By Kina Carney
Philadelphia, Pa.
The afternoon before she died, I stood at my mother’s hospital bedside with my grandma. I looked at all the tubes and machines that enveloped her body. I heard the ringing of the feeding machine. I saw the paleness of her face. The smell of the IVs made me run from the room, into the waiting arms of my grandma. That night, I heard my older brother crying. I ran to the top of the stairs to see what was wrong. I’d never seen him cry before. Continue reading
By Sara Solano
New York, N.Y.
I was 13 years old when my parents announced that we would be moving from our home in the Dominican Republic to New York City. My parents made a bad investment with the family business, and thought that we would have better opportunities in America.
This transition meant the end of gymnastics, cheerleading, art class, and soccer. I had to leave my friends and everything that was important to me. We applied for a visa, and on July 27, 2010, we arrived in New York to embark on a new journey. Continue reading
By Lauren Smith
Los Angeles, Calif.
Illustration by Semaj Earl
Hi. My name is Lauren. You probably don’t know me or ever will, but I hope what I have to say to you will have an impact on you, maybe even change your life.
I’m the girl in class who raised her hand when the teacher asked a question. I got good grades, participated in school clubs, and make friends with almost everyone. I never get in trouble. I have never done drugs or gotten drunk. I am what you might call a “goody-goody.”
Even with this “perfect” life, I harbored a deep emotional pain. I hated myself. My pain was on the inside, invisible to the world. I felt the need to please everyone and to make everyone like me. I felt absolutely worthless when I did not succeed. I often thought, “Who can love me? I always mess things up.” Continue reading
By Allyson Chavez
Brooklyn, N.Y.
“People like you don’t go to schools like those,” my guidance counselor told me when I shared with her my dream of applying to Harvard. I was already reluctant to admit that I wanted to attend a top school, and my counselor’s response only further discouraged me from dreaming big. Continue reading
By Christian Cordova-Pedroza
Landenberg, Pa.
Like most great inventions, Kennett Square was an accidental success. In the late 19th century, European entrepreneur William Swayne traveled to Kennett Square, a small farming region west of Philadelphia, with the intention of cultivating carnations on raised platforms in his greenhouse. In the vacant space below the flowers, he decided to grow mushrooms. Swayne’s initial efforts were successful, so he built the first mushroom house in Kennett Square. As mushroom consumption increased and more markets opened near major ports and cities, the mushroom industry in Kennett boomed—and the town became the mushroom capital of the world. Continue reading
By Kathy Kang
Camarillo, Calif.
“Democracy is dead,” said Xi Young Yun, a 25-year-old college student representing University Student Protectors of Democracy during a press conference last month. “We can’t believe that we are experiencing events similar to those that happened under military dictatorship in the 70s, in 2013.” Continue reading
By Bianca Uribe
New York, N.Y.
Back in the 1800s, drugs like heroin and cocaine were not only legal, but could be purchased out of the Sears catalog. At the time, the public was not aware of the drugs’ adverse effects, and some parents gave their teething children opium for pain. A common treatment for lethargy was a form of liquid cocaine called “Coca Wine.”
But in 1970, President Richard Nixon began the country’s “war on drugs” by pressing Congress to pass the Controlled Substances Act, which regulates the manufacture, importation, possession, distribution and use of certain substances.
The modern-day result of the CSA is unacceptable. Drug use continues largely unaffected after years of “war.” Continue reading
By Ashley Jones-Quaidoo
Hyattsville, Md.
“Good morning . . . going out shopping today . . . going to ‘turn up’ tonight”—this is what I see as I scroll through my Twitter timeline almost everyday.
Growing up in the 21st century, a lot has changed. Because of technology, we have become too obsessed with our own lives, and in the process we have lost a broader sense of responsibility to the rest of the world. Continue reading
By Kina Carney
Philadelphia, Pa.
In 2011, 10-year-old Jasmine McClain, of Chadbourn Elementary School in North Carolina, committed suicide because she had been bullied. Over the course of a month, students made fun of Jasmine’s clothes and shoes. McClain’s mother, Samantha West, told a local news station at the time: “She was a loving child. I just don’t understand.”
Bullying in school may be a delicate subject for some, but it happens to many students in some way or form. As in Jasmine’s case, clothing may be the cause of bullying. In many cases, clothing reflects a student’s economic background. American public schools should consider school uniforms for this reason. Continue reading
By Daisy Gomez
San Diego, Calif.
The era of true reality television shows has arrived and is changing the way we perceive the extraordinary lives of people. Modern reality shows range from focusing on the lives of rich housewives to the extreme cases of obesity. But the new era of reality shows should be watched more often because it allows the audience to see into the lives of realistic people who overcome adversity. Continue reading
The Princeton Summer Journal 