From the Desk of the Council: Klaertje Hesselink

Hi all, my name is Klaertje Hesselink and I’m a first-year student studying chemical engineering. Since we’re entering the peak of fall, I thought I would write a piece about fall festivities in Japan. One of my favorite childhood memories of fall in Japan revolves around sitting on the porch with my great grandma. We

Can Watching Your Favorite T.V. Show Alleviate Stress?

Molly Kilker Honors students are known across the University of Iowa campus for their heavy course loads, being involved in numerous activities, and maintaining strong grades while still trying to balance the everyday responsibilities of being an independent adult. Unfortunately, the continual difficulty to say “no” to additional opportunities or even take a break also

A Mind Needs Books as a Sword Needs a Whetstone

Dalton Elwood “My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer and I have my mind…and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone if it is to keep its edge. That’s why I read so much Jon Snow.” This quote, spoken by Tyrion Lannister within George R.R. Martin’s brilliant, high-fantasy world

Reading a Roadmap to Resilience

Samm Harris On a chilly afternoon accompanied by caramel-filled coffee cups, my future roommate and I warmed to the idea of sharing book recommendations and a double room in Daum. As she recited titles, Cathy Park Hong’s 2020 autobiographical essay collection, Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning, sparked my interest. My fingers flew across my

The Words I’ll Carry

Maddy Padgett College is something I dreamed about for much of my life. It represented a freedom to be someone outside of my small Iowa town, an opportunity to study something that got me through the hard years of high school, and the chance to go outside of my comfort zone to meet people who

From the Desk of the Council: Sanya and Puja

Sanya Sami As a current senior, it’s been interesting to reflect on my past 7 semesters as a student at the University of Iowa. I started college during a year where everything was normal, but I also saw what college was like during the pandemic for three of those semesters. In addition to these unique

The Bones of Life

Jayli Carmichael Aging can be an extremely scary thing to think about. In fact, gerascophobia is the fear of growing older. However, it’s a process every living thing must conquer. There are those fantastic, divine, everyday memories that make life better. The ones where you just got out of school on a Friday afternoon, and

From the Desk of the Council: A Conversation with Dr. Schreier on Mental Health for High-achieving Students

Earlier this month, junior William Chinchankar had the unique opportunity to interview Dr. Barry Schreier, licensed psychologist and former head of the university counseling service, about topics related to mental health. In this excerpt of their conversation, the two talk about mental health in marginalized communities and high-achieving students. William: The purpose of this interview

Beauty, Emotion, Marvel, and Fraud: Adagio in G Minor Has It All

Katie Michalski Characterized by its neo-Baroque composition, heart-wrenching melody, and pleasant yet emotional undertones, a favorite classical piece of mine, Adagio in G Minor has seeped into my life in a variety of ways. My mother, a once internationally awarded and recognized pianist, and my grandmother, a professional violinist and former music professor, exposed me

Struggle as a Character-Builder ~ Dark Souls and Me

Seth Alan Foster Video games are a favorite pastime of mine. I’ve been playing them all my life, for better and for worse. However, I can definitively say that my experience with FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series has proven beneficial.  I first started playing these games during my senior year of high school back in 2017.