EVERY HOOFPRINT

Photo Credit: Azam Hostetler The travel experiences I remember are typically the ones where things go terribly wrong. It appears that travel experiences, especially casual commutes, I tend to forget after a while. A drive through a familiar neighborhood, a bus you usually take, or a walk on a familiar forest trail are forgettable, however peaceful they are.  The interesting matters that you end up remembering are usually unknown, although they may be chaotic. Today, I want to

(Photo by Anaylee Hough) With the recent Super Bowl LX and an iconic half-time performance by Bad Bunny, Puerto Rican reggaeton artist and superstar, let’s talk about the beauty of Puerto Rican culture. I've recently traveled there with two friends. A flight of less than four hours from Connecticut takes you to a tropical island with a beautiful culture, different sights to see, restaurants to try and more. In the picture above are houses with vibrant colors in Old San Juan,

Photo Credit to Ana Karolina Pereira on Pexels The front seat of his car was dangerous and yet she found herself there more times than she could count. It was always reserved for her, not asked or offered, just expected. Someone trusted to drive her from school events and on grocery runs. That someone made sure the front seat was empty and available for her. Made sure she sat up front, the back seat was too cramped, too uncomfortable. Someone who needed her there within reach

Watching the news has become infuriating.  I have yet to find a proper way to describe the tension between a brick, my television screen and my good throwing-arm. Our reality is not being reported on with accuracy or respect. Especially the communities of people who’ve been marginalized the most. It is impossible for me to remain stoic while faced with intentional erasure of Black and Latino lives in the national immigration narrative. Even further, as a student set to enter

Coney Island, also known as Luna Park, is not only a family friendly amusement park but a staple to New York City, especially for Brooklyn. The park has been open since 1859. As a native New Yorker, this park has definitely made its mark on me. I’d pack my bag with snacks and food beforehand since it’s an hour subway ride away from my home in The Bronx. But the ride is definitely worth it. The park has a long boardwalk and beach for people to enjoy.  Photo: Anaylee Hough The

It’s January, again. And in all honesty, this one may bore you. I thought it would be a great idea to return to my column this new semester and reflect on how far I’ve come and figure out where I want to go from here. If I look back at where I was a year ago, I had returned back to school after hearing bad news time after time again and was stuck in a state of limbo. Every time life took a hit at me I figured that there was nothing that I could do to change the situation. So,

Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar Games Over winter break, I interacted with a few sources of media I could not look away from. When the break first started, I was surrounded by videogames since I was finally back in my room at home.  I decided to play a game I haven’t played in a while; Red Dead Redemption 2 by Rockstar Games. When I loaded up the game, I felt this rush of adrenaline and memories from the first time that I played it. It made me feel a bit old, as the game came

Photo credit to Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels On Christmas Eve, my mother printed page after page of cartoon movie tickets to go along with one of the gifts she got for my grandmother. More effort was put into this gift because of its sentimental value. She was trying so hard with the presentation because the actual gift was a promise of something that would happen later.  The plan was to take my grandmother to the movies to see “Song Sung Blue.”  It was a thoughtful gift bec

Photo Credit: Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, OK I’m not quite sure when I became interested in Bob Dylan, but it’s been nearly half my life. In the past two or three years, a simple heavy interest has blossomed into a spiritually-tuned obsession.  People who listen to older music are often looked down upon by some, and the further back in time that you go for music preference, the more your demographic of listeners inevitably collide with the baby boomers. That never bothered me

While grief may not be a gift by nature, I would consider it a lesson for life. I did not understand how other people seemed to recover after a death. I saw grief as the most difficult mountain someone could ever face. An impossible climb up a mountain with no clear path to the summit, where the air grows thinner with each step and the weight of loss makes every movement feel like walking through quicksand. Until I lost my aunt, I wasn’t familiar with grief. What happened to

The following poem is one of many reflections and feelings that I had during my academic process. This article “The Academic Cliffhanger, My Letters from the Edge” may continue to be a miniseries of my reflections through letters and poems. The 10 Stages of My Numbness: I wear a dreaded face and walk with it on I look like a zombie, I'm turning into one I can't feel anymore, what if I bit off my tongue? Listing all my stages of becoming numb Two things I lost, work ethic and

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy. Yet according to the American Psychological Association , nearly nine in 10 U.S. adults describe some level of stress this time of year. 43% say that the stress of the holidays interferes with their ability to enjoy them. Whether it's anticipation of family conflict or financial concerns, there is enough evidence to suggest that the holidays are often overwhelming. As a kid, I loved Christmas. On Christmas Eve, I would track Sant