Category Archives: Identity

Memories of Home: Long Island

By Matt Solowan

Edited by Natalie Grace Sipula

[3 minute read]

Whenever people ask me where I’m from and I say New York, they always reply with something along the lines of “Wow, that’s so cool! You live in New York City!” I then have to remind them (and for some people teach them) that New York is actually a really big state, and New York City (or Manhattan more specifically) is only one part of it.

I grew up on Long Island, about an hour drive from Manhattan. While some people only know us Long Islanders as inhabitants of the setting of The Great Gatsby, we have also made quite a name for ourselves for other reasons. From the beautiful beaches of the Hamptons to our world-famous bagels and pizza, Long Island has come to be known for many things.  When I go home for breaks now, I like to squeeze in as many of my favorite Long Island-themed activities as I can possibly fit in. This got me thinking about what my perfect day on Long Island would be. So without further ado here it is:

I’d wake up early so that I can get to my favorite bagel shop while the bagels are still fresh. I’d order my favorite bacon egg and cheese on an everything flagel (slang for a flat bagel) and an iced coffee. No breakfast food can compare to a Long Island bagel, and in fact, whenever my family or friends come to visit me at school, I always beg them to bring me as many as they can( By the way, if you think you’ve had a bagel, but it wasn’t from Long Island, then you probably were just eating bread).

Photo by Ann on Unsplash

If it were summertime, I would then drive out to the beach with my friends, preferably the Hamptons or nearby Fire Island, but Jones Beach or Oyster Bay are nice hangout spots too. While we may not have the same crystal clear blue water that you find in the Caribbean, to me spending the day at the beach has always been like a mini-vacation (although the seagulls can get pretty annoying).

After that, my friends and I would return home to get ready to go out for the night. One of the best parts about living in the shadow of Manhattan is that at any time you can hop on a train and spend the night in one of the greatest cities on earth. No matter how many times I step out of Penn Station on arrival in Manhattan, I am always in awe at the sights and sounds of the city.

Photo by Alex Simpson on Unsplash
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Discovering Our Resilience

By Alyssa Delarosa

Edited by Natalie Grace Sipula

[3.5 minute read]

What is it exactly that enables us to leave our beds every morning? What is it that motivates us to perform daily tasks such as school, homework, studying, work, chores, etc.? In the midst of a now year-long global pandemic, how are we still able to function? In each of us, there exists a trait called resilience that is the driving force behind our decisions to perform our daily tasks even while the world outside is undergoing a chaotic time. Resilience means that while we may have a million things happening either directly to us or around us, we are able to still carry on with our responsibilities. We do this by prioritizing certain tasks as essential duties meaning that we are so bound and determined to follow through on our decision(s), we will ignore all other things attempting to distract us from our priorities. So why is this important?

Photo by Holly Mandarich on Unsplash

The reason why I chose to write this article on resilience is because I strongly feel that we have an issue with recognizing and acknowledging our own resilience, and therefore we do not give ourselves the credit and acknowledgment we deserve. Prioritizing certain tasks and events over others, even while the world may be falling apart around us, is no small feat. I firmly believe that we owe it to ourselves to recognize our resilience in the daily, seemingly insignificant decisions that we make. By choosing to recognize our resilience and give ourselves credit, we are making the decision to show ourselves self-care. We are also feeding our confidence and self-esteem in a healthy way.

How can we recognize and acknowledge our resilience? Personally, I try to be mindful of the fact that every decision I make is important and give myself credit for prioritizing things even if they are small such as getting out of bed, attending class, and opening up my textbook to study for my exam. I recommend that you do the same: Give credit to yourself for every decision you make even if it seems small, getting out of bed when the world is falling to pieces and showing up to your Zoom lecture to take notes and listen are no easy tasks.

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash
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The Mom Figure(s) in my life

By Leah King

[3 minute read]

The first time I went to Taiwan was during the summer of 2017. My mother is originally from Taiwan and is quite an interesting character. She is selfless and loyal, but growing up she would work late hours, go on work trips, or go back home to take care of her mom. Because of this, I didn’t really see her that much when I was younger. In Asian culture, supporting family comes first even if that means not seeing them for a while. My dad and my aunt became the “mom” figures in my life. They would always take me to school, take care of me, and play with me. I was never mad that she wasn’t there, but I was often sad and a little confused when she would leave. She would miss every holiday and family trip. I remember one time my mom left for a modeling trip in Asia (she was a successful Asian model back then). The night before she was supposed to leave I asked her to stay, but she couldn’t and she also had to make money to support us. And in the morning when I woke she had left. She would always call and cry saying that she missed me.

Photo by Jude Beck on Unsplash
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