for a month and a half.

First I was working as a volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation center. I was working with baby rhinos, baby hippos, baby monkeys — essentially just being animal caretaker/mother to a bunch of orphaned baby animals… Then after that, I took a wildlife course for a week and a half in another part of South Africa, out in the bush on a game reserve, camping style.

Then I went to the Seychelles where I worked for a month, again as a volunteer, with the environmental department of a private research island called North Island, working to restore the habitat, replanting endemic species that had been wiped out during the coconut plantation time and also working on the conservation of sea turtles and their nest sites, and also the Aldabra Tortoises which are endemic to the Seychelles and the Galapagos… just general conservation work. And then I came home again and I was meant to travel again in the spring, but I was pretty wiped out after all that traveling, so I changed plans and I stayed home. [I] did some landscape work, worked as a gardener, knit some blankets, taught yoga. And then I got my prenatal yoga teacher certification in San Francisco. Then I spent a month in the Rockies, horsepacking. And then I also spent two weeks in the San Juan Islands, sea-kayaking and camping.

J: It was this leadership training program, kinda. It was called Kivunim. It’s a Jewish program aimed towards making the next generation of Jewish leaders very open-minded and engaged with the world. I was in Jerusalem for around seven months studying Hebrew and Arabic and different cultures, meeting with human rights activists and politicians — Israelis and Palestinians. I also studied global history. I learned about the histories of different countries and then went to those countries. I went to India, all over Europe, Morocco, Jordan… probably twenty different countries. It was really cool! I was meeting with prime ministers and ambassadors and learning how to engage with these kind of changemakers.

C: I focused a lot on fencing and competing and also just traveling. I went to Serbia, Croatia, China, Japan, France, Spain, a lot of the US too.

How much planning went into your gap year before you embarked on it?

T: So while everyone else was doing their college applications senior year, I was planning my gap year. I sent out my [college] applications before I left for Mexico. So I applied when the rest of the [current] freshmen applied. It was a lot of planning, a lot of internet researching to find out where to stay, what places are good, what’s sketchy, you know? I learned a lot from that, from figuring out what’s legit and what’s trying to get your money or just kind of creepy. The second half [of my gap year] I just kind of wung it — that had less [planning], but also was a little bit more disjointed.

J: It was actually through a program, So I didn’t do any planning. [How did you find the program?] My best friend did it the year before me.

C: I think it was the most ridiculous thing I’ve done, ever, because I had already paid tuition for my school year, for the next year. I think it wasn’t even a month before school started. I was like, “Yeah guys, I’m going to take a gap year!” [laughs] I got reimbursed [for the tuition]. It was very on a whim and a lot of my friends were like “Oh my goodness, what are you doing? Are you okay?” Very worried about me. They thought I was going through some crisis. But I was not, I was just… I felt like this would be a good experience, so I did it, and it went perfectly.

What prompted you to take a gap year?

T: I think I knew that I wasn’t ready to go straight into school, you know, just like the typical… There’s so much I want to do in life, and like when else am I going to do it? Because if you follow the normal, cookie-cutter pathway, it’s just like there’s no time for you to explore, there’s no time for these things, you know? Especially after you go to college, then it’s just like you have to get a job, and also it’s harder then because you’re not as supported by your parents. Whereas at this point, your parents can still support you. It’s scary to travel alone and it’s good to have that experience early on, so then I would feel more comfortable doing that again. But also, I think looking back, because I don’t exactly remember why I was so sure, but looking back I think it gave me such a good perspective on all the different life paths you can take. I met so many people who took radically different life paths, and it just reinforced the idea that you don’t have to follow this whole one path, it’s a very like Western philosophy of the way to go in life.

J: I think I kind of realized I might regret not doing it, but I wouldn’t regret doing it. There’s this theory called the Life Expectancy Surplus, which means that our life expectancy now is thirty years longer than it was like one hundred years ago, and how we distribute that life surplus is up to us. So I was like okay, I want to add more years to the college age and before the college age.

C: After middle school and continuing on with high school… A continuous education was just, for me, a lot. I wanted a year where I could do whatever I wanted to do, and after freshman year it was just like inspired by my friend, who was a year older obviously, and it just felt like I won’t ever get the chance to do this. I mean, potentially after senior year, but why not now, why wait?

Did you have any concerns going into it?

T: I did. It’s hard to do something that not everyone else is doing. Gap years in the UK are very common, and almost everyone takes one, but I think out of my senior class of around 500 students I was one of the only people who planned on taking a gap year… It’s hard to go against the grain with something like that, and also it’s kind of lonely, especially when everyone was leaving for college and they’re all having this experience and, you know, you’re home working alone and you feel like a failure. So there’s a lot of hard parts about it, but then I think it’s more rewarding in the end. And I think I was also worried about coming into school being older, which is silly though because really you don’t feel one year at all.

J: When I started my gap year it was like a year after a war between Gaza and Israel, so it was pretty scary for some people. Like I remember when I walked into my apartment there were signs pointing to the bomb shelters in every staircase. So that was kind of freaky… And the first month that I was in Jerusalem we were on lockdown because there were stabbings every day right outside of our door, so it was definitely kinda scary. But nothing really happened to me.

C: While on my gap year it was like I had a midlife crisis… I had a lot of FOMO. It felt like “Oh shoot, I’m a year behind now!” And not doing academic work was also very jarring for me, because I was not used to having no homework, no essays, no projects, etc. I just felt like I wasn’t being productive. But looking back, I was being so productive in a different way. So in that sense I was very worried for a bit of the time during my gap year, but not the entire time.

What were some challenges you faced?

T: Ooh, so many. [laughs] So many challenges. Traveling alone as a woman is difficult, which I hate to say, but it’s just real life. I think we are at a disadvantage, and it’s sad that we are, but it’s just different if you’re a woman than if you’re a man. There’s different precautionary actions that you have to take, you have to be more careful, and you have to be much smarter and more aware of your surroundings. That was a challenge, but something that you master pretty quickly. Being alone was a challenge but was also rewarding because now I’m super great at being alone. 

J: I think living in the moment. Because at a certain point when everything is really awesome and new every day, nothing is really so spectacular. You get so accustomed to this fast pace and new things all the time that it’s hard to realize like “Wow, I am in the dunes of the Sahara in Morocco…”  or like “Whoa, this is the holiest site of the Hindu religion, how did I even get here?”

C: Not doing work. I tried to find different activities I could do to distract myself [from the fact I wasn’t doing schoolwork] and feel that accomplishment [of productivity] through other ways. In that sense, I think that’s why I focused on fencing a lot. Competing constantly and getting better results was a way for me to feel that sense of accomplishment.

What did you think was your biggest takeaway was from that time?

T: When you travel and do these things, it’s not always going to be young people or people who are like you or whatever. It’s gonna be a really diverse demographic who you’re working with, or just spending time with. Or you’re going to be alone, like completely. So that was interesting… to be really comfortable with myself, but also with people of all walks of life… And also, I guess perspective. And that sounds so cliché, but it’s really true because if you come straight from your little world of high school to your little world of college, it’s just a continuation of the same. Whereas if you break out of that, even for a second, it’s just like you’ve almost been cleansed of this like, you know, brainwashing. And then you come back, and I still am brainwashed sometimes and I have to remind myself like, “Snap out of it, Tessa!” 

J: I think one of [my takeaways] was that the way I can be most of service to the world is by taking advantage of being at Stanford and really pursuing everything as far as I can. Once that works out for me in however it will, I will be in a position that is pretty unique to be able to do something in a different way. Another thing I realized was that people are more similar than they are different. People are definitely different, but there are so many similar values. Everywhere we went, I saw that family was the most important value that everyone shared. And I feel that way too, so I found a deep connection — no matter where you go you can find people [that share that connection].

C: I think before my gap year I had a very narrow mindset on life in general. I only thought there was one path to take: Finish high school, go to college, get good grades, get a good job and that’s practically my life. But after my gap year, I kind of realized there is a certain stigma. Society creates a path for you that is perceived as right, but honestly diverging from that is a way to express your creativity. My main takeaway would be if something feels right in the moment, that’s probably a sign. For me, taking my gap year was probably the number one time of my growth and finding my personality and what I like to do.

Do you think you would be different or have a different approach to things if you hadn’t taken a gap year? Would you do it again if you had another chance?

T: Oh yeah, I think about taking another gap year all the time. Every time I call my mom I’m like, “I need another gap year!” [laughs] [I] definitely would take another one, there’s so much that I want to do that it stresses me out. [The gap year] definitely also changed my perspective and how I am coming into school. I think I would have hypothetically had these ideas and this perspective, but it wouldn’t be so concrete and I would still have this perspective of “There’s other things in the world,” you know, but that would just be words. Whereas now it’s concrete experiences which reinforce that.

J: I would totally do it again. I wanna do it again right now. [laughs] I feel like I definitely am different. My priorities are different from what they would have been. Before college everyone was like, “College! I’m gonna make so many awesome friends and have a great time and party and it’s gonna be so fun!” And I was kind of like, “Okay, college, I’m excited to make friends but I’m also excited to really step up the game — this is where I really get to prove myself and make a difference.” And I think, I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but sometimes as a twenty-year-old living with some people who are seventeen in my dorm, sometimes you do notice the different priorities, but then you’re still friends with everybody, and I still respect everybody a lot.

C: Oh of course, yeah, for sure. One of my friends kind of criticized the idea of taking a gap year. They were like “What is the point of taking a gap year? Don’t you feel like you’re behind?” Something my parents told me was that a year is nothing. You’re going to live for so many decades, a year is nothing. If that year means you learn nothing, you just wasted a year and it’s fine. But that probably is unlikely and you will learn at least one thing. For me, it was a great learning experience and a great maturing experience and I would do it again anytime.

Any further thoughts?

T: There’s this preconceived idea of success that people have, and if they diverge from that path, it’s really scary. But I think that’s one of the benefits of a gap year — is that you have to let go of that a little bit because you’re pursuing things that are not necessarily a textbook path to success. And people will say “Oh you’re wasting your time” or “You’re never gonna go back to school,” but really it reinvigorates you and gives you real world experience that benefits you in the end. [Did you ever have a time when you thought maybe you wouldn’t go back to school?] No, I think if anything it really did reinvigorate my passions and also gave me a ton of new passions that I never saw coming, like prenatal yoga, like what? Pregnant women are fucking scary, but now that’s like one of my things and I’ve continued that here. I go to prenatal yoga every week just to observe a teacher who teaches here, but hopefully I’ll start teaching that again. It’s interesting to see these new passions being integrated into my life that would have never have been there in the first place. But also it’s never too late to take a gap year, at any point in life — can’t push that enough.

J: Something that I really thought about was how to talk to people about the gap year. I think a lot of people when they come back are asked “How was it?” Learning how different people describe how they changed or what they learned is really interesting to me. There are some people who really go for it and try to describe every moment. Personally, it was more of: “It was great!” but not going into detail, because it was hard to communicate that experience. How do you talk to people about your gap year? How do you try to communicate what you learned? That was the thing I thought most about. I was actually keeping up a blog for an online newspaper, so I was always thinking “How can I write about this so that people can understand what I’m experiencing? How can I even talk about it?” I found that for me, poetry was the best way to communicate what I was seeing or feeling. Writing poetry and sharing it with people. I think poetry is more about the intention and the significance rather than the specific meaning of every line.

C: When taking a gap year, I think it’s great to have a certain activity that you’re doing or something that you’re constantly coming back to, just in case you go through, like me, a crisis of: “Oh I’m doing absolutely nothing with my life…” For me it was fencing and a lot of photography. I was reading a lot too. Things I wouldn’t be able to do on a daily basis while in formal education. Having those activities helped and made me more appreciative of them.

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins with your gap year experiences at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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The beauty of the comments section https://stanforddaily.com/2017/06/02/the-beauty-of-the-comments-section/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/06/02/the-beauty-of-the-comments-section/#respond Fri, 02 Jun 2017 09:45:38 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1128803 When news of President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris Agreement broke on June 1, 2017, I was scrolling through Facebook, like so many of us usually are. As articles and videos began to crop up from sources such as CNN and The New York Times, the comments sections of […]

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When news of President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris Agreement broke on June 1, 2017, I was scrolling through Facebook, like so many of us usually are. As articles and videos began to crop up from sources such as CNN and The New York Times, the comments sections of these news pieces caught my eye over and over again.

Although the proliferation of news through social media can create a problematic echo chamber effect in which we only read and see the things that we already agree with, shared by people who tend to have similar political leanings as we do, the public comments sections of news pages, such as CNN and Fox News, remain a somewhat diverse open forum. There is something delightful about seeing the genuine juxtaposition of views played out in strangers’ comments on breaking news stories.

While it’s true that for this specific partisan issue regarding the Paris Agreement, the majority of people commenting on stories put out by CNN seemed to condemn Trump’s actions, and the majority of people commenting on stories produced by Fox News seemed to support Trump’s actions, there was still a healthy amount of dissenting opinion from many sides on both pages. Often, these contrasting opinions appeared directly above and below each other, such as in the comments section of a live video published by CNN of Trump making his announcement regarding the climate agreement.

The beauty of the comments section

As can be seen in the screenshot above, taken at 1:08 p.m. on June 1, these comments that were coming in as the live video was streamed represented a variety of viewpoints and ways of approaching the topic.

The beauty of the comments section is in its diversity and the kind of lawlessness with which people seem to operate when typing out their thoughts. Comments range from humorous to outraged to flat-out aggressive, no matter the topic. The full range of human emotion is captured in the comments of everyday people making themselves heard however they can.

This extends beyond politically charged forums as well. A video posted by Tasty to Facebook titled “Healthy Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad” received a robust range of comments. Although the video depicted a seemingly uncontroversial salad, people were quick to assert their opinions and counter those of others.

The beauty of the comments section

The beauty of the comments section

 The First Amendment at work, folks.

 

Exercise your First Amendment rights and contact Cecilia Atkins at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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A night out on the town: Palo Alto edition https://stanforddaily.com/2017/06/01/a-night-out-on-the-town-palo-alto-edition/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/06/01/a-night-out-on-the-town-palo-alto-edition/#respond Thu, 01 Jun 2017 13:52:22 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1128729 It’s 6 p.m. on a Friday night, and you’ve finally finished that problem set that’s been screwing with your sleep schedule for the past two nights. Ready for a night out on the town? We know just how you’ll spend it in downtown Palo Alto: the bustling epicenter of Silicon Valley’s nightlife scene. 6:30 p.m. […]

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It’s 6 p.m. on a Friday night, and you’ve finally finished that problem set that’s been screwing with your sleep schedule for the past two nights. Ready for a night out on the town? We know just how you’ll spend it in downtown Palo Alto: the bustling epicenter of Silicon Valley’s nightlife scene.

6:30 p.m. – Got a little extra cash lying around from selling your body to science? Put that psych study money to good use at any of the overpriced restaurants lining University Ave. that serve up Asian-inspired cuisine that’s been mellowed down just the right amount to suit American taste buds. Spending regretful sums of money on very OK Asian-fusion food has never felt so good.

8 p.m.  After being some of the last diners to leave the restaurant at the ripe old hour of 8 p.m., wander the twinkle light-illuminated streets in search of anything that isn’t liquid nitrogen ice cream. Spend a hopeless half hour trying to entertain yourselves in Walgreens. Easter candy is still 80 percent off — that’s one hot deal.

8:45 p.m. – Settle for coffee as an alternative to any of the microcreameries/frozen yogurt shops. Realize the majority of cafés have closed for the night. End up at Starbucks, rubbing elbows with Palo Alto High School’s Lululemon-wearing, nonfat vanilla bean frappuccino-sipping elite.

9:30 p.m. – Scream into the void. Self-explanatory.

10:15 p.m. – Walk all the way back to campus down Palm Drive, clutching a boba tea and refusing to give in to the voice in your head coaxing you to just order a damn Uber.

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins with your riveting Palo Alto nightlife stories at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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The trials and tribulations of adventuring without a car https://stanforddaily.com/2017/05/09/the-trials-and-tribulations-of-adventuring-without-a-car/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/05/09/the-trials-and-tribulations-of-adventuring-without-a-car/#respond Tue, 09 May 2017 10:26:44 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1127157 One of the great joys of being a college student is the sheer freedom afforded to you when you live away from home and can make your own schedule. We talk as if anything is possible, as if adventure is out there and simply ours for the taking. Often, we’re lucky enough to live somewhat […]

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One of the great joys of being a college student is the sheer freedom afforded to you when you live away from home and can make your own schedule. We talk as if anything is possible, as if adventure is out there and simply ours for the taking. Often, we’re lucky enough to live somewhat spontaneously — driving to the beach early in the morning or taking the train to the city for the day. But what happens when you’re a car-less freshman attempting to make adventure happen close to campus?

The following story has been adapted from an interview given by Andrew Labott ’20 about his misadventures.

My girlfriend was visiting me one weekend and we really liked the idea of camping and getting outside, so we got a tent from the AOERC. At first, we thought about Uber-ing to a campground, but we didn’t want to deal with having all our stuff of with us in the car and it being expensive. So we decided, “Okay, let’s do something in Stanford — there’s so much land that’s not being used by the university, let’s go find some.”

So my girlfriend, she doesn’t go here, just looked on Google Maps with the satellite view feature and saw this area that was clear and looked good for camping. It ended up being the Dish. We walked essentially almost up to the entrance of the Dish when I realized it was the Dish. So we’re like “Okay, let’s just make this work. We’ll camp inside of the Dish because we’ve condensed all the stuff we needed into like four bags and it’s all on our backs.” We went in and our intention was just to stay there for the entire night and then to leave when the Dish opened up again and it would be fine.

But it turns out the map that my girlfriend was looking at didn’t show the topography of where we were headed, like the vertical changes in land. So we found out that this perfect spot we were heading to was actually down a 100 foot long hill that we had to climb down, which was pretty sketchy because it was steep enough that you had to make sure you didn’t tumble over yourself and drop all your shit. So we get all the way down to the bottom of this huge hill, the biggest hill I’ve ever climbed, and we find that it’s right next to the Stanford golf course and next to some kind of sketchy metal hut thing that’s on private property. Also the barbed wire fence next to the golf course. Anyway, we set up the tent under a little canopy but eventually realized it wasn’t practical to stay there and we weren’t one hundred percent comfortable with how close it was to the golf course.

So we decided to try to leave, but realized two things. One: we didn’t want to try to climb up the giant hill we had just tumbled down. And two: the Dish was closed. So again we looked at the map, thinking it would do us good a second time. It turns out there is a river that separates the Dish from any neighborhoods or access to the street. We ended up trying to cross this creek twice, but it was too much of a river. So we climbed the fence of the golf course and walked around the golf course edge for about half a mile, a little terrified because we thought there’d be golf course police or security. We finally found a bridge that was in use by the actual golf course to cross this river, climbed over it and had to climb a second fence, a much taller fence, because I don’t think anyone expected people to come from where we did in the Dish, so the first fence had been kind of a lame fence, but this one was like a real one. We threw our shit over that, climbed it. Then we ended up in basically the backyards of some people’s houses and we were sitting there trying to collect our stuff when someone came out and yelled at us to move along.

It was around 11 p.m. at this point and we ended up having to call an Uber, which was the whole thing we’d been trying to avoid: the logistics associated with Ubering and having to pay for going off campus. We finally got picked up and got back to the dorm around 11:30pm and just hung out. Yeah, we didn’t go out that night…

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins with more adventure stories at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Rethinking standards of success https://stanforddaily.com/2017/05/02/rethinking-standards-of-success/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/05/02/rethinking-standards-of-success/#respond Tue, 02 May 2017 09:17:23 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1126857 When it comes to measuring standards of success at Stanford, most of us don’t pause to consider how our definitions of success impact our feelings of inadequacy or recurrent anxiety about the future. With that in mind, here are a handful of ways to measure success beyond the traditionally celebrated bounds of academic or professional […]

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When it comes to measuring standards of success at Stanford, most of us don’t pause to consider how our definitions of success impact our feelings of inadequacy or recurrent anxiety about the future. With that in mind, here are a handful of ways to measure success beyond the traditionally celebrated bounds of academic or professional achievement.

1. Through others

Consider the cliché about shared success being the best kind of success. Think of all the people in your life making strides towards their goals and take the time to congratulate your friends on running that 10k or working up the courage to confess their feelings to that special someone. Although the success of others may seem unrelated to you, the fact that those you care most about are flourishing is often a sign that they’re receiving the support they need to flourish – support from you. There’s nothing more valuable than succeeding in being a good friend to others.

2. Through the act of trying something new as a success in and of itself

Despite whether or not you ace your first Stanford midterm or reach the top of the rock wall on your first climbing attempt, the very fact that you endeavored to succeed in a new pursuit ought to be a metric for growth.

3. Through the ability to pursue a passion

Similar to the idea that trying something new ought to be celebrated, it’s important to value the very opportunity to pursue a passion, no matter how far along in that pursuit you may be. The fact that an idea has sparked and you’ve begun to work towards it is as good a measure of success as the desired mastery of such a passion.

4. By counting the number of “thank you”s you exchange in a day

Cheesy (and somewhat morbid) though it may be, my roommate once wisely reminded me that no one will care about your GPA when you’re dead. Rather, people will remember how kind you were to them and the gratitude that you showed them.

5. Through the number of times you choose positivity in times of difficulty

Although this may seem like a passive rather than conscious action, opting to remain positive and keep trudging forward with an appreciation for the little things is an act of success in its very nature of perseverance.

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins with your definitions of success at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu. 

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Wisdom teeth lost, wisdom gained https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/25/wisdom-teeth-lost-wisdom-gained/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/25/wisdom-teeth-lost-wisdom-gained/#respond Tue, 25 Apr 2017 10:29:37 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1126388 While many fortunate college students spent spring break sipping colorful drinks on tropical beaches, I had the pleasure of getting my wisdom teeth removed. As someone who had never had an invasive surgery, the post-op recovery period was an entirely foreign experience. Out of this rite of passage that those of us with impacted wisdom teeth […]

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While many fortunate college students spent spring break sipping colorful drinks on tropical beaches, I had the pleasure of getting my wisdom teeth removed. As someone who had never had an invasive surgery, the post-op recovery period was an entirely foreign experience. Out of this rite of passage that those of us with impacted wisdom teeth undergo, the most surprising revelation that emerged was the kind of things that I itched to do but couldn’t.

I am not a cross-country runner. I am someone who occasionally uses the elliptical indoors in a temperature-controlled environment. Yet, during the four days I spent bedridden, unable to expend much energy beyond lifting bowls of soup to my puffy face, I wanted nothing more than to slip on a pair of sneakers and race down winding dirt paths surrounded by trees.

Similarly, as someone who lives in a city without much of a need to drive more than twenty minutes on any given day and who rarely drives while on campus, I didn’t expect to miss being behind the wheel of a car. However, the moment my swelling had subsided and the painkillers were out of my system, I jumped at the opportunity to drive my mother to the grocery store and listen to the sweet sounds of KFOG on the radio.

When it came to food, or lack thereof, I found myself craving the texture and heft of solid food over the shakes and smoothies I was slurping up. It wasn’t so much the density or the satisfaction provided by solid foods that I craved, but rather the act of chewing that eating solid food necessitates. Who knew I would dream of munching, crunching, gnawing and chomping just for the sake of the act of breaking down food for myself?

I longed to do things that were out of character and things I had taken for granted and unwittingly written off as mundane, as soon as I felt the slightest bit constrained. The moment my world of options was even slightly limited, I dreamt of all the small pleasures I felt I was missing out on. Now, a few weeks out of recovery, I’d like to say that every drive is more exciting, that I’ve started running outside on a regular basis or that I slow down and focus on the experience of crunching on tortilla chips and chewing through bagels. The reality is that I still wolf down my food without thinking and I rarely run, let alone outside. However, appreciating that these options are available to me, should I pause and give myself opportunity to reflect, is something I never expected to gain from the loss of my wisdom teeth.

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins with your wisdom teeth removal stories at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Stanford freshmen reflect on the college admissions process https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/17/stanford-freshmen-reflect-on-the-college-admissions-process/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/17/stanford-freshmen-reflect-on-the-college-admissions-process/#respond Mon, 17 Apr 2017 13:14:55 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1125959 There is an abundance of literature available on the topic of college admissions. A few choice books found on Amazon include: What Colleges Don’t Tell You (And Other Parents Don’t Want You to Know): 272 Secrets for Getting Your Kid into the Top Schools, Get into Any College: Secrets of Harvard Students, and How to […]

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There is an abundance of literature available on the topic of college admissions.

A few choice books found on Amazon include: What Colleges Don’t Tell You (And Other Parents Don’t Want You to Know): 272 Secrets for Getting Your Kid into the Top Schools, Get into Any College: Secrets of Harvard Students, and How to Prepare a Standout College Application: Expert Advice that Takes You from *LMO (*Like Many Others) to Admit.

Even skimming through the somewhat ridiculous titles of these books, it’s clear that this industry is keen to feed the desperation and confusion that many college-hopefuls and their families experience as they consider the daunting task of applying to various universities and deciding where to go.

But as a current college freshman who can look back on the process one year after making her decision to attend Stanford, I’ve realized how much unexpected knowledge I gained along the way. So I turned to the wisdom of my classmates to gain a better understanding of what we learned organically during that stressful time.

There’s a general consensus that applying to too many schools can be just as detrimental as applying to too few. “I definitely would say you need to be selective about where you choose to apply. If you can’t see yourself going there, don’t just apply for fun,” Kaitlyn Jong ’20 cautions.

It can seem like a validation game at times, especially with reports of some high school seniors being accepted to all eight Ivies. However, the results of your college admissions process shouldn’t be treated as an affirmation or negation of your worth. Take time to think about your reasons for applying to the schools on your list; if you realize some names are just on there for the sake of ego, take them off.

Along the lines of application strategy, the question of luck often gets brought up. Making accurate predictions about where you may or may not be accepted can be tricky without knowing all of the factors at play.

However, one thing you have control over is your base level of preparation. Daily staffer Medha Verma ’20 remarks, “Most people waste so much time trying to figure out how to get into college, rather than focusing on the things that actually matter.”

Trying to game the system through connections or predictions of activities that will get the attention of admissions officers can be tempting, but it’s arguably more important to do as much as you can towards excelling in the things you’re truly passionate about — whether those are academic, artistic, athletic or any other combination of interests.

Skyler Castillo Wilson ’20 paraphrases a quote he remembers reading in a book of advice from Harvard students (further support for the notion that a great deal of wisdom can be gained from current university students); he recalls that, “there’s a lot of luck involved in the college process, but being prepared helps you take advantage of all of the luck that you have.”

For some students, difficulty arises when attempting to choose between colleges in the spring of their senior year of high school. Current Stanford freshman Eli Feierabend Peters puts a positive spin on things with his reflection that “there are so many amazing college options, and whether you get your first choices or not, you are going to find a college you love and have an amazing time. And if you happen to run into the fortunate problem of having too many amazing options that you can’t decide where you want to go, then flip a coin!”

While this decision may be more complex for some prospective college students, it’s wise to remember that your college acceptances by no means define your caliber as an individual. Although applying to university can be a strenuous process, the four years you spend in college ought to be seen as an opportunity for growth and exploration rather than a stamp of judgment on your character or a brand to wear on your sweatshirt.

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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10 overlooked places to sunbathe on campus https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/09/10-overlooked-places-to-sunbathe-on-campus/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/09/10-overlooked-places-to-sunbathe-on-campus/#respond Mon, 10 Apr 2017 06:47:17 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1125519 After ten weeks of rain and sub-60-degree temperatures, spring quarter has finally arrived, and with it, an onslaught of temptation to spend your days drinking up sunlight. It’s time to toss a few textbooks in your backpack and fool yourself into believing you can work outside. However, an essential part of this façade of outdoor […]

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After ten weeks of rain and sub-60-degree temperatures, spring quarter has finally arrived, and with it, an onslaught of temptation to spend your days drinking up sunlight. It’s time to toss a few textbooks in your backpack and fool yourself into believing you can work outside. However, an essential part of this façade of outdoor productivity is a bit of seclusion, or at least the pretense of it. Rather than camp out by the crowded pool with your laptop, check out a few of these often overlooked spots on campus for all of your sunbathing and studying needs.

1. Inner quad of the Lagunita dorm complex

This manicured location provides prime access to Lakeside Dining just in case all that studying (read: lying out with a solid Spotify playlist) works up an appetite. The semi-hidden quad has the added benefit of being set back from busy, noisy road-side pathways, making it the ideal spot for getting some reading done. Bonus: It’s rarely ever crowded.

2. Hills of the Dish

The specific legality of going rogue and straying from the paved path of the Dish hike is a little unclear, but rules be damned — those rolling, grassy hills are just waiting to host your study session with a decent view of the distant bay to inspire you.

3. Terraces on terraces on terraces

McMurtry terrace. Lathrop terrace. The multitude of terraces ringing the buildings of the engineering quad (especially Y2E2 third floor). The Law School terrace. Each terrace has its own merits, such as proximity to art, hidden outlets for laptops running low on charge, hanging greenery and unique bird’s-eye views of the campus life passing below.

4. Grassy knolls in the engineering quad

So long as you don’t mind the occasional tourist stopping to marvel at the quintessential image of a Stanford student studying outdoors, the scattered grassy hills in the engineering quad are the perfect islands in the sun for a bit of solitary productivity.

5. Cantor lawn

The lush lawn of the Cantor Center is an underrated oasis from the hustle and bustle of campus. Camp out here for an excellent view of Stanford’s collection of Rodin sculptures to get your creative juices flowing. Bonus: It’s right in front of the Cool Café for when you need a midday pick-me-up in the form of one of their delicious salads or sandwiches.

6. Wide grass-covered steps leading down into Huang

Another serene space in the engineering quad, these terraced steps provide a sunken escape from passersby commuting to class and tend to have plenty of space for you to lie out with your p-set while soaking up some much-deserved sunshine.

7. Terman

Although Terman fountain and its surrounding lawns can get a little crowded on occasion, this West Campus gem is a great place to get work done during the class day at any of the open benches and picnic tables.

8. Secluded patio behind Sapp

An unexpected patio behind Sapp, the formerly Old Chemistry building now known as the Sapp Center for Science Teaching and Learning, contains tables and beach chairs in a little-known area of seclusion. Perfect for some much-needed fresh air after lab.

9. The Stanford Mausoleum

If the thought of hanging out near a tomb is off-putting, this may not be the place for you. However, for those who might find inspiration in proximity to the historical remains of the Stanford family, the open space surrounding the Mausoleum is often empty and offers equal parts sunshine and shade from plentiful trees.

10. Roble Field

Keep an eye out for newly constructed Roble Field opening up this spring. It appears to be a pretty standard field, but there’s something to be said for the experience of being among the first to plop down with a textbook and a beach towel.

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Searching for the opposite of loneliness at Stanford https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/06/searching-for-the-opposite-of-loneliness-at-stanford/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/06/searching-for-the-opposite-of-loneliness-at-stanford/#respond Thu, 06 Apr 2017 13:28:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1125383 In a well-known essay titled “The Opposite of Loneliness,” published in the Yale Daily News in May 2012, graduating senior Marina Keegan wrote eloquently and powerfully about an unnamable feeling of togetherness that’s “not quite love and… not quite community; it’s just this feeling that there are people, an abundance of people, who are in this […]

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In a well-known essay titled “The Opposite of Loneliness,” published in the Yale Daily News in May 2012, graduating senior Marina Keegan wrote eloquently and powerfully about an unnamable feeling of togetherness that’s “not quite love and… not quite community; it’s just this feeling that there are people, an abundance of people, who are in this together.”

Keegan, who died days after her graduation in a tragic car crash, captured much of what it means to live and work collectively with one’s peers for a finite number of years. There is something about this sensation, “the opposite of loneliness,” as she put it, that seems to perfectly sum up the elusive magic that we often forget exists around us in college.

But what does it mean to experience the opposite of loneliness at Stanford, and how can we remember to look around and appreciate it?

The reality of being at Stanford is one of constant anticipation. Before we even arrive, we look forward to jumping into the shiny newness of it all.

We wonder about the big things like whom our friends will be and what new passions we’ll uncover. We wonder about the little things too: Will we find a secret spot on campus to make our own? Will we get bored of the dining hall food?

But even after we’ve arrived and we’re living it and the novelty has worn off, we continue to anticipate.

We anticipate how much time and effort we’ll have to set aside for assignments; what score we’ll need on the final to pass; whether or not we’ll get a text back; how light we can make our schedules each spring.

However, we don’t really stop to think about what it means to be constantly looking ahead, calculating, mentally strategizing. This isn’t to say there’s something gravely wrong with planning: For some, it can be soothing; for others, a necessary evil. In either case, it’s useful.

But what happens when we look up and realize that in the midst of our ongoing anticipation of the future, time has escaped us?

When we continually anticipate what’s to come, we risk overlooking what currently envelops us — this remarkable and singular experience of being here, of having peers who are here with us, going through the same basic experience of trying to figure our shit out.

It might seem counterintuitive to actively seek out an indescribable feeling of community or solidarity, especially if you happen to feel remarkably alone on a campus full of people — but the act of searching for this sensation, for the opposite of loneliness, can be transformative.

This doesn’t mean that you will always feel a sense of belonging or purpose. But it’s a valuable practice to remind yourself that you’re not alone and that you’re surrounded by people who are also reaching to understand themselves and the world around them during this special moment in time.

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Birth control (and more) on campus https://stanforddaily.com/2017/03/15/birth-control-and-more-on-campus/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/03/15/birth-control-and-more-on-campus/#respond Wed, 15 Mar 2017 19:35:15 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1124832 Sex is great. Safe sex is even greater. With so many options for protection available, having safe sex has never been easier. However, it can often seem as though the status quo is using just condoms or the pill — an impression that is somewhat limiting. What about encounters other than cis-hetero vaginal intercourse, where […]

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Sex is great. Safe sex is even greater. With so many options for protection available, having safe sex has never been easier. However, it can often seem as though the status quo is using just condoms or the pill — an impression that is somewhat limiting. What about encounters other than cis-hetero vaginal intercourse, where pregnancy isn’t a concern but the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (aka STIs or STDs) is? What’s available on campus, what are people’s perceptions of various methods of protection and birth control, and is there enough being done to combat the cisnormativity and heteronormativity that tends to be woven into sex education and conversations about birth control?

A small, informal survey to which 109 Stanford undergraduates responded addresses some of these questions, although it is abundantly clear that many more questions remain to be asked and answered and that a larger and more formal survey ought to be conducted to dig even deeper into this topic. Of the respondents to the survey, roughly 75 percent were freshmen and a little over half of the respondents described themselves as being currently sexually active.

Birth control (and more) on campus
(CECILIA ATKINS/The Stanford Daily)
Birth control (and more) on campus
(CECILIA ATKINS/The Stanford Daily)

When asked what their preferred methods of protection against STIs or general methods of birth control are, or would be in the case that they do not currently use protection/birth control, respondents listed external condoms and oral contraceptives among their top choices. However, several other methods, such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and abstinence, also received wide support. It should be noted that this question was directed towards protection against STIs as well as the prevention of pregnancy. However, the prevention of pregnancy would not be a concern in cases of sex that isn’t cis-hetero penetrative sex, and the survey (drafted by yours truly) ought to have included more detailed language and further options to clarify this.

Birth control (and more) on campus
Graphic by VICTOR XU/The Stanford Daily

(Response options for this question: external condoms, oral contraceptives, birth control implant, birth control patch, withdrawal “pullout” method, birth control shot, IUD, birth control sponge, abstinence, vaginal ring, cervical cap, diaphragm, female condom, fertility awareness-based methods, spermicide, vasectomy, sterilization for women, dental dam.)

The motivation behind conducting this survey was to determine not only what kind of protection Stanford students employ but also where Stanford students get their birth control from and what general perceptions of different kinds of birth control may be. The majority of respondents wrote that they either purchase protection at pharmacies, such as CVS, or receive birth control through their personal doctors. Others wrote that they make use of services such as Planned Parenthood. A minority stated that they make use of the Stanford Sexual Health Peer Resource Center (SHPRC) and/or their PHEs.

The process of finding the kind of protection/birth control best suited to you is often ongoing. When asked whether they were considering changing their current methods of birth control/protection, many respondents who answered “yes” often cited desires for greater convenience, efficacy and permanence in their reasoning. Regarding reliability of forms of birth control, there was some variance in perceptions of the most reliable methods, which is to be expected given the wealth of options available. IUDs, abstinence and various combinations of condoms and hormonal methods were frequently mentioned. However, a vast majority of respondents seemed to agree that chief among the least reliable forms of birth control would be withdrawal (“the pullout method”).

Although this survey barely begins to skim the surface of the use and perceptions of birth control on Stanford’s campus, it did provide some valuable insights. When asked whether they had any recommendations or complaints regarding how Stanford distributes birth control/protection and educates students about safe sex, many respondents had illuminating feedback to offer. Several final takeaways were as follows:

  • SHPRC is an excellent resource that should receive greater attention.
  • Mandatory education about safe sex practices would be beneficial, as students may not have had access to adequate sex education prior to coming to Stanford.
  • Condoms should be more widely distributed on campus, and options beyond condoms should be more readily available.
  • Heteronormativity and cisnormativity remain problematic factors in discussions about sex and birth control.

So, armed with these new tidbits of knowledge, I urge you to go and seek out as much information as you can. Then, having fortified yourself with a broad understanding of the myriad of options out there, continue doing whatever (or whomever) works best for you.

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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The stages of completing a CS106A assignment the night before it’s due https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/28/the-stages-of-completing-a-cs106a-assignment-the-night-before-its-due/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/28/the-stages-of-completing-a-cs106a-assignment-the-night-before-its-due/#respond Tue, 28 Feb 2017 13:49:48 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1123944 What is a parameter? What is a boolean? Is it bad to make everything a private instance variable? You question how Steve Wozniak pulled through.

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CS106A: Programming Methodology. This quintessential Stanford computer science course is a source of delight for some and a fountain of pure frustration for others. As an Undecided-But-Definitely-Humanities-Or-Social-Sciences major, I occasionally find myself falling into the latter camp, especially the night before a major assignment is due. Before the relief of handing in a program, comes the agony of trying to finish:

9 A.M.

Realizing you slept through your alarm set for 7 A.M. Guess this means your early morning plans to catch up on all of your unread chapters in The Art and Science of Java are going to have to be put on hold.

10:30 A.M.

The assignment is officially due in 24 hours. “That’s so many hours!” you tell yourself, knowing you’ll need to work through all of them if you’re going to submit on time.

12 P.M.

You have an hour for lunch between classes. You bring your computer to the dining hall and tell yourself you’ll debug while you scarf down Lag’s thicc pizza and some spinach leaves for “health.” You neither debug your code nor finish your spinach.

4:25 P.M.

You’re finally out of your last class of the day and ready to tackle the two milestones of code that you still haven’t written. You nervously gulp down a latte, preparing to wage war against the human need for sleep.

5 P.M.

You head over to the LaIR for extra help, bracing yourself as you get in the line that has already formed to sign up for the help queue. You try your best to ignore the hellish fact that you’re literally waiting in line to sign up to wait in another line.

6:25 P.M.

You’ve successfully submitted a help request form. You’re 17th in line to receive guidance from a section leader. Scanning the area for a free seat among the sea of panicked freshmen, you spy an unoccupied corner — empty except for someone’s leftover take-out box of Panda Express chow mein. Prime real estate. Home sweet home for the next six hours.

7 P.M.

The fact that this program isn’t going to write itself has become abundantly clear. What is a parameter? What is a boolean? Is it bad to make everything a private instance variable? You question how Steve Wozniak pulled through. You settle on the idea that he must have had a steady supply of caffeine and carbohydrates.

8:23 P.M.

A section leader has descended to your side like a benevolent angel, and you prepare to throw yourself at their feet. You wonder whether they’re going to make you explain the messy code that you’ve already written to try to set you in the right direction. They do. You cringe. As you run through your faulty program with them, you consider whether or not you have what it takes to be a Real Housewife of Palo Alto.

11:13 P.M.

Right now seems like a good time to buy Hot Cheetos and a chocolate shake from TAP.

11:29 P.M.

Your empty bag of Hot Cheetos mocks you. You submit another help request form, having discovered a seemingly endless stream of bugs that are undoubtedly the result of a lack of decomposition.

Midnight

With only half a milestone left to complete and your previous bugs taken care of, you’re so close to the end that you can almost taste the sweet relief of submitting your work. The LaIR is closing up, and you wonder if coding while you walk back to your dorm is feasible. You shudder as you realize what you’ve just considered and who you’ve become: a programmer.

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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The evolution of freshman year roommates https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/23/the-evolution-of-freshman-year-roommates/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/23/the-evolution-of-freshman-year-roommates/#respond Thu, 23 Feb 2017 13:53:14 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1123531 An interview with Sarah Bell, Melissa Du, Annabel Ostrow, and Leila Taleghani, freshman year roommates and now juniors living in Roble.

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One of the most daunting aspects of freshman year at Stanford is not knowing who your roommates will be. However, this process can yield lasting friendships, as in the case of Sarah Bell ‘18, Melissa Du ‘18, Annabel Ostrow ‘18, and Leila Taleghani ‘18 – four juniors who were put together in a quad (two one-room doubles connected to a common room) in Roble Hall their freshman year and are all living in Roble again this year. I sat down with them to discover the secrets to a healthy roommate relationship and what they’ve learned along the way.

Cecilia Atkins (CA): Do you remember move-in day? What were your first impressions of each other?

Melissa Du (MD): This was … when Leila and I were still really normal and we were both like, “Oh my God you want to do engineering? Oh same.” “You play piano? I played violin.”

Annabel Ostrow (AO): I met Sarah early in the morning because we had both done SPOT. She came in wearing hiking clothes, and I was pretty sure that we were going to be friends.

Sarah Bell (SB): I thought Annabel’s brother was really hot. I later realized he was her brother. And I was intimidated by Leila, this cool girl from LA.

Leila Taleghani (LT): I was intimidated by you, too.

MD: [laughs] Intimidating is the farthest from what you guys actually are.

 

CA: How did these impressions and your friendships evolve over the course of your first year living together?

LT: We weren’t all friends the first week.

MD: Leila and I went to FACES and bumped into Annabel and Sarah who had gone separately, without us, and then we didn’t even sit together.

AO: There were turning points in all of our relationships. When we went to San Francisco for Scav[enger] Hunt, Leila and I bonded over feminism. Sarah and I got into the habit of getting into bed and talking for a while. By the end of the first week, we had had a pretty serious conversation about religion and our families –

MD: [interjects] I remember Leila and I would always be up late in our common room and we would hear Sarah and Annabel having intimate conversations in their [bedroom]. We tried to have one too, but we couldn’t, because it was just like, “Do you believe in God?” “No. Do you?” “No.” “Okay, cool.”

SB: Annabel and I held hands during Band Run. I was so scared because she was in better shape than I was and I had practice starting the next week.

AO: That’s definitely not true. I remember thinking: “Oh my God, this girl who just grabbed by hand is a D1 athlete, I better run my ass off.”

 

CA: How did you feel your quad dynamic compared to other quads that you knew of?

AO: From day one there was a lot of intentionality. We were all sitting outside Treehouse one night during NSO and on the back of a receipt we wrote basic tenets for living with one another that essentially boiled down to respect and making an effort to be kind. We all wanted to get along and were lucky in the fact that we got along.

LT: The roommate pairings were really right for us.

CA: If you could go back and give advice to your freshman selves, what would you say?

MD: Don’t date him … [laughs] Maybe I’d say that your roommates will be the best part of your Stanford career, so you should spend more time with them.

AO: I get antsy on Stanford’s campus and leave a lot, due to the fact that I love San Francisco and the Bay Area so much, so [I would have told myself to] say yes to more things on campus …

LT: I would say to join things that are completely new. I’ve heard a lot about people who tried something random and new and it became something really important to them.

SB: I don’t really believe in giving advice. I wouldn’t change anything. But I think all of us had a deep appreciation for the little moments, like driving to Half Moon Bay at midnight … The thing that was amazing about the four of us freshman year was that [we] came to the realization that this was a pretty permanent set of friendships that none of us had planned on and that don’t happen very often.

 

CA: How did you notice each other change over the course of freshman year?

LT: Melissa hung out with us more.

All: [laugh]

MD: [smiles] It’s true. Leila and I also became a lot weirder as time went on.

AO: Sarah and I got better at working through each other’s logic, figuring out how the other person thought and applying that to everything from our own relationship to the way the world works … We all learned to listen to each other.

 

CA: Why did you decide to all live in Roble again this year, your junior year? Note: Annabel and Leila are both RAs, Melissa is an RCC and Sarah has an upperclassman single.

AO: I was so sad when I found out I was in Roble … freshman year. I went into it thinking it wasn’t going to be the Stanford [experience] I wanted. Then I wound up with these roommates who ended up being one of the best parts of my life at Stanford … I wanted to staff Roble because my experience here had been so wonderful and because I wanted to ease the fears of freshmen who worried that this somehow wasn’t the Stanford they’d hoped for.

LT: Annabel starting talking about staffing first, and I remembered how great of a community Roble had been for me freshman year. I realized I could come back and not just live here, but also create the community here, which was so important.

MD: I just wanted to change printer paper.

All: [laugh]

SB: To have these three in the dorm with me is like breathing a sigh of relief when I walk into their rooms. There’s a lot of pressure in college to make sense all the time, to be a comprehensive, aligned person … to have a reason for emotions or whatever, but with these guys I don’t feel that way. It’s a level of being yourself where … you’re allowed to feel and be everything.

AO: [Last night], Melissa and I were talking about Stanford’s tendency to be a lonely place … We’re all so busy that outside of specific circumstances, [some] friendships can just go away. We came to the conclusion that if you’re lucky enough to have core friendships here, that you couldn’t fuck up, [and] then the time you [spend] at this place being lonely is minimized and you enjoy everything else more, too. Six weeks from now, if for some reason we haven’t been talking, there isn’t that Stanford tendency to just let things disappear. And it’s because we were lucky to have made these no-stakes friendships very early. Part of that is that you’re put into a sort of sibling situation rather than a friend situation, like, “Alright, live together, deal with it.”

LT: But also, that takes time. Yes, freshman year I felt close to these guys, but that feeling of [exhales] relief and coming home was kind of an initial version. Now, it doesn’t matter where we are – we have it.

 

CA: Any stories or traditions I should know about?

AO: A tradition started freshman year where when one of us messed up, whoever it was would get CoHo croissants and put them on everyone’s desks before they woke up, and it came to be known as “Sorry-I-Fucked-Up-CoHo.”

 

CA: Where do you see each other five years from now?

MD: I actually sat down the other day and drew a timeline and thought about where I see myself in two years and what qualities I want to have, but I had no answers to any of it.

Sarah: I see us in Roble. Still here.

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Why I’ll always take the long way: A love letter to the PCH https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/14/why-ill-always-take-the-long-way-a-love-letter-to-the-pch/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/14/why-ill-always-take-the-long-way-a-love-letter-to-the-pch/#respond Tue, 14 Feb 2017 17:30:15 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1122816 It’s sometime after lunch when we pull off to the side of the road for what must be our fifth stop at least since setting out that morning. Gravel bumps under our tires as we crunch to a halt, the highway turnout dropping off into rugged cliffside next to our passenger side doors. We step […]

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It’s sometime after lunch when we pull off to the side of the road for what must be our fifth stop at least since setting out that morning. Gravel bumps under our tires as we crunch to a halt, the highway turnout dropping off into rugged cliffside next to our passenger side doors. We step out into the crisp March sunlight and make our way over to the makeshift vegetable stand: two folding tables under a wide umbrella — a familiar and welcome sight. This casual setup off the side of the PCH just north of Santa Cruz is the only place I know of where you can get five avocados for 99 cents, and it’s one of the first things that comes to mind when I think of what I love about Highway 1.

Why I'll always take the long way: A love letter to the PCH
(CECILIA ATKINS/The Stanford Daily)

California’s Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway (or PCH for short), is a winding route that hugs the coastline from Mendocino County down to Orange County. It is, in my opinion, the ultimate way to traverse the state north to south or vice versa. The many road trips I’ve taken up and down this route, whether just hopping down to Carmel or going all the way to LA, have fed my enduring love for it.

There is something remarkably freeing about choosing the PCH over other, more direct interstate freeways.  Although you might occasionally find yourself behind slow-moving cars on segments of the single-lane road, especially as people ahead slow down to admire the surreal, postcard beauty of the Bixby Creek Bridge or McWay Falls, the delay is well worth it. After all, what other highway inspires you to swerve to the edge and climb out of your car so can you gawk at the expansive Pacific Ocean beating against rocks far below? On what other highway can you do this ten times in one day without feeling even a whisper of monotony?

The PCH has taken me many places from my home in San Francisco, and, cliché though it may be, these travels have always been more focused on the drive itself than the final destination. You don’t take Highway 1 because you’re in a rush to get somewhere; you take Highway 1 because you want to spend time with the route itself. It’s thanks to this active choice to take the long way that I’ve been able to savor time in new places and revisit old favorites. It’s memories of spontaneity like running through waist-high grass on coastal bluffs near San Luis Obispo and climbing down steep cliffs in Big Sur that lead me to say, PCH, I love you.

Why I'll always take the long way: A love letter to the PCH
(CECILIA ATKINS/The Stanford Daily)

I love the way you make me feel. Small, grounded, liberated. I love the sights you’ve presented to me that have demonstrated the awe-provoking power and elegance of the natural world. I love you because you show me why I love the people I choose to travel with.

On a trip taken on you I looked over at the boy driving me in his beaten up stick-shift and first knew real romantic love. It was on another trip that my perspective shifted, as I caught glimpses of my parent’s personal histories and was reminded of the passions they’ve had and the lives they’ve lived outside of just being my parents.

This Valentine’s Day, while convenience stores around the world make a small fortune selling boxed chocolates and hallmark cards, I’ll be thinking of you, PCH, and the love that I’ll always have for taking the long way.

 

Contact Cecilia Atkins at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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What it means to be a global citizen https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/08/what-it-means-to-be-a-global-citizen/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/08/what-it-means-to-be-a-global-citizen/#respond Wed, 08 Feb 2017 15:11:35 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1122603 Seven houses. Six schools. Five cities. Four dorms. Four visas. Three continents. Three passports. One green card. As someone who has put down roots in a variety of places, trying to determine what it means to be a global citizen has occupied the majority of my life. At times, it just seems easier to consider […]

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Seven houses. Six schools. Five cities. Four dorms. Four visas. Three continents. Three passports. One green card. As someone who has put down roots in a variety of places, trying to determine what it means to be a global citizen has occupied the majority of my life. At times, it just seems easier to consider the hard numbers and the candid pros and cons of a global life than to try to gather up its abstract strings and assemble them into a legible tapestry of existence.

So here in a list of pros and cons is my best attempt at laying out what it means to be a global citizen, in my 19 years of experience:

Pros:

  1. Having family scattered across the globe. Visiting them can serve as an excellent excuse to pack up your bags and escape to Japan (or Canada or the U.K.) for a while.
  2. Always having content for ice-breakers like Fun Facts and Two Truths and a Lie.
  3. Taking cultural diversity as a given and being inundated with global perspectives on singular issues.
  4. Mad chopstick skills.
  5. Observing deeper universal values across cultures that may appear to have contradictory codes or standards from afar.
  6. Seeing yourself as a citizen of the world free from nationalist sentiment that has the potential to turn hateful or exclusionary.

Cons:

  1. Having family scattered across the globe. Realizing halfway through your junior year of high school that your father is the only family member in the same country as you and that he lives on the opposite coast can be mildly jarring.
  2. Answering the inevitable question “Where are you from?” and not having a concrete response to give. “Do you mean where I was born or where I live now or where I’ve lived the longest or…?”
  3. Having to muddle through the tricky in-between affair that is a mixed-race, multicultural existence in both the East and West.
  4. Not being able to vote in elections that you may feel very invested in.
  5. Navigating international politics with multiple affiliations, while lacking any strong national ties to a single country.

There you have it, broken down into two arbitrary chunks of bad and good, a single, shallow portrait of global citizenry. Although a handful of negatives and positives does little to represent the reality of a life of movement, it’s always helpful to remember the importance of cultural diversity and its potential joys in a world that seems eager to divide itself along borders of national alliance.

Contact Cecilia Atkins at catkins ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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