Congratulations on making it through another year!
As our final issue of the year, Reverb and Reform is meant to reflect the way creative expression, ideas, and cultural moments continue to echo beyond their original time and space shaping new conversations and inspiring change. From retro tech to nostalgic movies and music, the pieces in this issue explore how the past and present ripple outward, influencing the future in unexpected ways.
Whether you're graduating from Western or returning next year, I want to share that working on this zine has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my university experience. This issue, as well as Openwide, is a space where ideas, creativity, and teamwork thrive. Massive thank you to all the members who poured so much hard work into this publication; it's all your ideas, creativity, and energy that make this publication stand out.
To our readers: We hope this issue reminds you that ideas, art, and culture never truly stay in one place. May these pages spark your own reflections, ignite your creativity, and show you how the past and present collide to shape the future one ripple at a time.
- Ellie Misener, Editor-in-Chief
Editorial Team
Editor-in-Chief: Ellie Misener
Assistant Editor-In-Chief: Emma Walker
Writing Lead: Katie Allan
Resident Writers:
Eryn Kertzman
Samantha Edmunds
Noa Suroghon
Eva Laforteza-Recto
Sameer Hafeez
Olivia Stone
Editors:
Jess Ernst
Eryn Kertzman
Emma Walker
Jordan Scarlett
Creative Team
Graphic Designers:
Shelly Ramos
Jackie Tseng
Shyantae Henry
Cameron Buyze
Hunter Thompson
Georgia Harris
Social Media Lead:
Jess Ernst
Social Media Team:
Jacklyn Friedman-Marcus
Ariana Barandearan
Jordan Scarlett
Olivia Stone
Khayati Gupta
Contents
Reverb and Reform Watch
List By Eryn Kertzman
Suroghon 4 6 8 10 12 1 4 16 18 20
What Exchange Taught
Me That FIMS Didn’t By
Eryn Kertzman
The Reverberations of
Hustle Culture By Olivia
Stone
Why We Keep Rewatching
the Same Movies By
Samantha Edmunds
TikTok's Music Revival By
Noa Suroghon
Retro Tech Renaissance By
Sameer Hafeez
The Love Story Look By
Samantha Edmunds
Spring Cleaning: Your
Guide to a Fresh Start
This Season By Katie
Allan
Senior Nostalgia: The Awareness of Moments
Before They Become
Memories By Noa
BA REVERB & REFORM
If you’re in the mood for a feel-good movie, Mamma Mia! is the perfect choice Set on a sunny Greek island, it’s full of friendship, a little chaos, and ABBA songs you probably already know by heart. Fair warning: you’ll likely be humming the soundtrack long after the movie ends
Written
By:
Eryn Kertzman
Written By: Eryn Kertzman
Graphics By: Shyantae Henry Graphics By: Shyantae Henry
Mamma Mia Mamma Mia
La La Land is one of those movies that just sticks with you. With dreamy music, bright colours, and a story about chasing big goals, it reminds you that creativity and passion can shape where life takes you If you’re in the mood for something inspiring (and a little emotional), this one definitely lingers after the final song.
La La Land La La Land
Love, Simon is one of those feel-good movies that’s easy to fall into It follows Simon as he navigates friendships, high school drama, and finding the courage to be honest about who he is. The story resonated with so many people and helped open the door for more LGBTQ+ stories in mainstream teen movies
etween assignments, exams, and everything else life throws in our direction, sometimes the best reset is to just sit down and watch a really good movie. This Reverb & Reform Watchlist brings together films that have stuck with audiences well after their release - whether through memorable characters, iconic moments, or stories that make viewers see things a little differently. From coming-of-age classics to modern favourites, these movies show how storytelling continues to shape conversations and perspectives over time. So take a break from the stress of this semester, put something on from our watchlist, and enjoy a movie that’s memorable long after the credits roll.
Happy watching!
Mean Girls is basically the high school movie everyone quotes without even realizing it It’s hilarious, a little chaotic, and perfectly captures the drama of teenage friendships and popularity Years later, its influence still echoes in pop culture, and honestly, it never gets old
Love, Simon Love, Simon
Mean Girls Mean Girls
If you’ve ever counted down the days until you could leave your hometown, Lady Bird will probably hit close to home It’s funny, honest, and perfectly captures that weird mix of excitement and uncertainty right before college Watching it almost feels like revisiting that in-between moment of growing up A true coming-of-age story that everyone needs in their lives, especially in moments of change and reformation.
Lady Bird Lady Bird
Little Women feels like sitting down with a story that has inspired people for generations It follows four sisters figuring out who they want to be and supporting each other along the way More than 150 years after the book’s release, its themes of independence and identity still resonate
Little Women Little Women
Inside Out somehow makes emotions feel like characters you know personally It’s funny, colourful, and surprisingly deep, showing how even the feelings we don’t love - like sadness, fear, and anger - play a role in who we become It’s the kind of movie that changes how you think about your emotions and sticks with viewers long after watching
Inside Out Inside Out
The Perks of Being a The Perks of Being a Wallflower Wallflower
13 Going on 30 is such a fun, nostalgic watch What starts as a silly “wake up in your future life” story quickly turns into a reminder that the choices you make when you’re young can shape everything later on It’s light, sweet, and surprisingly meaningful
13 Going on 30 13 Going on 30
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
If you’ve ever counted down the days until you could leave your hometown, Lady Bird will probablyhit close to home. It’s funny, honest, and perfectly captures thatweird mix of excitement and uncertainty right before college Watching it almost feels like revisiting that in-between moment of growing up A true coming-of-age story that everyone needs in theirlives, especially in moments of change and reformation.
Written by Olivia Stone and Designed by Jackie Tseng
Students constantly feel pressured to do everything at once. We are juggling more than ever: assignments, tests, clubs, part-time jobs, study groups, gym routines, meal prepping, internships, social plans, the constant pressure to stay ahead, and so much more. It’s a productive lifestyle, but it also raises the question: Is hustle culture helping us succeed, or is it slowly wearing us down? Is hustle culture really just the toxic belief that if we work as long and as hard as possible, that this is what defines our success?
However, this culture is not new, especially on a university campus. It's the product of a generation raised on social media feeds that glorify constant productivity and competitive academic environments. The message is: if you’re not doing everything, you’re not doing enough. As students, we internalize this: we want to be the best. After all, that’s why we are here. We pack our schedules, put off self-care, and treat rest as a reward rather than an essential.
But the truth is, this isn't helping us nearly as much as it is harming us.
Listed below are the potential harms of hustle culture that I’m sure far too many of us can relate to. These are important to keep in mind as you make your way through school.
THE REVERBERATIONS OF HUSTLE CULTURE
Lack of sleep:
Sleep is often the first thing sacrificed to be “productive”. We stay up late and then wake up early, leaving us with little time to rest. This sleep loss doesn't make you more dedicated; instead, it can leave you feeling foggy and less capable of completing your work to the best of your ability.
Social burnout:
Sometimes, even socializing can feel like another thing on a to-do list or schedule. When you constantly feel like you need to be doing something and are always around others, you can lose the ability to actually enjoy the present moment with whoever you are with. It can make you feel isolated even when you are with other people.
Loss of identity:
The confusion between WHO you ARE and WHAT you DO! We define ourselves by our achievements and productivity, and can lose sight of what we actually enjoy and value.
Lack of self-care:
Self-care is often framed as indulgent or extravagant, but really, it's essential. With a constantly packed schedule, this can often get overlooked, but something as simple as a selfcare routine or reading a book before bed can keep you grounded and improve your wellbeing.
Academic burnout:
When you feel overwhelmed by the constant tasks and assignments, motivation drops, you get tired and even schoolwork, the very thing we are here to do, feels impossible. The pressure we feel to constantly succeed academically can be the very thing that harms us more than helps us.
Mental and physical exhaustion:
It’s simple, YOU ARE TIRED! The constant need to be productive wears us out, leading to both the body and mind being tired.
So, with all this in mind, what can we do to slow down and help fix this?
Prioritize sleep:
Sleeping does not make you lazy or unproductive. It means you are taking care of yourself so you can be your best. Remember, your body needs to rest and rejuvenate.
Remember that it’s okay to say no:
You don’t have to say yes to every social plan or study group. If you need a break, TAKE IT! Being around friends shouldn't feel like work; it should be enjoyable. It's not selfish to say no.
Remember that what you do does not define you:
A grade does not define whether you are a good person or not. How productive you are in a day does not define who you are. We confuse this far too often. We relate our self-worth to productivity, and this harms us more than helps us.
Schedule in self-care:
Self-care is not a reward; it is something we all need to do to stay grounded.
You do not have to do schoolwork every single day:
It’s healthy and normal to have a day off. You do not have to be working constantly. Sometimes you need a break, and it is more than okay to take it.
Slowing down is not a weakness or a setback, but sometimes what we need to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.
TikTok’s MusicRevival
Writtenby:NoahSuroghon
he first time you hear the song, you barely notice it
It plays behind a TikTok that you scroll past in seconds, easy to ignore, and just as easy to forget But then the sound appears again: a catchy chorus clipped to fifteen seconds, attached to a video of a dance, a new restaurant, or a vacation.
You hear it again and again, until the same few lyrics begin to linger.
Soon, you catch yourself humming it without realizing, repeating the few words you know as you walk to class or make dinner. Eventually, you give in and search for the full song, expecting something new, only to find it was released decades ago.
What begins as a passing sound becomes one of your most-played songs; a rediscovery that feels personal, even though it belongs to a completely different generation
Without many of us even realizing it TikTok has quietly become one of the most powerful forces behind the revival of music, resurfacing decades-old songs and reintroducing them to new audiences as trending sounds.
In the process, this music isn’t just rediscovered, it is redefined and absorbed into a new generation’s cultural memory
Unlike traditional music discovery, which relies on radio or the promotions of new releases, TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes repetition and engagement. If a dance or photo trend gains traction and is tied to a specific sound, that same song clip is pushed across countless videos, making it feel familiar long before users actively seek it out. As a result, songs that once belonged to a specific moment in time are pulled out of their original context and reintroduced as something entirely new, their meanings shaped less by the artist’s intent and more by how the sound is used within trends.
This pattern has played out repeatedly in recent years Songs like Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill, originally released in 1985, returned to the global charts after gaining traction on TikTok, where its emotional chorus was widely used in Stranger Things fan edits and commentary content.
Similarly, Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams found a new audience on TikTok long after its 1977 release, driven by viral aesthetic videos of sunsets, drives, and travel destinations.
More recently, Lenny Kravitz’s It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over has received new attention on TikTok, tied to a growing fascination with Carolyn Bessette and John F. Kennedy Jr.’s relationship, where the song is often used in nostalgic edits and romanticized Love Story content
In each case, TikTok doesn’t just revive the music, it reshapes how it is experienced, allowing new audiences to attach its meanings to shows, fashion, food, and cultural conversations that didn’t exist at the time of its original release
At the same time, as older songs re-enter mainstream listening through TikTok, they create unexpected connections between younger listeners and those who experienced them when they were first released.
While each generation may attach different meanings to the same songs, the overlap creates a space for conversation about where someone first heard it, what it originally meant to them, and how it feels now.
In this way, a song that might have felt outdated becomes something two people can appreciate at the same time, one hearing it through nostalgia, the other through a new lens.
Two weeks later, and the song is still in your rotation, playing through your AirPods as you walk across campus or through the car speakers on a family drive, familiar now in a way it wasn’t before
But somewhere between listens and nightly scrolls on TikTok, another sound starts to catch your attention, playing behind a video you don’t think much of at first.
You hear it again, and then again, the same few lyrics beginning to linger This time, it’s a different song, but the process feels the same.
RENAISSANCE RetroTech
WrittenBy:SameerHafeez
GraphicsBy:ShyantaeHenry
Asweapproachflawless,cutting-edgetechnologythatworksonourtimeand is,optimizedforourconvenience,ourmindsgrowclosertoadoptingolder technology.Thinkaboutit.Theaveragephonecameracompeteswith professionalcameras,budgetgaminglaptopsoutperformcurrent-generation consoles,and4KTVsareeasiertofindthano i f i Wi h h i f generativeAI,thisentirepiecemightaswellb prompt(it'snot,Ipromise).
I love studying film and filmmaking te ago, everyone working on a film was sp were specific people for operating , g , ensuring the proper removal and processing of the film. They were needed because filmmaking was an extensive, precision-intensive process. Only a select few could handle the tasks. But now that this process has been democratized, anyone can do it, removing its specialty aspect .
I find the camera's mechanical wonder a prelude to the magic of cinema. As I have had a sudden fascination with film came month, a technology that was buried under the digitalization the past two decades. Many people now use disposable fi to avoid digital photography and be more present in the mo quite an interesting cycle; as new technology emerges, peo its older counterparts to regain that sense of connection. It i fascinating, how the early stages of film were, both in the ac technology and in the broader cultural impact—using. A ha mechanism to move light-sensitive celluloid film past a lens, 8 frames per second, which was then processed manually labour-intensive process involving special chemicals before drum and projected with a ligh
Although primitive, a new ind niche nor endemic. No watched, examined, and even studied. These structural benefits of e camera unlocked an art form that progressed faster than light. Film went from the Roundhay Garden Scene to Charlie Chaplin prancing ound in his films, causing roaring laughter and thunderous applause —all in under one generation. I wholeheartedly believe the magic of Hollywood is rooted in the fascination with the camera itself.
by AI; now, anyone without basic skills roduce content. Amidst all of this, it is consume the content we do, what shapes our culture, and what becomes significant vs. what gets sidelined. It is a transition period, one that is highly unpredictable yet will shape the content industry for decades.
THE LOVE STORY LOOK
WRITTEN
BY
SAMANTHA EDMUNDS
GRAPHICS BY
GEORGIA HARRIS
FASHION IS A UNIQUE WAY WE EXPRESS OURSELVES. THROUGH CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES, WE COMMUNICATE IDENTITY AND PERSONALITY BUT FASHION IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT WHAT IS NEW OFTEN, THE STYLES THAT RESONATE MOST ARE THOSE THAT CARRY ECHOES OF THE PAST, LIKE THE RETURN OF LOW-RISE JEANS OR ADIDAS SAMBAS AS VINTAGE FASHION BECOMES INCREASINGLY POPULAR AMONG YOUNGER GENERATIONS, CLOTHING IS PROVING TO BE MORE THAN JUST A TREND
IT BECOMES A FORM OF SHARED IDENTITY, CONNECTING DIFFERENT GENERATIONS THROUGH SHARED STYLE. IN RECENT YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE INCREASINGLY TURNED TOWARD VINTAGE CLOTHING AND SECONDHAND FASHION. THRIFTING HAS GROWN NOT ONLY AS A WAY TO FIND SOMETHING UNIQUE, BUT ALSO AS A RESPONSE TO FAST FASHION. INSTEAD OF CONSTANTLY BUYING NEW CLOTHES DESIGNED TO BE WORN ONLY A FEW TIMES, YOUNGER GENERATIONS ARE CHOOSING PIECES THAT ALREADY EXIST.
VINTAGE FASHION ALLOWS CLOTHING TO MOVE BEYOND A SINGLE MOMENT, CARRYING HISTORY AND MEANING WITH IT.THE RENEWED INTEREST IN VINTAGE STYLE CAN BE SEEN IN THE CULTURAL ATTENTION SURROUNDING THE NEW SHOW LOVE STORY, WHICH HAS BROUGHT THE STYLE OF JOHN F. KENNEDY JR. AND CAROLYN BESSETTE KENNEDY BACK INTO FOCUS. THEIR AESTHETIC WAS DEFINED BY RESTRAINT. CLEAN LINES, NEUTRAL COLOURS, AND PRECISE TAILORING CREATED A LOOK THAT FELT EFFORTLESS BUT DELIBERATE. DECADES LATER, IT STILL LOOKS MODERN, EVEN IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING FASHION LANDSCAPE.
CAROLYN BESSETTE KENNEDY'S STYLE, IN PARTICULAR, HAS BECOME AN IRREFUTABLE REFERENCE POINT. HER WARDROBE WAS BUILT ON SIMPLICITY. SLIP DRESSES, TAILORED COATS, DARK, SIMPLE SUNGLASSES, AND UNDERSTATED ACCESSORIES FORMED THE FOUNDATION OF HER LOOK. NOTHING FELT EXCESSIVE. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE ATTEMPT TO FOLLOW TRENDS. INSTEAD,
HER CLOTHING REFLECTED A SENSE OF CONSISTENCY AND CONTROL. IT WAS A STYLE THAT DID NOT DEPEND ON A SPECIFIC MOMENT IN FASHION, WHICH IS WHY IT CONTINUES TO RESONATE THIS APPROACH EXTENDED TO SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS IN HER LIFE. ON HER WEDDING DAY, SHE CHOSE A SLEEK, AND SIMPLE SLIP DRESS WITH NO JEWELRY.
IN CONTRAST TO THE TRADITIONAL EXPECTATION OF ELABORATE BRIDAL STYLING, HER CHOICE WAS QUIET AND RESTRAINED THE FOCUS REMAINED ON THE DRESS'S CUT AND OVERALL SILHOUETTE IT WAS A DECISION THAT REINFORCED HER BROADER APPROACH TO FASHION, ONE BASED ON CLARITY AND INTENTION RATHER THAN EXCESS.
JOHN F. KENNEDY JR.'S STYLE OPERATED SIMILARLY, DEFINED BY SIMPLICITY AND CONSISTENCY RATHER THAN EXCESS. HIS WARDROBE RELIED ON CLASSIC, WELL-FITTED PIECES LIKE TAILORED SUITS, CRISP BUTTON-DOWN SHIRTS, RELAXED KNITS, AND STRAIGHTFORWARD OUTERWEAR NOTHING ABOUT IT FELT FORCED OR OVERLY STYLED IT WAS POLISHED, BUT STILL NATURAL HIS CLOTHING DID NOT AIM TO STAND OUT, YET IT WAS STILL IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZABLE. WHAT MADE HIS STYLE DISTINCT WAS ITS EFFORTLESS APPEARANCE.
CLOTHING LIKE THIS SHOWS HOW FASHION CAN MOVE ACROSS GENERATIONS WITHOUT LOSING ITS MEANING. INSTEAD OF BEING REPLACED, IT IS REUSED, REINTERPRETED, AND LIVED IN AGAIN. THIS IS WHERE VINTAGE FASHION BECOMES MORE THAN JUST A TREND. IT BECOMES A WAY TO PRESERVE AND CONTINUE STORIES, BOTH PERSONAL AND CULTURAL
THE CONTINUED RELEVANCE OF KENNEDY'S STYLE SHOWS HOW FASHION TRENDS DO NOT DISAPPEAR. THEY RETURN, OFTEN IN QUIETER WAYS. YOUNGER GENERATIONS ARE NOT REPLICATING HER LOOK EXACTLY, BUT THEY ARE RESPONDING TO ITS CORE IDEAS SIMPLICITY, CONSISTENCY, AND A FOCUS ON PIECES THAT LAST.
IT REFLECTED A SENSE OF EASE. IT REFLECTED CONFIDENCE, RATHER THAN A NEED TO FOLLOW TRENDS LIKE CAROLYN BESSETTE KENNEDY, HIS LOOK WAS NOT TIED TO A SPECIFIC MOMENT IN FASHION IT WAS BUILT ON PIECES THAT REMAIN RELEVANT, WHICH IS WHY IT STILL FEELS CURRENT TODAY WHAT MADE BOTH CAROLYN BESSETTE KENNEDY AND JOHN F. KENNEDY JR. INFLUENTIAL WAS NOT ONLY WHAT THEY WORE, BUT HOW CONSISTENTLY THEY WORE IT. THEIR STYLE DID NOT SHIFT DRAMATICALLY FROM ONE MOMENT TO THE NEXT. IT RELIED ON REPETITION AND REFINEMENT. A WELL-FITTED COAT OR A SIMPLE SHIRT WERE REUSED AND REWORN.
THESE PIECES CREATED A RECOGNIZABLE AND LASTING IMAGE THEIR CLOTHING REFLECTED IDENTITY RATHER THAN PERFORMANCE MINIMALISM IN THIS CONTEXT IS NOT ABOUT ABSENCE- IT IS ABOUT PRECISION. IT REQUIRES A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WORKS AND THE CONFIDENCE TO RETURN TO IT. THIS STANDS IN CONTRAST TO FAST FASHION, WHICH DEPENDS ON CONSTANT CHANGE AND NEWNESS. THE APPEAL OF THE KENNEDY STYLE LIES IN ITS RESISTANCE TO THAT CYCLE IT SUGGESTS THAT STYLE CAN BE BUILT OVER TIME, RATHER THAN CONSTANTLY REPLACED
THIS IDEA OF CONTINUITY IS NOT LIMITED TO PUBLIC FIGURES; IT CAN ALSO BE SEEN ON A MORE PERSONAL LEVEL RECENTLY, I STARTED WEARING A PAIR OF MY MOM'S SKINNY JEANS THAT SHE WORE IN HER TWENTIES AT FIRST, THEY FELT LIKE ANY OTHER PAIR OF JEANS, BUT OVER TIME, THEY BEGAN TO FEEL MORE SIGNIFICANT. THEY CARRY A SENSE OF CONTINUITY THEY EXISTED LONG BEFORE ME, YET THEY ARE NOW PART OF MY PERSONAL STYLE. IN A SMALL WAY, THEY CONNECT TWO DIFFERENT MOMENTS IN TIME.
TIMELESS FASHION IS NOT DEFINED BY MOMENTS OR PIECES, BUT BY ITS ABILITY TO REMAIN MEANINGFUL OVER TIME. IN A MOMENT WHERE FASHION IS OFTEN DRIVEN BY SPEED AND VISIBILITY, THE RETURN TO SIMPLICITY SUGGESTS A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, ONE THAT VALUES INTENTION OVER EXCESS, AND CONTINUITY OVER CONSTANT CHANGE
THE APPEAL OF THE LOVE STORY LOOK LIES IN THAT BALANCE. IT UNDERSTANDS BOTH THE PAST AND PRESENT AT THE SAME TIME. IT IS FAMILIAR, BUT NOT OUTDATED. IN THAT WAY, IT CONTINUES TO SHAPE HOW PEOPLE THINK ABOUT GETTING DRESSED TODAY. FASHION DOES NOT MOVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE IT CIRCLES BACK, DRAWING FROM WHAT HAS COME BEFORE, AND IN DOING SO, ENSURES THAT CERTAIN IDEAS WILL NEVER FADE
What Exchange Taugt Me That FIMS Didn’t
Thirty pages of readings. A three-hour lecture. A tutorial. Discussion posts and replies to classmates, a group project, a presentation, and an essay due by the end of the week.
If you ’ re in MIT, that list probably sounds familiar. By the end of my second year, days had started to blur into a routine of lectures, readings, and latenight essay writing.
My laptop was always open, whether on a library table, in a lecture hall, or on my bedroom desk as I tried to finish one more paragraph before finally closing it for the night.
Somewhere along the way, I started to feel burnt out.
When I left for an exchange semester in London, England, during my third year, I expected a change of scenery, a new campus, new classes, and the chance to travel. What I didn’t expect was how that experience would change the way I think about school, balance, and burnout.
Dragging my suitcase through the Underground during my first week in London, I stepped onto busy streets filled with red doubledecker buses and crowds moving quickly past cafés and storefronts.
I remember pausing for a moment just to take it all in, the unfamiliar streets, the accents around me, and the realization that for the next few months, this enormous city was home.
I spent those first days wandering the city with people I had only just met. We walked along the Thames, crossed Tower Bridge with the wind coming off the river, and stopped in crowded markets where street musicians played, and the smell of fresh food drifted through the air.
A few days later, I was boarding a flight to Rome with my mom, who had come to help settle me in London and to travel together. The trip felt surreal - wandering narrow streets, sitting for hours at outdoor cafés, watching the sun disappear behind buildings that had stood for centuries.
When classes finally began in mid-January, the pace still felt different. My first lecture lasted barely an hour. When it ended, students packed their bags and simply left. There were no discussion forums waiting online, no weekly quizzes, no stack of readings due before the next class- just the lecture itself and the rest of the afternoon ahead.
My calendar felt strangely empty. And for the first time, I wasn’t thinking about my to-do list.
I spent most of my time outside. Some days meant wandering through Covent Garden’s crowded streets or standing beneath Big Ben while tourists gathered with cameras.
Other afternoons were spent exploring Soho, crossing the Thames just to see the city from a different angle, or sitting in Hyde Park with friends. My phone often told me I had walked 25,000 or even 30,000 steps in a single day
Weekends turned into train tickets and backpacks: tiny hostel rooms, early morning flights, and the quiet excitement of waking up somewhere new
There were concerts, theatre shows, and long afternoons spent exploring new cities with my friends. Sometimes we had no plan at all - just wandering unfamiliar streets until we found somewhere to eat or sitting in a café watching people pass by.
For months, life moved like that- chaotic and exhausting in its own way, but alive It was nothing like the carefully scheduled routine I had built at Western
When I returned for my fourth year, that contrast stayed with me.
Without the pass- fail structure I had on exchange, MIT requires a lot of work. My calendar is still full, and the deadlines haven’t disappeared. But the way I move through those days feels different
Now, when my to-do list starts to grow too long, I pause before letting it take over the entire day. Sometimes that pause is small - closing my laptop or going for a quick walk with friends. Other times, it means leaving my notes on the desk and heading out for dinner, or watching a movie instead of trying to finish just one more paragraph before bed
Little by little, I’ve started filling my time with things that make the days feel fuller: walks across campus, going to the gym, listening to podcasts, sitting around a table with friends long after dinner plates are cleared.
Those moments used to feel like distractions from my work. Now they feel like part of the experience of being here The work still matters, of course But it no longer feels like the only thing that does
My exchange didn’t make MIT feel easier when I came back. But it did change my perspective.
It reminded me that university isn’t only about the assignments you complete or the deadlines you meet. It’s also about the life unfolding alongside them - the friendships, the conversations, the walks between classes, and the small moments that make the years here feel like more than just time spent studying
Spring
Your Guide to a Fresh Start This Season
Written by Katie Allan & Designed by Jackie Tseng
My guide to a fresh new you, Cleaning:
After a long and bone-chilling winter, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel that awaits us, and we shall call her spring! I'm sure Martha Stewart has beaten me to creating one of these comprehensive spring cleaning lists, but this is certainly an OPENWIDE mag first!
The procedure:
The much-needed closet cleanout
• Deep clean floors (vacuum, swiffer, or mop) 1
• Look to donate unwanted items to your local Goodwill, women's shelter, or Salvation Army
• If you have pieces that are “just too nice” to give away, try posting a listing on Facebook Marketplace for some quick cash
• If you take it upon yourself to inspire your roommates to do the same, try having a yard sale and team up on this endeavour. After all, the more the merrier!
