I’m thankful for antique stores and vintage shops, for the freedom to run my fingers over textured fabrics, read a page or two from an unknown author’s first edition, and test the weight of tarnished jewelry dripping with amber, amethyst, and aquamarine. I think, what made the throat of the now-deceased woman giggle as this amber necklace pressed heavy againsts her chest, what tidbit of gossip made her ears itch while wearing these amethyst earrings, and what did she conceal

If you need motivation in your life, just go watch the finish line of a marathon. People of all shapes and sizes, from different backgrounds, all hoping to do the same thing: cross the finish line. It's a symbol of triumph over resilience, and it shows the determination of runners who overcame the physical and mental challenges in order to reach it. Running is objectively an uncomfortable activity, and the farther you run, the more you can find out about yourself. It's easily

I wake up in the morning just like any normal person does. My alarm blares at 6 am, and I hit snooze, naturally, cause girl, let’s be so real right now. There is absolutely nothing I need to be doing at six in the morning. Eventually I drag my fat ass out of bed, walk to the bathroom before I have even brushed my teeth. Fifteen minutes have passed. Just me, standing in front of a mirror. Now, you might think I'm admiring myse

College is a new experience. A new community that includes diversity in people, interests, and hobbies. A community that goes beyond our reach in understanding. A place where so many stick figures walk back and forth to different doors, going to different classes, working different jobs, and living completely different lives, where no one understands how many steps it took the other person to get to that class. We see people walking through the hallways, sitting in classrooms

This past summer, I took an introductory certification course focused on freediving in Monterey, California. Freediving is the act of diving underneath the surface and only returning once you run out of breath. It's like scuba diving without all the clunky gear, on only a single breath. Your success in this sport is heavily dependent on your ability to calm down and clear your mind, since your heart rate needs to be as low as possible in order to conserve oxygen. This is thec

I never thought this academic year would be full of so many beginnings and simultaneous endings. We are all here at community college for one reason or another, so learning new things is expected, but nevertheless, the type of learning I experienced and the sheer amount of it weren’t. I lost friendships, reconnected and strengthened old ones, put some elements of the past in the past that were long overdue for retirement, had the privilege and honor of shaping a year of stude

Reedley College’s Reading and Writing Center (RWC) is relatively young (22 years of service), but many of its tutors left lasting legacies. One such tutor is Stephanie Duarte. Duarte teaches English C1000 here on Reedley College’s campus and shares some wisdom for current and aspiring tutors of all subjects. Reflecting on that time, she recalls some struggles. Some students would book her for “a couple of hours,” which felt draining some days. Not because she didn’t lov

This year, we are celebrating a special event at our tutor expo: the 10th anniversary. Therefore, it is a good time to look back on our Reading/Writing Center’s history to find 10 Years of Legacy, Learning, and Success. This research has not only shown the passage of time but, more importantly, highlighted the lessons that, as a tutoring center, we have learned along the way. This research examined how being a tutor can equip you with the tools to follow your path and succeed

Drawing is one of my favorite hobbies. It’s an activity I used to indulge in often, when my creative spark was alive and burning. I remember how free and excited I would feel to be able to color a drawing that I sketched the day before, using the new Copic markers my dad bought for me. There is so much freedom in the realm of art, which is one of the things I like so much about drawing. In elementary school, I was inspired to create books with my own characters and little gra

As Springtime arrives, the ground grows weak and can no longer hold back the creatures that flail their many arms or gyrate their limbless bodies to break through the surface to greet the Worm Moon. Consequently, in this sixth issue of Delectable Discourse, where I ask college students a scrumptious new question each month, I asked the following question: In light of the upcoming Worm Moon, which is the full moon in March, when was the last time you picked up a worm or other

Stories are invaluable resources to humans as a species. Stories are power, identity, and most importantly, memory. After reading They Call You Back by Tim Z. Hernandez, I began to analyze the bloodied and bruised history of my family, the pain and perseverance I inherited. Everything that has ever happened to my parents and grandparents has made its way to me. By learning the stories of my parents' childhoods and experiences, I see how my father became the man who taught me