A hand-painted rainbow elephant hangs on a cloth canvas next to Emily Saathoff’s bedroom door. Above her desk sits a canvas of seven women carrying baskets on their heads. Her bedroom is riddled with mementos from her semester in Ghana, a country on the western coast of Africa. In the spring of 2019, the University […]
Gone to Ghana: Who Is Emily Saathoff? Read More »
When a young woman turns 21, a world of possibilities opens. Live music at a brewery clears the workday stress. A dry, summer day feels a little cooler with a tangy strawberry daiquiri. An earthy wine turns a frozen Lean Cuisine into the chef’s special. For those who indulge, alcohol is a remarkable part of
Sugar, We’re Going Down Drinking Read More »
“I’ll have what she’s having,” I told the waiter, pointing confidently to Marcie. For three days, I ordered only what Marcie ordered, and she hasn’t been wrong yet. “Ah, all the way up until our last meal together,” Marcie chimed in. Her Cape Town accent was gentle, like a modest Australian one. She is taller
Searching the Maze Read More »
My grandfather passed away last year. My “papa,” my dad’s dad, my last living grandfather. It was dementia, ultimately, that took his life. And with that loss came a lot of things. Grieving, a funeral, a handwritten eulogy. But it also came with a house. I always thought that acceptance was the final stage of
What I Learned Flipping my Late Grandfather’s House Read More »
The first time I tasted a cheese pierogi was the first Christmas that I had teeth. And I’ve tasted one every Christmas since. The browned onions, the salty dough, the sweet farmer’s cheese filling. It is the long-awaited dish after a day of fasting. There are a few courses before it, but only to tease
Pinching the Edges Read More »
“Ich bin ein bleistift auf dem flughafen [ick bin eye-n BLIE-shtift off dem floog-hoffen],” my dad chanted through the streets of Berlin with a cheeky grin on his face. His eyes shifted to my brothers and I, seeing if he could get a reaction. Usually Ryan would snicker, Camden would roll his eyes, and I
Lost in Translation Read More »
Winner of the University of South Carolina’s Havilah Babcock Short Story Award Step by Step Instructions: How to Walk Alone from the Library to your Car at Two in the Morning If you are a woman, please read section A. If you are a man, please read section B. A. Women. The process of walking
Due to my newfound abundance of free time, I’ve been rereading old books. Most recently was Viktor E. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning – “the classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust.” I remember feeling moved after my first reading, like Frankl discovered the solutions to life’s problems. The second time around, I not only
Man’s Search for Meaning in COVID-19 Read More »
“It’s a bigger culture shock than you’d think,” a friend told me. She studied in Rome the semester before me, and despite her four months of experience, I didn’t believe her. Maybe for you, I thought. But not me. I’ve traveled a lot, and I’ll be fine. Three days into my program, I began learning
One month ago, I was living in Rome. Two weeks ago, I was laying on a beach in Ibiza. Today, I am in Raleigh, quarantined in my room. The coronavirus outbreak has affected everyone in a unique way. Businesses have closed, graduations are canceled, and doctors are working overtime on a daily basis. For me,
Homeward Bound: Grief in the Coronavirus Outbreak Read More »
