Like many of my peers, I was forced to change my plans for the summer as the world shifted online due to COVID-19. While my sophomore summer didn’t turn out exactly how I expected, I feel fortunate to have had a variety of fulfilling and enriching experiences, all from my childhood bedroom in Maryland.

Originally, I was supposed to intern in Congress through the American Association of People with Disabilities Internship Program. I had really been looking forward to living in Washington, D.C. and working on Capitol Hill. The in-person component of my internship was postponed until next year. However, the program still offered all interns a certificate in disability advocacy through American University online. I learned about the impact of important public policy issues like education, employment and healthcare on people with disabilities. I got to meet an amazing group of young adults who share my passion in disability advocacy, and hopefully we’ll all be together in D.C. next summer.

At first, I didn’t think I would find a formal internship, as I expected most to already be filled. I spent a lot of time searching for internship listings related to my interest in women’s rights and social justice. Luckily, my search was successful. After an application and interview process, I received a fantastic internship offer to work virtually as a Communications and Engagement Intern for Global Fund for Women, an international gender justice organization. In this position, I managed a virtual film screening tour, compiled relevant news articles, conducted media outreach, and much more. I gained valuable communications skills and learned what it’s like to work for a nonprofit organization. I look forward to expanding my knowledge about gender justice by taking classes in the Program in Gender and Sexuality Studies.

I also worked as a research assistant for a professor in the School of Public and International Affairs. I helped gather information for her research project about mayoral elections. I enjoyed this first foray into political research, and it was good preparation for my upcoming independent work.

As if I wasn’t already busy enough, my final summer commitment was continuing to edit articles for The Daily Princetonian in my position as Associate News Editor. We don’t usually publish much over the summer, but there was so much important news for us to cover. I am glad we continued our mission of keeping the campus connected and informed.

This summer ended up being quite busy, but I enjoyed every commitment I had and I gained many valuable skills and knowledge that will help me in the future. I did somehow manage to find some free time to catch up on my long reading list, binge watch shows on Netflix and talk to my awesome friends. I am grateful I was able to do so much even during a pandemic summer.

No matter your political leanings, there is a place at Princeton for you. Princeton’s long list of student organizations includes many groups that focus on political engagement. We have the Princeton University College Republicans, and the Princeton College Democrats. The Princeton Progressive is a journal dedicated to progressive political thought, while The Princeton Tory is the corresponding journal of conservative thought. These groups foster a community of students with like-minded views and allow these students to explore their political interests.

While it is important to have groups based on political identity, there are also groups at Princeton that are non-partisan and try to unite students who have all sorts of different political opinions. One such example is Whig-Clio, the country’s oldest collegiate political, literary and debate society. Whig-Clio organizes events such as presidential debate and election watch parties, study breaks with friends and food, and guest speakers. Whig-Clio also has several subsidiary organizations, including the Princeton Debate Panel, Princeton International Relations Council, Princeton Mock Trial and Princeton Model Congress. Being a part of Whig-Clio is a great way to meet students passionate about politics and policy. My favorite debate they host has nothing to do with politics at all- it’s the annual Latke vs. Hamentaschen Debate to crown the best Jewish food! I have so many good memories with Whig-Clio, from waiting anxiously for election results to commenting on a presidential candidate's debate performance while chatting with my friends and eating delicious food.

Another non-partisan organization is Vote100, a group dedicated to increasing Princeton students’ voter registration and turnout rates. Historically, Princeton voter turnout has remained fairly low, and Vote100 seeks to change that. In the past, Vote100 hosted voter registration drives, gave out cool gear with a message, and ran days of action where students can contact their legislators. Vote100 recently started a new campaign through TurboVote that makes registering to vote or requesting an absentee ballot as easy as clicking a button (if you’re not a Princeton student, go to www.whenweallvote.org). I’m proud to be part of this organization as we get closer to the 2020 election. 

I think it is important for Princeton students to be politically engaged because young people like us are the future of the country. Luckily, groups like the ones I described here make it easy to become or remain politically active while at Princeton. 

When I first arrived on campus, I hadn’t ridden a bike in over two years. They say you never forget how, but I was still nervous when I first got on one again. It was my friend’s bike, and one day after class we were walking back to Forbes College, when I asked to give it a spin. And that’s when my love affair with biking on campus began. 

Princeton is both a dream and a nightmare for bikes. Forbes is “down-campus,” and the way to class is often uphill. In the mornings when I rush to class, I never bike from my room to McCosh on an empty stomach. But the burn is worth it, because the downhill route back is always a blast. I love biking through Prospect Garden and picking up speed down the main road past Whitman College. In the afternoons, the wind is a joy on your face, and at night the pathways are illuminated by golden lamps. Either way, it’s peaceful and cathartic. I found myself purposefully taking longer routes with the bike while exploring all the gentle slopes around campus. I would even bike for study breaks. After class, I would bike extra routes around campus before getting to my next destination.

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But biking isn’t without its hazards. As much as I extol the pleasures of biking across campus, one must also be careful. My aforementioned friend ran into a pole and flipped right over the front of his bike, his hands glued to the handles the whole time - like a minute hand being wound on a clock. Fortunately, he was only dazed, so we all laughed about it.

After that, he let me have the bike. 

It’s a wonderful bike, with a big cushiony seat. And if you’re safe, riding it is one of the underappreciated joys of campus. With the wind in my face, gliding gently across Princeton, I’m always so keenly aware of where I am, and I smile.

We’re a few weeks away from the start of the new year, and it certainly seems like this year will look nothing like it ever has before. For first-year students, the start of their Princeton experience may look different than they imagined, and for upperclass students they will face some pretty big changes in the way they know and love campus life.

I know that, as is the case for many things in our current situation, Princeton will not look how we envisioned. It’s tempting to look at the challenges and inconveniences that lie ahead with pessimism. But as I look to the year ahead, I hope that together as a community we can grow and emerge stronger than before. 

I will be a residential college adviser (RCA) in Forbes this fall, mentoring and providing support for a zee (advisee) group of first-years. (If you're in Forbes, check out our welcome video!) This is a role that I’ve looked forward to having since literally before I came to Princeton and although my experience will look different from the way I imagined it, I am trying to find the bright side every day. For example, although I may not be able to host large study breaks, I’m looking forward to getting to know my zees one-on-one. I had a lot of positive experiences with my own RCA, and I hope to be there for my first-years in the way she was for me.   

As I anticipate starting the school year in August, I know that this will be an unprecedented year. Hopefully, things will soon return to normal - but I’m confident that before they do, we will find ways to make this year unique in good ways too. This really will be a college experience like no other. Let’s make it a happy (and healthy) one.

I did not know I was a dancer or how much I loved to dance until I joined DoroBucci African Dance Company, Princeton’s premier African dance group. I first saw DoroBucci perform at Princeton Preview and instantly fell in love with the energy of their moves and the way that they looked like a huge family on stage just having fun. Joining DoroBucci turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made at Princeton and I cannot imagine my first years here without the family I’ve cultivated through DoroBucci. 

DoroBucci is an audition-based group that encourages any and all interested applicants to audition regardless of dance experience. During auditions, the current members of the group taught us two dances, one high energy and another more swaggy and chill. After that, there's a freestyle portion where everyone dances together and just hangs out. Being that I knew nothing about African dance styles and music, I was so nervous. The dancers and leaders of the group really encouraged me to try even if I did not know what I was doing and were able to walk me through moves each step of the way. DoroBucci changed the way I thought about working in a group and helped me see that family and community are as important as getting moves right and performing. I have formed lifelong friendships, found people who will stand by me during my lowest and best moments, been encouraged by my mentors and supporters and made valuable life lessons.

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DoroBucci is a family to me. Oftentimes in high school, we focus on activities and opportunities that we think colleges would like. Well, I’m here to encourage you to try something outside of your comfort zone or your plan. Joining clubs and dance groups on campus have been so important towards my personal and professional development. I’ve learned about team building, leadership, communication, lobbying, advertising and so much more. I’ve learned so much about myself in DoroBucci. The skills we desire and the skills we have can be cultivated and improved in ways that we’ve never imagined on campus. So, allow yourself to learn and grow in whatever you choose to join in college! And if you don't like it, that’s totally okay, but there’s absolutely no harm in trying. 

This past semester, I participated in my second Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF) through the Center for Jewish Life (CJL). The fellowship was called Let Our People Go: Mass Incarceration, Liberation, and the Passover Story, and it was taught by Rabbi Julie Roth of the CJL and Professor Udi Ofer of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

Professor Ofer is the Deputy National Political Director and Director of the Justice Division at the ACLU, and he has spent his career advocating for criminal justice reform. It was amazing to get to learn about the inequities built into the American mass incarceration system from such an experienced leader in this important area of public policy.

During the fellowship, we discussed the purpose of the criminal justice system, the history of mass incarceration, the role of race, alternatives to mass incarceration, and much more. I hadn’t learned much about criminal justice beforehand, so the fellowship was a real wake-up call to the enormous scale and rampant racism of modern mass incarceration. We then juxtaposed these topics with the Passover story’s themes of suffering and freedom. Rabbi Julie led us in guided readings of the Passover story that made us think about slavery and incarceration in a whole new light. 

Originally, we were supposed to plan and lead a Passover seder based on what we learned during the fellowship. Because of the pandemic, our plans shifted, but we were still able to complete a meaningful final project. We worked in small groups to create a supplement to the Haggadah, the story read at the seder, with text from the Passover story alongside discussion question that related to mass incarceration and criminal justice.

My knowledge about both mass incarceration and Passover grew as a result of this fellowship. The intersection of the two themes was an important reminder of the commitment to social justice ingrained into the Jewish faith. As the problems within the criminal justice system have exploded into the spotlight lately as the result of the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and other Black Americans, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to discuss these topics with passionate students and dedicated experts during the fellowship. 

I am also proud to see the CJL stepping up in this moment to further demonstrate their belief in social justice. Koach, the group of Jewish students in the conservative denomination, ran a successful fundraiser for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. The CJL began a reading group dedicated to books about racism. My favorite Jewish principle is tikkun olam, which means to repair the world. Recent CJL activities, including my JLF program, demonstrate that principle by showing students the importance of dedicating oneself to learning about the problems in society and advocating for equality and change.

Around this time last year, I was on the verge of beginning my first internship in Boston. I was excited, but I was also trepidatious. I wouldn’t know anyone in Boston. I’d never been to the city, and I’d also never lived on my own for such a long time. I figured that after work, I’d spend most of my time exploring the city on my own, catching up on TV shows, and missing my friends.

Princeton had other ideas in store for me. I wasn’t the only one interning in Boston that summer. Almost immediately, I was being added to group chats and invited to meetups. I met almost every Princetonian interning in Boston that summer, and formed some long-lasting bonds.

I played softball with alums in the Ivy League summer tournament – I can’t remember if we beat Harvard, but let’s just say yes. I went to a hole-in-wall ramen place in Cambridge where the servings are deceptively massive and anyone who finishes their bowl gets a round of applause from the entire restaurant. I went to a Dick’s Last Resort, a restaurant chain where the waiters are purposefully rude to you for comedic purposes, for the first time with a group of new friends and we laughed at the insults the staff scribbled on our hats. We rented bikes along the Charles River on sunny afternoons and spent evenings watching movies at the downtown AMC.

I expected the summer to be mostly just me, but it turned out to be so much more. From the school years to the summers, it’s so wonderfully easy to not only meet new people but keep in touch with them too. Coming up on one year since I first flew into Boston, the memories I made last summer are still fresh in my mind, and as special as all the rest.

When I first came to campus, I didn’t know that much about the town Princeton University was located in. As I started to venture out the FitzRandolph Gates, I got to interact with the local community and beautiful landscape. From the lively atmosphere on Nassau Street to apple-picking at Terhune Orchards, the idyllic town of Princeton is a boon often overlooked.

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Coming from Tegucigalpa, the buzzing capital of Honduras, to the town of Princeton was definitely a transition. While in Tegucigalpa I would get by with a car, in Princeton I can walk or bike to most places, or simply hop on one of the Tiger Transit buses. The University provides transportation through Tiger Transit for students to explore the town. There are many types of activities that students can partake in. Personally, I enjoy going grocery shopping at the Princeton Shopping Center, walking to Nomad Pizza (the best pizza in town!) and going to watch a movie at the Garden Theater. In terms of connecting with nature, Lake Carnegie is on the south end of campus and is extremely beautiful! I often go on runs to the lake and have rented a kayak for a day.  

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I would categorize Princeton as a college town, given how thoroughly students are incorporated into the local community. There is an annual event, Communiversity, in which local artists, merchants and nonprofits convene with student clubs, right in front of the University. My friends and I always look forward to this day because we enjoy eating from food trucks and watching live entertainment. I know that once I graduate, I will not only miss campus but also the town, which is why I have made the effort to take advantage of every opportunity I have to explore the surrounding areas. I must admit that when I was applying to Princeton I thought of its location as mundane and unexciting, but my experience here has disproved my initial assumptions.

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This town is filled with surprises and beautiful scenery that you won’t want to miss out on as a Princeton student.

There are four places where you can consistently find me studying when we’re on campus. While it’s hard to do these amazing study spots justice, I’ll try my best!

#4: Café Night in Wucox

Wucox is the abbreviated name for Wu and Wilcox, the Butler and First dining halls. Every night, Wucox is open for studying and chatting with friends beginning at 9 p.m.. I think other dining halls do this as well, but Wucox has something special on Wednesday night: Café Night. In addition to the usual cereal, bread and fruit available during study hours, the dining hall also features coffee and pastries from Small World Coffee on Café Night. It’s a nice way to fuel up with yummy treats before finishing my assignments for the night.

#3: Murray-Dodge Cafe

Murray-Dodge Hall houses the Office of Religious Life, but hidden in the basement is another of my favorite study spots, the café. Murray-Dodge Café is a great place to study because you can get cookies for free! Students get paid to bake cookies — it’s one of the most highly coveted jobs on campus. One of my friends works there, so she tells me what cookies she’s making and I come when my favorites are served. You can also get milk or tea to accompany the cookies. The café has several tables where I often set up my laptop or notebooks to work while I eat. Sometimes, there are poetry readings or musical performances in the café as well.

#2: Firestone Library

While I love the previous two locations, sometimes I need some place quieter in order to really focus. Firestone Library is the main library on campus and definitely one of Princeton’s most beautiful buildings. The library has such a variety of study environments that everyone can find the right place for them. I often go to my favorite wooden carrel on the second floor because it’s secluded enough to remove distractions, but also has enough natural light and an outlet for when my laptop inevitably runs out of battery. Another great spot is the newly renovated Trustee Room, which you encounter right when you enter the building.

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#1: Chancellor Green Library

My absolute favorite place on campus is Chancellor Green Library, which is inside East Pyne Hall. This library isn’t a traditional library where you go to check books out; instead, it’s a beautiful, quiet study spot. The library has amazing leather chairs where you can often find me curled up with a book. The chairs are so comfortable that students often take naps in them! The library features stunning stained glass on the ceiling and windows. The upstairs portion has desks if you need more space.

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These are my recommendations of where to study, but over time, you'll figure out your own favorite study spots! There’s truly a place for everyone.

Lake Carnegie is located at the south end of campus and allows students to experience nature in a unique way. I remember when I first went to the lake during my first year, I was amazed at the picturesque scenery and the variety of activities in which one can partake such as rowing, fishing and running. The best part of the lake is that it is open to local community and the public, so if you ever happen to be on campus, this is a must-visit destination! 

In my free time, I enjoy running around campus, and my favorite trails are the ones next to the lake. Coming to the lake allows me to disconnect from the academic pressure of classes and nurture my relationship with the outdoors. If you are looking for a fun activity, you can rent a kayak with your friends or have a picnic! As someone who grew up in a city, I never had access to such an open space like Lake Carnegie, so I have been taking full advantage of the lake's proximity. 

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I enjoy taking 5-10 minute breaks during my runs to hear the sounds of nature and appreciate my surroundings. You would be surprised at the different number of bird chirps and animal noises! Coming to the lake has improved my mental health and serves as an escape to nature. Recently, I took “ENV327: Investigating an Ethos of Sustainability at Princeton” and learned about the notion of nature deficit disorder, which sustains that as humans spend more time indoors and are further disconnected from nature because of technology, we become more vulnerable to negative moods and reduced attention spans. In order to combat nature deficit disorder, we should take advantage of the outdoors, and Princeton is an ideal place for that! Beyond the lake, the campus is rife with green spaces, ginormous trees, and let's not forget the idyllic Prospect Garden. Whenever I feel stressed out about an exam, or struggle to balance my extracurricular activities, spending time in these green spaces, especially Lake Carnegie, has allowed me to maintain a sense of wellness. 

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I encourage prospective students to ponder on the relationship between campus and nature when researching colleges. When I committed to Princeton, I overlooked the campus location in terms of the outdoors, but the lake has become an integral component of my undergraduate experience.