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The end of youth competition

I competed in my final volleyball tournament this weekend. It feels weird to write as it’s been a constant force in my life for the last 11 years. Three times a week I’ve laced up my shoes and jumped into practice with my teammates since I was in fifth...

A reflection of east coast championships

This weekend we competed in the East Coast Volleyball Association championships at University of Maryland. This is our conference that we play in during the spring with teams stretching from Florida to Ottawa, CA. We compete in the central divison, with teams from...

Midwest -> East -> West

Born and raised in the great state of Illinois, I am proud to be midwestern. Yes, I am from the megacity of the region where some argue that the culture is diluted by urbanism, but I would argue that the foundations of what makes us unique is the same. We all drink...

My priorities in a post grad city

Picking out a city to move to is incredibly difficult. For my post grad life, I am not dictated by geography or proximity to home in any way, my parents encouraged my siblings and I to move and explore. It’s a bittersweet feeling knowing that I likely will...

Reflecting on researching

This semester is when I go full speed to finish my thesis prior to the March 20 deadline. I’m in a good spot, with the last of my seedlings growing and I understand how long it takes to process each sample. Lots of long hours in the lab ahead of me, and with...

Having my Dean Mather moment

I’ve heard the story at least five separate times as an involved member in the honors college and in PLA. Dean Mather walks through campus late at night his junior year, excited and bubbling about new progress he made on his thesis research. He reflects on a...

Distance makes the heart grow fonder

I miss my family. This is a totally normal feeling as a college student, being away from home for weeks or months at a time. Not seeing loved ones, both family and close friends, in the places and spaces you hold so near to your heart where you shared those childhood...

Farming inside?? It’s more likely than you think.

Indoor agriculture. Seemingly an oxymoron as the great outdoors is where we as a species have collected our food since the dawn of time. Despite this longstanding reality, we now live in an age where LED technology, hydroponics, and machine learning will create...