Would you make the same decision again? “Is it really news if it happens all the time?” I asked myself as the events in Ferguson, Missouri played out on my computer screen. A halo of tear gas flashing red, white and blue surrounded my home -state. Independence Day would come late this year, if it came at all. I saw rubber bullets bursting in air. The longer I watched, the worse I felt. The most alarming part was that my...

While looking at colleges, I found that one of my recommendations was for Barnard College. Intrigued, I decided to research the school and its programs. The information about the school’s mission and academic rigor was impressive, but I was not sure what set it apart from other high-achieving women’s colleges. It was not until I read about the Athena Scholars Program that I began seriously considering Barnard as a school I would like to attend. From an early...

“Breaking not so new news,” my voice shook, “a young Mexican boy was shot and killed” I was used to performing in front of large crowds. I was an actress and it came naturally to me. With this in mind, it made no sense that I was nervous to perform my poem, “Brown-Blooded.” I should have been at ease reciting a spoken word poem. It was exactly like a monologue. However, there was something different in reciting my own words. �...

Felony disenfranchisement is the denial of the right to vote to felons after release from prison, after probation, or after parole. I believe that this practice is not only an infringement upon a basic right, but a reflection on our broken criminal justice system. Thirty-five states in the US fail to return the right to vote to convicted felons after their release from prison. Some states wait until after parole and probation while others simply refuse to grant it without...

I have always loved theatre, even from an early age. My passion for political science and women’s and gender studies came later. However, the seemingly unrelated passions are more connected than one would expect. When I began to seriously immerse myself into theatre, I was relatively apathetic toward issues involving equality and social justice. My passion for these things grew as I thrived in an environment of politically-driven individuals immersed in the arts. Thorton Wilder explained that theatre is, �...