We all lay on our blue plastic cots, evenly spaced, as I forced my eyes to close. I shifted left and right on the extra- firm, pathetic excuse for a mattress, unwilling to let sleep find me. My young brain, energetic and frustrated, felt called to action. I wanted to produce something; I wanted to use my time. A yellow weather wheel was tacked onto the back of the bookshelf I lay next to, and to it I raised my...

One rainy day in Morningside Heights, during our “Writing our Lives” class for Barnard’s SITC, a classmate suggested we have an “emotional purge” after our workshopping session. We all took a few minutes to do some venting; I talked about my stresses with having immigrant parents, and was pleasantly shocked at everyone’s understanding nods and validation, even if they hadn’t experienced anything similar. It was a very emotional day, and I vividly remember feeling like we had...

Pick one woman in history or fiction to converse with for an hour and explain your choice. What would you talk about? (100-250 words) Neerja Bhanot is woman I learned about from a Bollywood movie (aptly titled Neerja) I’d watched on a lazy day, but little did I know, her story would remain a lifelong inspiration for me. In 1986, a group of terrorists hijacked a grounded plane in Pakistan. Neerja, the flight’s purser, used her quick wit and...

Alumna and writer Anna Quindlen says that she “majored in unafraid” at Barnard. Tell us about a time when you majored in unafraid. (100-250 words) I decided to wear the hijab on March 23, 2016. The night before, I was worried sick. What would people think? What if people start treating me differently? I frantically texted my friend- who encouraged me that my headscarf would be welcome in the MFS community (one that hadn’t had a student in hijab in over...