By O. Deng, TIWP Student I see beauty in imperfection: my uneven brows, the floppy swirls of my frozen yogurt, the flecks of burnt candle wick that fall into my candle wax, the way my sheets fold delicately into random shapes when I don’t make my bed, and the messiness of my room during the […]

By Nick Brevik, TIWP Student I once witnessed a boy in love get down on his knees and apologize over and over again. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. The words spilling out of his mouth as if they were the only things he knew how to say. I still think about that […]

By Katelyn, TIWP Student In Japanese, the word for harmony is “wa,” a belief that is emphasized throughout Tokyo and reaches into Kyoto and across Japan. Experiencing this “wa” offered a refreshing contrast to the chaotic pace of life in America to me. The metro over there was filled with peaceful silence, where the only […]

By Oriana, TIWP Student “Be nobody’s darling, be an outcast.” — Alice Walker Being “nobody’s darling” means choosing truth over approval. From the time we’re young, we’re taught constantly, to be likable. To not aggravate the other person to attack. To smile politely and nod even when we disagree. To say we agree even though the […]

By Avery C., TIWP Student There is a quiet expectation placed on a girl to be pleasing. Not powerful. Not loud. Pleasing. It begins early. Sit nicely. Don’t interrupt. Don’t be bossy. Smile more. Share. Be kind. The lessons are subtle, but they settle deep. A girl learns that approval comes when she is agreeable, […]

By GG, TIWP Student “Boys will be boys” and just like that all is forgiven. You can’t blame him, he’s just a boy, it’s only natural. If he teases you, he likes you, if he bullies you, he likes you, if he stalks you, it’s okay, it’s just because he likes you. It’s sad how […]

By O. Deng, TIWP Student Control is an unspoken rule. It might go to the person with the loudest voice in the room, the one with the most connections or the one that’s the best at their craft. The people who can’t fight it must quietly bend to the people who have it. And the […]

By O. Deng, TIWP Student My mom can’t pronounce my name. She can’t pronounce a lot of other things either. Oriana means “golden” or “dawn” in Latin, but I don’t think she knew that when she decided to name me that. Maybe she just liked how it looked on paper, or how it sounded in […]

Katelyn H., TIWP Student If I didn’t have to care about what anyone thought of me, I’d wake up slower and later, both out of laziness and because I need the sleep. Discipline can wait. I’d draw what I’d truly want to draw and forget what everyone tells me now, “that realism is the only […]

By Kristen H., TIWP Student My ideal life would be one where technology and nature exist in balance. People would work fewer hours, leaving more time for creativity, relationships, and self-growth. Cities would be cleaner and greener, powered by renewable energy and designed for community rather than consumption. Education would focus on empathy, problem-solving, and […]