Written by Natalie Chen. Edited by Rachelle Kasilag and Isabella Romine.

Artwork by Özge Ahretlikoglu.

Introduction

If there was ever a moment that was universally imperfect in recent memory, now would be that time.

The world rages on outside, and many of us, even the best of the introverts, feel stir-crazy. As an introvert, I somewhat revel in the indefinite amount of time we have been so graciously granted. I can spend long stretches of time in my own head, my own world. Of course, without the outside world, I must turn to alternative sources of inspiration.

Written by Anusha Riaz. Edited by Amelia Zawadzka and Marc Scocca.

Artwork by Ava Davis.

The snow from the night before crunches under the soles of your shabby, brown boots as lone snowflakes catch on your eyelashes. The wind is chilly, and you shiver, fruitlessly intertwining your fingers to generate some form of warmth. You sit down on a cold bench waiting for the last bus and glance at the empty road and the street lights flickering above as frost swirls around you and the other stragglers of the night. You bring your knees up to your chest and huddle into yourself, burying your chin into your scarf. In the distance, you hear the last of the bells and the faint laughter of children as they run home after curfew; angels in the snow exist as the only reminder that they were ever there.

Written by Farida Amr. Edited by Rachelle Kasilag and Isabella Romine.

Artwork by Cai Xia Lee.

Written by Aniket Duggal. Edited by Eden Gringart and Amelia Zawadzka.

Artwork by Rochelle Yuan.

A lot of you reading this right now will be able to resonate with my next sentence. College applications SUCK. There are no two ways about it. Yeah, it’s fun to “carve your own path in life”, finally “gain some autonomy” and stand on your own two feet after 18 years, but there is nothing remotely enjoyable about sending your grades to universities from when you were making musical.ly’s in your bedroom to now when you’re making tiktoks in your bedroom (yay character development!). And as if that isn’t enough, you need to make sure you have four encyclopedias worth of extracurriculars to win over the college admissions officer who has already read 400 other applications with nearly identical grades, activities, and essays, and who would rather listen to a Jacob Sartorius album three times over than read another application about how someone started a Robotics club in their local 50-student school. There are no two ways about it; college applications SUCK.

Written by Elyse Barg. Edited by Chaya Kimbell and Tanae Rao.

Artwork designed by Alice Schroeder.

The coronavirus is, first and foremost, a healthcare issue. However, as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world, politicians are beginning to turn their attention towards its economic ramifications. Coronavirus lockdowns have been preventing firms from conducting business as usual, effectively cutting off millions of people from sorely needed income. Hence, some politicians contend, it is necessary to “reopen” the economy as soon as possible so that it may be saved. As this process begins, a myriad of problems are beginning to reveal themselves ― reopening won’t jumpstart the economy if people feel too unsafe to go out and spend, staying shut without running costs is more viable for some businesses than reopening at a loss, and there is also the terrifying prospect of a much larger second wave of infections.