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What are Personal Essays?

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Before we look into a personal essay, it’s important to know a bit about the essay as a literary form. Essays are a prose form - usually non-fiction - written for public consumption. They can be published in journals, newspapers, magazines, etc. They were popularized in the 17th and 18th centuries. This was partially because of the rise of the middle class. So, personal essays are usually written about people who usually have a very public life. They offer insights into the lives of people that readers are interested in. For example, a celebrity, singer, or actor. When such people write about themselves, about intimate moments that the press don’t yet know about, it’s called a personal essay. This is important because the idea of the self these days has become more personal and debatable. People could ponder for a long time about the kind of person they are, versus the kind of person they are portrayed as. There is a lot of focus on the self and the individual. A personal essay should ...
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Aesthetic Writing

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What does it mean if something is aesthetic? It's pleasing. It's pleasant. It's easy on the eyes. It could be appealing physically or otherwise. It might be something that's well organized. Organized chaos. It's beautiful. It's pretty. There a thousand other ways you could try to explain what aesthetic means. What are some ways you could make your writing more aesthetic and appealing? There are obvious techniques like making sure you have your own personal writing style. Making sure you don't copy off of anyone and that your work is original. Do some research about the genre or form that you are writing in to make sure it appeals to your ideal readers. However, there is something a little more interesting I want to share. Use your style sparingly. If you keep writing in the same way, readers are going to get bored with it. For example, imagine every single sentence you write ends with an exclamation mark. Readers are probably wondering why you're constan...
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Literary Nonfiction

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What exactly is literary nonfiction? How do you identify whether something is part of this genre or not? Is literary nonfiction any kind of prose that’s not a story? I don’t think so. Literary nonfiction is a type of prose that deals with facts. However, these facts are presented in a way that readers find attractive. This kind of nonfiction uses certain elements of literature and art. It could be a story about a person, city, place, family, events, institution, etc. It could be about anything a person writes in a journal or magazine article about. The literary elements that could be used range from imagery and dialogue to literary devices. The most important thing to keep in mind here is that literary nonfiction should be rooted in fact. Everything that you write has to be true and should be verifiable, if someone so chooses. When you study literary nonfiction, here a few things you might want to focus on. The first one is what the author is trying to say - obviously. A deep analysis ...
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Connection between studying and consumption

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In today's class, my professor was talking about how we usually don't study things related to what we consume regularly. Let's look at an example.  An English literature student is asked to read classics like Bronte, Shakespeare, and other things like that. However, do they really like those authors? I'm sure there are a few who do, but for the most part, a student would prefer something more modern or something of a different genre. Now, I'm not saying there aren't people who genuinely enjoy the classics, because I know there are. But the question is... why are we studying something that doesn't really match what we consume on a daily basis?  There are a few reasons that might be. The classics help us understand how life was in different ages of literature. It would help us bring depth to our writing. It would help us gain an understanding of the world before us. I'm sure there are a lot more points.  But here, my point is that reading classics or other...
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Writing in Different Spaces

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My first class today was about how perspectives shape how one writes. The activity we had was to write about the room we were in - our classroom - and our morning before we got there. Here's what I wrote.  "I woke up this morning to the sound of one of my favorite things ever - Taylor Swift. So, for some context, I'm a huge Swiftie and Taylor's music is my alarm. I think that's the best way I could start my day. I hopped into the bathroom for a nice hot shower. I know, some people say hot water makes them sleepy, but to me, it's rejuvenating. I was excited to get to dress in formals today, because I usually don't do that.  I realized after I got ready that I still had plenty of time before class. I decided to watch an episode of 'My Life With the Walter Boys' season 3. After that was breakfast. The highlight there was the vada. It was really crispy, just like the kind my dad and I like. Through breakfast, I was anticipating and looking forward to ou...
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Context and Consumption

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This is the title of a super cool workshop I attended yesterday.  The workshop talked about the context in which you write and the media you consume that feeds your writing. This is something that I actually had thought about before as well, but this is the first time I really dove deep into it. We were given worksheets about the two topics and were asked to answer a series of questions that helped us find out our context and identify how our consumption influenced our writing.  An important question we were asked was "Who are you as a writer?" Our professor wanted to know how our context and where we come from shape us as writers. When I was asked questions, some of my answers were based on the library I grew up in, back in the US. My consumption was rooted in mythology and the supernatural.  Now... my professor was talking about the fact that we write what we read. (Something similar to that). I found that to be very true. Like... I write books rooted in Norse mythology...
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Meeting the Department

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Yesterday, for the first time, we got to meet our professors and seniors. We were joined by a world-renowned poet, Mr. Neal Hall. He was a doctor by profession who then turned to poetry. He started the session with a poetry reading. And... wow. Each word he read showed us the pain his poetry carried. He told us that pain was his best friend and the catalyst for his writing. His poems were about racial discrimination and the Black American experience.  After the poetry reading, he took some questions from the crowd. Now, here's the thing. He didn't make us feel inferior, like he knew more than us or something. He welcomed all of our questions and answered them kindly, interacting with each of us in turn.  Next, we got to meet our seniors when they presented a small presentation about their experiences in college. We saw them joking around with the staff and teasing and being teased by them. The class group was small, which meant that the professors knew each of the students per...
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Onboarding

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I have been waiting to get here since last November, when I found out I was granted admission. Alliance University Bangalore.  I just got here today, and wow, was it one hell of a day. Today was just the onboarding. I got here around 10.30 and finished the entire process by around 1.15. Not long, all things considered.  I was surprised to see booths for each step of the process. Like... it wasn't one person doing the whole thing for you, but you had to move from table to table to finish the steps in order. That was fun. I think it took the edge off of waiting. It wasn't like you had to sit in one place and wait, but wait in multiple places. That made it seem shorter than it actually was.  After the tables came the hostel. I got assigned my room and went to check in there. The room is a typical Indian hostel room. I'm sharing it with one other girl, and she's pretty chill. After check-in, we went to have lunch. Here we means my parents and me.  They left after lunch. ...
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Here's What's Next

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This isn't really goodbye, but still a farewell.  Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving Chennai to go do my Master's in Bangalore. I still kind of remember stepping into Chennai a little over 10 years ago. I was moving back here with my family from the US. When I stepped out of the airport, I thought, "there's no turning back now." I remember the humidity enveloping me in greeting.  Now, I'm leaving. Sure, I've gone on trips before and studied abroad for a semester. This feels different, though. I'm going to be there for two years- yeah, I'm going to come back to visit, but it changes things, doesn't it? I'm not sure where these 2 years will take me. I have no idea what path they will set me on.  However, Chennai will always have a part of my heart. It's the city where I met my closest friends. It's where I learned to drive. It's where I accomplished so much and have passed through so many milestones. I will miss the humidity (a bit...
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Taylor-Style Celebrations

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Today, the most magical thing happened. Something really exciting happened - this is related to my startup, but that's not important right now.  Right after it, I was sitting near the Korean Cafe in college, and two Taylor Swift songs played one after the other. The music was faint, but it felt like fate. So, after my meeting, I came skipping out of the room. Right after that, the Cafe was playing these songs. It felt like it wasn't just me celebrating. Everyone was.  As in any other endeavor, there were obstacles before my celebration. It was very hard - so much so that I almost thought I was going to quit and give up. I wondered if it was worth my efforts. But with some help from my loved ones, I knew I had to keep at it. I had put too much into it - and so had they - to just let it go without a fight.  The point of this post is that celebration can be the littlest things. It can be your favorite song playing in a place you rarely visit. It can be a loud grand party too...
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Athenavate

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Athenavate is an educational startup focused on teaching entrepreneurship and related skills to school students from grades 9-12. It originated from the Kid-Biz bootcamp that was developed from the ideas of Dr. P. Wilson, principal of MCC.  Okay... let's not sound too formal here. A few months ago, Aarthi Mam asked me to conduct a workshop for school students. It was called the Kid-Biz Entrepreneurship Bootcamp. I agreed at once. After that, I was asked if I would be interested in founding a startup based on this idea. It took me a minute to think through it, but I agreed. This was the only thing I hadn't done during my time as a student, but I was lucky enough to get the chance after I graduated.  Athenavate is pretty much an entrepreneurship workshop. The first phase is called Athena: Odysseus. It is conducted for 6 days, with each day focusing on a specific milestone. All these milestones are achieved through gamified teaching. What this means is that students won't end ...
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Once upon a time

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Once upon a time, They mistook me for a story. Something to be edited until it became easier to read, Passed from one careful hand to another Until my truth no longer sounded like my own voice, Until the silence between their questions Said more than any answer I could have given. I knew stories long before I knew what fear could inherit. I carried them into classrooms Where children sat cross-legged on borrowed afternoons, Still convinced dragons announced themselves with smoke, That wolves always looked like wolves, And every lost child eventually found the path home. We read as though endings were promises. We believed enough kindness could rescue anyone. We believed that people were good. Perhaps I believed it most. I thought monsters could be defeated.  If you were good.  No one warned me that monsters could wear borrowed smiles And decide which stories deserve a sequel.  I thought truth possessed its own gravity, That it would always land where it belonged, Tha...
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Kid Biz Entrepreneurship Workshop

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For the past week, I have been busy. I had the opportunity to teach school children in a workshop about entrepreneurship. This opportunity was presented to me by Dr. Aarthi, the Head of Operations, Innovation Park.  Now... here's the thing. I didn't think she knew me that well. I was really surprised that she came to me and asked me to be the resource person - or trainer - for this whole thing. If it was one of my professors, I wouldn't have been surprised, but this took me off guard.  Regardless, I said yes.  She said that she had a template and an outline of how the program should go - including the concepts that I would need to teach. However, she said that it was totally up to me as to how I wanted to teach it. I decided to gamify it. I realized that children might think that a workshop teaching something like entrepreneurship might be dull and boring - like a lecture. I wanted to make sure that didn't happen. I tried hard to think of a game or activity for each con...
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My First IPL Match

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Yesterday, I got to go to the CSK - LSG match at Chepauk Stadium. My dad has been saying he'd take me to a game for the past couple of years, and I had been eagerly waiting for it. I've heard stories about the aura and vibe of the stadium.  Now, before you ask, I am not really into cricket much. I don't really watch games. When I do, I can barely understand what's happening. However, this is one experience that I am glad I didn't miss.  The game started out 'not good.' LSG scored high in the first few overs. Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact stats. I was more focused on the energy there than exactly watching the game (Don't judge guys). The score was 203. CSK needed 204 to win.  CSK had an amazing start (in my unprofessional opinion). One of the players broke a record for the fastest joint 50 - in 13 balls. Then... things went downhill. And with that 'downhill' came a drop in energy. People started to curse at players for missing an e...
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The End of an Era

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Today was my last day of college at MCC. I've spent the last three years here, for better or worse. And for better or worse, it has shaped me into the person I am today.  I remember on my first day of college, during orientation, there was something or someone that said "MCC can make or break you." It might sound cringey that I'm saying that now, but I think this place did both to me.  It broke me apart in ways that I didn't know were even possible. I did face the worst kinds of betrayal and heartbreak. (Which is of course part of life, and I'm not complaining.) However, it did also give me the best people in my life. Everything I went through made me stronger and turned me into the woman that my younger self would be proud of. I feel like I used every opportunity that was available to the fullest and built my portfolio.  I got to become an author. I am so proud of myself for publishing five books in just the last two years. I think it is a pretty big deal. It...
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For V

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She who fought tooth and nail for me When I needed her by my side She who didn't listen to rumors But said she did so she could get the other side of the story She who asked for my opinion Like it really mattered to her She who taught me the art of poetry To write with her She who I've known for about 2 years And genuinely liked from the start She who once broke my heart But put it back together tenfold She who gave me a genuine apology Not what I wanted to hear, but the truth  She who let me grow close in my own time Giving me my space but checking on me She who gets excited about my opportunities And actually means it She who works with me on events Saying yes as soon as I ask her She who is my 'hype girl'  The best photographer ever  She who gives without hesitation Her affection and assistance in equal measure She who told me the truth  About people who were not who I thought She who protected me Even when I didn't know it She who listened to my tears And soothe...
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You Choose Your Legacy

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This is one of my favorite lines from Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus: House of Hades. I've read this book maybe more than 50 times by now, and this line always makes me really think. Even when I was younger, and I didn't really know what the words meant, I knew they meant something.  Here's how I see it... You can't really choose where you come from. You can't control things that you didn't choose, for example, where you grew up or where you went to school. When you were little, your decisions were probably made for you, before you even understood that those decisions would determine some aspect of your life and who you would become.  But, another way of looking at it is... you get to choose who you want to be. With the expansion of social media and the rapid spread of reels, reddit and quora threads, and other videos, people learn a lot, regardless of how they are brought up. Through this exposure, you see new things and you can decide whether you want to...
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Everything is Attatinable

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"Everything you strive for is attainable; you are the one getting in your own way." This is something else I read when I was studying for my semester exams that I felt was really important to talk about.  It's kind of like... You are capable of anything, but you are getting in your own way. It's not someone else telling you that you can't do it, but you yourself are not letting yourself grow. Usually, when we fail to do something, we assume that some external force is saying that this is a bad idea. We think that something bad might happen if we keep trying. Or we might think that someone doesn't want us to keep going.  But here's the thing... did someone actually tell you that they don't want you to do it? Or did someone say that bad things would happen? I'm guessing not.  Do you know what that means? It means that you are the only one standing in your way. You think that something is holding you back, but it is you holding yourself back. And... i...
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The French Language (to me)

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The French language was my first love. Way back in school, I was one of the few people who chose French as a third language. Above all, I loved my French teacher.  Now... there's no clear reason why I love French, but I just do. I feel like I've always been pulled towards it, the language, the culture, the food, the city. Though now I know that there are drawbacks to Paris and France in general, as a child, I thought it would be an amazing place to live.  These days, I have to admit I lost touch with the language a bit, but just thinking back for a moment brings it all crashing back.  Now, I have the opportunity to teach French to a little boy. Today, I had an introductory session with him and his enthusiasm took me off guard. It reminded me of myself when I was younger, and learning French for the first time.  It reminded me of why I actually liked the language, and the enthusiasm made me want to respond with equal or more energy.  Now, you might wonder why I a...
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RememBrary

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Alright, gang, this is going to be something new. I haven't tried this before.  But I came up with this word, and I am going to try to explain it to you.  First of all, the idea came from my professor. We were talking about 'slambooks,' and he asked me to try to come up with a new name for it. Something for the new age. And this is what I ended up with.  Remembrary So here's what this word is supposed to mean... Today, slambooks are a place for people to write about their opinions of you and their memories with you. It's about remembering the times you shared. Earlier, it used to be a small book where people would put in things about themselves - their contacts, their birthdays, things like that. Basically, things that they wanted the owner of the book to remember about them.  But now, it has transformed into what people want to remind the owner about themselves. It's something that, when looked at years later, will bring back memories and help 'remember...
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Always Taylor's Girl

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Dear readers, this is your favorite Taylor's girl! In a recent ThinkTank session, I had the opportunity to sing. It was called a 'Jam Session.' I was pretty nervous at first, because I don't really sing in public. But in a few minutes, I gathered up the confidence, and I got to sing 'Enchanted.'  The thing is... loving Taylor Swift is kind of my brand now. To be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way. She - or rather - her music has done so much to me.  Now, I'm not one of those Swifties who obsessively follow Taylor's personal life. No, I like her for her music. I feel like it has done so much for me. No matter what mood I'm in - happy, sad, energetic, tearful, confident, or scared, her music embraces me. Sometimes, when I hear it, I have goosebumps running down my arms. It is like honey to my ears.  My connection to Taylor goes beyond just listening to her music. My first academic research paper was about Taylor's albums, and this paper g...
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SLP Diaries - Final Report

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Today, I was in for a bunch of surprises. The department had organized a kind of gathering for the Magic of Storytelling, SLP members, especially those graduating. The previous day, I was told that there was a time allotted for me in the agenda to speak. The girl who told me said that I could talk about the history of the SLP and about my experiences, and vision for it.  That meant that I had had time to prepare, and I had a huge list of things I wanted to say. Before that, however, I got to listen to all the things that my classmates and other teammates had to say about the SLP. It moved me to tears - almost - to hear how they felt about this program that I poured my heart and soul into, and to see that it really affected them in a positive way, which is all I could ever ask for. It also felt extra special when each of them mentioned how I pulled them into this mesmerizing thing, whether they reallyyy wanted to or not. It is amazing that each of them showed up, and I loved to hear...
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I Just Wanted Your Safety

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It was not control  Just a warning Stitched from old wounds And things I learned through pain  It was out of care  The kind that lingers  Even when it's inconvenient  Or misunderstood It was never meant to hold you back  Not a cage Nor a leash Not a need to decide for you But you heard limits in my voice Like I was telling you 'no' But there were only fractures  And wounds trying to speak  I saw how easily Trust could be twisted  How a smile could hide Something sharp  I walked through roads I thought were harmless And I remember How quickly the tables turned  So, when I spoke It wasn't to shrink your world  It was to keep it whole  And to keep you safe  You thought I was holding you back  When I was just Standing in front of a storm To keep you from harm's way  You went anyway  Certain of your footing  While I stayed behind Watching from afar incase you needed me  But when you thought I was h...
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Great Expectations

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 "You can't expect a bad person not to harm others." Expecting someone to change their ways after these ways have been rooted so deeply in them for years before you met them is irrational. Now, I'm not saying that all people are bad people, of course. But there are habits in other people that you would want to change. For example, imagine your best friend chews with their mouth open. Now, if this were your little sibling, you would have had the chance to correct them when they were younger. But you haven't known this friend during their formative years, when something like this could have been changed.  This can also be applied to someone you love. Like, there might be something you don't like that they keep doing. This isn't something so horribly wrong that it warrants a break-up, but it's something that bothers you. You think that if you bring it up enough times, it can be fixed. But if you take a moment to think about a habit that you have that you ...
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Complete Freedom

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Today, we had a Think Tank session where I was asked the question: "What would I do with complete freedom?" The question stumped me for a bit. Partially because I didn't really know what complete freedom looked like.  In relation to this, I saw a post a while ago about what a teenager who was given complete freedom over their schedule would be. The teenager would sleep all day, get up late, play games all night or party all night. They wouldn't do their homework. But... in a few days, they would get bored of this and they would also feel like they are doing something wrong. Their conscience would speak out. Then, they would make a schedule for themselves.  That got me thinking today. I am still not sure what I would do with complete freedom. But I think complete freedom is an illusion. Eventually, everyone will succumb to the societal standards that they see around them. They would want to fit in and want to succeed. It led me to think about the power of society. It d...
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A Guide to Research Presentations

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Today, I finished my tenth paper presentation. This is a huge milestone. I remember my first one, about Taylor Swift's albums. I presented it at MCC at this thing called Eve's Eve. The chair for the presentation, the Dean of Women's Affairs, said my paper was really good and recommended that I publish it. And so, that's what I did. In my second year of UG, I had a paper published.  Now, guys... this post is kind of a how-to present and write papers guide. I've a lot of people asking me about this, and I thought this would be a nice way to help them.  First... pick a topic you really like. One that you don't have to think about too much, so you know plenty of background information about your paper. For example, I write about things like Taylor Swift, the books I read, or the poems that my teachers taught me that really resonated with me. I find that this makes things easier, in the sense that you don't have to think too much about what you're writing, bu...
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Visitors from App State

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Today, I had the unique opportunity to talk to representatives from Appalachian State University, who were visiting MCC. Dr. Phillip and Dr. Renee, specializing in matters related to public policy, political science, and globalization, were our esteemed visitors.  Right after my exam, my professor called me and told me that he had an interesting opportunity for me, and asked me to meet him in his office immediately. Off I went. I rushed over and he told me that I could interview these visiting dignitaries if I wanted to. I obviously said yes, and so did two of my classmates. We had about 30 minutes to prepare. We were given a short bio of the dignitaries and decided to first read that, for ideas of questions that would be useful for MCC students, looking to pursue their higher studies abroad, or for MCC students in general.  Additionally, we looked at the professors' profiles online, to learn their areas of expertise, so we could ask them about it. (Also, we wanted the brownie...
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Farewell

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I know this might sound cliché, but it feels like just yesterday that I walked into MCC as a fresher, and I had my farewell today. I remember so clearly my fresher's day and my first Onam celebration, and pongal of my first year. My memories with my magnificent seniors and crying at their farewell are so vivid.  I can't believe I'm already going to graduate and move on to other ventures. My classmate read a poem that she wrote about the last three years. Through it, my classmates and I were close to tears. She reminded us of the memorable lines that our professors always say, taking us from our first year to our final month in just 3-4 minutes.  (Bear with me for my little remembrance too guys...) Thank you to Rufus sir's push that turned me into an author, blogger (with an iconic title) and academician and his constant support in my endevours, for Phebe mam's remembrance to keep my inner child happy and safe and her care when I needed it most, for Sam Paul sir for ...
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Last L&D

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Once upon a time, there was a girl who didn't know what L&D stood for. Now, that same girl has finished her final intercollegiate literary competition at MCC with flying colors.  You heard that right... Yesterday, I attended my final intercollegiate event. I went to Don Bosco College in Kilpauk for this milestone event. I was super pumped up and ready to win the overall trophy. (For some background, last year, I led the team to Don Bosco College and won the overall trophy. That was the first time I was trusted to lead the team to victory, and I did not let anyone down.)  This time, I was enthusiastic, but there were hurdles on my way to college that upset me, first thing in the morning. I'm not going to go into details now, though. I was still really determined.  Little did I know... my greatest obstacle waited ahead. Someone very close to me and whom I was very comfortable with was the judge of two of the events I was participating in. Now... think about it... when y...
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I Built a Legacy

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A couple of days ago, I went to Hindustan College for an inter-college event. Now, I've been going to this event for the past two years, this being the third time. When I arrived, the head of the literary club, a professor, greeted me and said that she remembered me. It was really nice to see that I made enough of an impact to be remembered. Then, I participated in this event called Shipwreck. Now... a little bit of context before I continue... last year, I was in some kind of character interview, which I won, playing the character Cruella de Vil. In Shipwreck, they give you characters. When I went up to get mine, the convenor said "sorry... we don't have Cruella for you this time." That was another sign that what I did made an impact. When I finished my performance here (I was Lord Capulet this time), the judge stood up and shook my hand. He told me that it was refreshing to see my performance and that it was very nice.  You all probably know by now that my main even...
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I'm Meaner

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So... one question I've been thinking about is how my semester abroad changed me. Sure... I learned how to be independent. I learned how to clean things and cook pretty well. I learned how to be on my own. I learned how to sit in silence.  But... there was something else that happened. I didn't notice it when I was abroad, but I have been slowly picking up on it when I got back home. I realized that I was meaner. Now... by that... I don't mean cruel. I mean I refuse to let people walk all over me. I take what is rightfully mine and don't regret it. I put myself first, when surrounded by people who do the same. I used to do everything people wanted me to, believing that I would get recognition for it. Now, I wasn't timid, but I guess I might be called a pushover sometimes. I wouldn't really fight for things, preferring to choose peace. But now... I can't seem to do that. I try to do that. I try to stay calm, but I rage.  My question is, is what I'm doing ...
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Savior

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So... disclaimer... I'm not gonna hide names in this post, like I usually do for the sake of 'anonymity.' This is for Shane, who started off as my senior and my friend.  Yesterday morning, I called him for a chat, like I do sometimes, and... by the end of the call, I was crying. I told Shane about how I was physically assaulted and how no one helped me when it happened and I talked about it. Shane was really upset that I didn't tell him about what happened earlier. (This happened months ago, but it still has a really bad effect on me.) He said that if I had told him, he would have come to help me. In that moment, it felt so nice to know that there was someone who cared, and someone who would back me. He stayed on call until the tears ran dry, and checked on me through the day.  But... little did he know that he saved me once before, too. One day, I was with the person who hurt me, someone I can't name because honestly, I'm still scared. We were off campus. Shane...
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Where I stay

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I didn't fall for you at once I noticed you The way you walk The way you talk  Your presence was persistent But quiet and calming  You loved me quietly  But I was blind to it  Your love was like gravity, holding me in place  Keeping me from the past I ran from  You didn't ask me to forget my past,  But you remind me that I survived I have memorized your eyes, in all their moods Your lips, forming words I can read before you speak  Loving you is like exhaling After years of choking  There was no performance or fear  No shrinking or hiding to suit you  You made me the woman I am  And protected the girl in me  Thats why... I choose you  Everyday, always and forever  I love the past version of you, the present, and will love the future  You are where my heart goes without being told, and it is where I stay
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Does AI Scuttle or Enhance Creativity

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This was a topic of debate in my class yesterday. I was reporting the proceedings and thus didn't have a chance to speak. However, I am very opinionated about the topic at hand and wanted to talk about my stance.  As you probably guessed, I think AI scuttles creativity. As a creative writer, I believe that creativity and imagination are synonymous with human life. If you ask AI for ideas, they are no longer yours. If you ask AI to brainstorm for you, it's not you who is doing the work. Thus, you can't take credit for the idea.  AI is a tool. Yes. A tool to assist, not to do your work for you. For example, if you have an outline of a story, AI could be used to check if you forgot something. However, it should not be telling you to add more. If it does, and you choose to use those ideas, you can't take credit for them.  AI can be used to proofread and to tell you if there are any plot holes or gaps or tangents in your story. I use AI for such purposes. I give it a complet...
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The Art of Raising My Hand

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If you know me, you know that I'm really active in class. Now, this is something that has followed me from my school days.  So, back in school, I thought this phenomenon of being the only one to raise my hand and offer to read aloud in class was because of my interests. I thought it was because I loved reading and because I knew I was going to study English Literature, so I had to read. (This is the reasoning of a 15 year old girl, by the way.) I thought that my classmates in college would be like me; jumping to answer questions and at the opportunity to read aloud in class. I thought they would have chosen to study literature because of their love for reading. (That was my reason for my choice.) However, when I got to college, there were only a few people who took this course because they wanted to, and even fewer who actually regularly participate in class. I was thinking about this the other day and I kinda ended up rethinking my evaluative capabilities.  But... in the end,...
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The Others

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An age ago, my ancestors lived Their glory days As they built an empire Meant to last forever They nourished the land And taught the young With stories of their childhood To spread inspiration and hope They found me, a little orphan They adopted me Took me in and nurtured me Training me to take their place and carry on their legacy As they embarked on a greater journey They entrusted their kindom to the Others, hoping for good I, not yet old enough to inherit, Sat waiting in the wings for my turn The Others were cruel They took what was given for granted They forgot that this was to be my birthright As they shunned me and locked me away When it was their turn to leave, I expected to regain what I lost My dignity, respect, and rights Instead, the Others left the kingdom to their followers Leaving me an outcast, I yearned for my ancestors If they were here, no one would have overlooked me I would have been safe and protected Now, I seize what I can,  Knowing that it is all mine I bid...
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Aurora '26

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I am fresh off the heels of my last Ethnic Walk in college. Wow... am I ever nostalgic. First of all... no, I didn't win a prize, but I think I won a lot more.  I feel so much more confident because of my opportunities to be on these stages. I have actually been observing what happens to me on stage and during practice, and I feel myself becoming a different person through these experiences.  I initially wasn't going to walk for this Aurora. This used to be a place I loved and laughed and rejoiced, but it had turned into one of isolation and despair. I thought long and hard about whether participating was worth it. The only reasons I could think of for not doing so were because of other people. On the other hand, the pros said that I would enjoy it and love it, and it would be a perfect farewell to my time here. I decided I owed it to myself to do this for myself. And so I did.  When I'm on stage... I lose myself. I get to be someone who is admired from a distance. People...
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True Colors

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One of my seniors posted something on his Instagram story recently that got me thinking. He said that he thought people showed their true colors while on their 'college trips.'  I was wondering why that is. I mean... obviously he didn't mean what I was thinking about, but I found it interesting. Every time I've heard about stories of college trips, I hear about some massive friendship blow-up or some betrayal or devastation. But... these are the people you've spent the last 2 or 3 years with. Right? Why is it that those relationships crumble, especially if they weren't tenacious to begin with?  I think it's because people tend to put on a face and facade in front of their friends in college. In that sense, I mean that they don't really show their true, raw, unfiltered sense. People hang out with these people, and then they can go home, and they have a different life there. They can become different people. However, on trips like these, people are togethe...
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