Contextualizing What Happened on January 4, 1989 By Navin As the People’s Republic of China entered the modern age, it was still operating by Mao Zedong’s Communist principles, on which it was founded. However, there was a nationwide shift in Chinese sentiment going into the 1970s and 1980s. The Chinese people felt that they were…

By Jaanu The people you surround yourself with shape you a great deal. They might inspire you, give you new ideas, or mentor you. Whether you realize it or not, associations play an enormous role in what ideas you develop and even what topics are on your mind. One vivid example of this phenomenon could…

TBIs are a Global Epidemic Jaanu Ramesh Each time I visit my uncle in the Indian megacity of Chennai, which is situated on the southeastern shore of the subcontinent, I come home with a completely muddled sense of traffic rules. Chennai is a densely populated metropolis – a major “driver of economic growth” in the…

In William Shakespeare’s Henry V, King Henry V of England begins a gruesome campaign to claim the French crown; before setting off for war, Henry consults the Bishop of Canterbury regarding the righteousness of his crusade. Canterbury responds: “there is no bar to make against [his] claim to France” (Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 39-40).…

Having grown up skiing on the east, I was completely unprepared for my first experience hitting the slopes in Colorado. Spring break is a universal call to disappear somewhere warm. Popular destinations include Miami, FL – San Juan, Puerto Rico – the warm beaches of the Dominican Republic. For my very first spring break, my…

Alternatively Titled: My Experience as a Senior Staff Writer for The Brown Daily Herald  My expectation for the school newspaper, before I started college, was that the Daily News was handled by a bunch of hipsters who probably drank black coffee and listened to R&B as they churned out breaking news, postulated strong opinions about…

Shoes come and go in popularity. Last year’s ubiquitous Nike Air Force 1, while always an excellent shoe, has been shown up by the unexpectedly popular Adidas Sambas. However, having an uncommon sneaker is almost a good thing. Since trends turn so fast, settling on a good, long-lasting shoe is the solution to finding an…

Herbert Hoover Did Good Things Too: Bread and Medicine When most people hear the word “Hoover,” they think of one of two things: (1) the vacuum cleaner, another word for which is “Hoover,” and (2) President Herbert Hoover’s disastrous tenure, during which the stock market crashed and the nation sank into economic depression. People were…

A Day In The Life Of A Heart Surgeon Jaanu’s Reactions I recently watched a video of a Day in the Life of Dr. Paul Massimiano, a cardiac surgeon based in Maryland. It’s a YouTube clip, less than 5 minutes long, which distills an average day in the life of an experienced attending physician. Already,…

A personal essay by Jaanu I am incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by reading material. Even before I was fully sentient, my mom was reading to me and telling me stories. There are many photos of me reading as a small child. These begin with pictures of an infant me holding those building-block books upside…

A personal anecdote by Jaanu It occurred to me first when my friend sneezed loudly. “God bless you,” I said absently, rummaging in my bag for something. “Thanks,” said he, straightening up and wiping his nose. “Haven’t heard that in a while. People normally just say, ‘bless you.’ Political!” “What?” I asked, disinterested. “You said…

It’s as American as baseball, and as perfect for winter as hot chocolate and snowball fights. It’s hard to resist a warm, perfectly crunchy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside, freshly-baked, chocolate chip cookie. And, like many amazing things, the chocolate chip cookie was born in Massachusetts. (Spirit was born in Massachusetts, as was I, Jaanu… come to that, Navin…