“Ethan, you’re being too dramatic,” the director of Swiss Semester, KR, said. “If you don’t change your attitude, you won’t survive the semester.” Since moving to London from Hawaii in seventh grade, I’d become shy and moderately anxious. I was slow at making friends and struggled to participate in the Harkness-style English discussions. This was frustrating, as I had a big group of friends in Hawaii and had always been comfortable speaking in front of my...

Three months of study in the Swiss Alps triggered a newfound appreciation for nature. To be clear, it wasn’t my first time living and studying in a natural environment, but at Swiss Semester, probably because we were not permitted access to technology and there was little else to do each day besides study, ski, and hike, I began to truly value it. I spent elementary school in Hawaii, constantly surrounded by nature–my school’s campus had multiple large,...

"Op, op, op, oppan Gangnam style" is a lyric we haven't heard in a while. But remember ten or so years ago when it was virtually everywhere? Remember the countless flash mobs and even politicians crossing their wrists and prancing around to a song they probably couldn't understand but did it anyway because it was just that iconic? Whether you hated or loved it, Gangnam style was THE song of 2012. But Gangnam Style isn't just a song; it's a universal...

Three months of study in the Swiss Alps triggered a newfound appreciation for nature. To be clear, it wasn't the first time living and studying in a natural environment, but at Swiss Semester, because we weren't allowed technology and there was little to do each day besides school, skiing, and hiking, I finally began to value it. Nature provided me with a space to be free from all stressors in my life, and I want to make sure that these...

The biggest tension in my life is my Wasian identity. First, I look white–I have pale skin and brunette hair. Whenever I introduce myself, people are always surprised to learn I am Asian. Someone even once told me my eyes were too wide to be Japanese. This divergence is also reflected in my family's past: my Japanese grandfather would retell stories about escaping American bombs, but on the contrary, in Hawaii, Japan was the enemy as they had bombed...

Studying in the Swiss Alps transformed my perspective on nature. Although I have previously lived in natural environments, I have never had to rely on the outdoors for stimulation and recreation completely. At Swiss Semester, because we weren’t permitted technology, and all our time was spent on school, skiing, or hiking, I developed a new appreciation for natural environments. I am concerned by the increasing risks to green spaces and the negative social impacts of global warming, which is...

The biggest conflict in my life is my Wasian identity. First off, I look white–I am pale with brunette hair. Whenever I introduce myself, people are surprised to learn I am Asian. Once, someone even told me that my eyes were too wide to be Japanese. This tension is also reflected in my family’s past: my Japanese grandfather would retell stories about escaping American bombs, but on the contrary, in Hawaii, Japan was the enemy as they had...

E Komo Mai, the sign reads as I step off the aircraft and am embraced by the sun-soaked, salty breeze. The humidity hits immediately, and I start to sweat, my now unnecessary sweatpants sticking to my legs. I fish for my phone, which is buzzing with invitations for beach days, hikes, and reviews of new pho restaurants to try out. Finally, I am home. Summers back in Hawaii have become a yearly occurrence since we moved to London. For the...

My most meaningful extracurricular was an internship in Hawaii at a non-profit educational farm. Families and schools across the island came to harvest vegetables and fruits and learn to farm sustainably. Besides my analytical responsibilities, I did loads of farm work, necessary to prepare for the upcoming season: I cleaned and fed animals, harvested honey from bee hives, and weeded (LOTS). I found peace in weeding and learned that sometimes, mundane tasks are the most soothing and worthwhile. I consider...

ENVS 1300: The Carbon Emissions of Global Superstars: Environmental Enthusiasts or Polluting Plunderers. Celebrities like Taylor Swift have come under fire for their enormous carbon footprints, but what do they do behind the scenes that we simply don’t see? Are their supposed carbon offsets enough to compensate for their lengthy jet journeys? What ethical responsibilities, if any, do they possess as major influencers to advocate for greater change? At the culmination of this course, students will present a paper arguing...

From the Van Wickle Gates to the IBES and the OSR for climate exploration, then to the Main Green for Spring Weekend or a round of activism, and to finish the day with a Boba drink on Thayer, I can attest that Brown is better than all the rest.