It's been just less than a month since the start of the new year, and so for our first blog post of 2021, we asked each of our editors for some insight into their thoughts going forward into the new year. Here's what they said.
Gloria - Art Editor
Thank you, 2020
2020 was a year of many changes, in the world and in myself. Despite the weight of the burdens 2020 ensued, there were still moments of beauty and stillness. In 2020, I learned to enjoy being alone. I found solace in places I never had before. I learned to take in my surroundings in greater detail. I went on walks and bike rides with the intent to observe the world rather than to get from one destination to another as fast as possible. Being alone with my thoughts in my own space has helped me gain clarity on my purpose in life. It brought me closer to the person I am meant to be and that is someone who embodies love. 2020, you were a mayhem, but you allowed me time with the people I love and care about the most and I will cherish those moments as much as I will remember your disasters.
A Love Letter to 2021
2021, I hope you bring me opportunities to grow and flourish. I hope you come bearing endless laughter and love into my life. I hope you teach me more about the world and its people, and more about myself. I hope you bring me to places I’ve never been before and see more once-in-a-lifetime-things. I hope you bring me closer to those I love and cherish the most. I hope you protect them into 2022 and beyond. But enough about me, I hope you forgive the mistakes of 2020 and help more people embrace the possibilities of the future. 2021, I hope you give people hope, and patience. I hope you give them moments of peace and overwhelming love when they need it most.
Grace - Poetry Editor
2020 was a year that we would all like to move past. It was a year that caused pain and anxiety for countless people. I usually have a more optimistic view of life, however, it would be foolish to try to find the diamond in this very rough year.
In 2021, I want to overcome my social anxiety by putting myself in unfamiliar situations. Given normal circumstances, I would say “I want to go to more parties” or “I want to talk to more strangers”. Unfortunately, these things are not quite realistic due to health and safety reasons. Therefore, I will have to find ways to push myself through this mental struggle.
Irene - Music Editor
In 2021, I'm hoping to get back into reading and to take more time for myself unrelated to school or work. I'm excited to graduate and get into the next phase of my life!
I don't think anything can be said about 2020 that hasn't already been said. It was intense and difficult, but personally, it did force me to think hard about my goals and plans, and whether or not I actually still wanted to follow through. I had to reevaluate what really mattered, and what actually didn't. The year showed me my weaknesses, but also gave me a renewed sense of passion and excitement for my future.
Val - Film Editor
My new year's resolution is to be a little more intentional about my screen time. I have been staring at screens too much with online classes. I just hope I have the effort in me to slow down when I need to.
Chris - Fiction Editor
My New Year’s resolution is
to read more Toni Morrison
and write more weird fiction.
Sophie - Nonfiction Editor
I don't want to bring it up again, but 2020 was as unexpected for me as it must have been for everyone. The whole year felt put on hold, and most of those New Year's Resolutions became unreachable. Still, if this crazy year has taught me anything, it is that pushing off your goals, again and again, whether you intended to or not, will only force you to eventually face them because you'll become miserable if you don't. Procrastination is the worst. Likewise, I'm not too fond of New Year's Resolutions because you shouldn't wait until next year to change your life. But a few always come up in my mind at the start of each year. I love learning about different cultures and countries, and I definitely want to do more of that in 2021. One of those is to cook one new dish every week and get to know more diverse foods. I also want to make it a habit to learn new Spanish words every day and reward myself with a trip to Madrid where I can use those later in the year.
Amelie - Associate Art Editor
My new year’s resolutions are to not buy any new articles of clothing, only second hand stuff like from the thrift store, in order to not support fast fashion because it is harmful to the employees and also not sustainable for the planet. I also, like everyone else, want to try to eat healthier and work out more. I feel like I always forget to take care of myself because I get really busy. So far, I have been doing well on exercising and going to the gym, but I do eat a lot of desserts still lol. Overall, this year I am just trying to find a balance between what's doing best for my mind and happiness, and then what is also best for me physically and my body (like making sure to get enough sleep and relax). In 2020, since I didn't have much else to do and couldn't go outside for fun activities, I found myself dedicating most of my time to school, which was productive but probably not the best for me. When I look back on memories I know I won't regret going outside on a walk compared to studying for a test, so I am trying to keep that mindset throughout 2021.
Carolina - Associate Literary Editor
Looking back at 2020, I am very proud of myself for accomplishing more grounding work and involvement in the literary and creative writing community! My resolution for 2021 is that I want to get better at cooking! I need to get better at not just feeding myself but also eating better.
Hannah - Marketing + Creative Director
One of my main goals is to develop the skill of concentration. It may sound small, but often times when I sit down to get some work done, I get distracted by emails or notifications on my phone. My goal is to be able to work for three hours uninterrupted, no checking my notifications or scrolling on social media. I think it’s really important to be able to be present, to really “be there.” When I’m having a conversation with someone, I don’t want to try to wrap it up quickly so I can see what all the buzzing on my phone in my pocket is. So concentration is my biggest goal at the moment.
Katrin - Assistant Editor in Chief
My new year's resolution is to get more engaged in my community. I’d love to start a job that would make a positive social impact and help me to realize my full potential. In such uncertain times, we should all stick together, and in my opinion, dedicating oneself, one’s skills to a greater purpose is a great way to stay engaged.
2020 was a roller coaster year, both spiritually and materially. Despite that, I was able to rediscover my passion for traveling (guess forbidden fruit is sweet) and reconnect with my roots. It was a great year to rediscover ourselves and find what’s important, so I hope that 2021 will be as impactful as this year.
Rachael - Editor in Chief
This year, I want to spend more time on things that bring me genuine happiness. Throughout college most things have taken a backseat to homework and classes. This made it difficult for me to figure out what I’m actually passionate about. When COVID hit and quarantine/isolation started, I realized how consumed I was in academics and how little balance I have in my life. So, from now on, I want to change up my priorities and focus more on enjoying life and taking advantage of opportunities to try new things. I will be graduating at the end of this semester, so I suppose I’ll have to reevaluate and reorganize my life anyways. But until then, I’m trying to start doing little things like spending time on making my apartment feel more like home, going on walks, and being more sustainable. In 2021 a few specific things I would like to do are travel (if things get better with COVID this year, which hopefully they will) and cook.
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