In order to choose my name, my parents decided to write three down on slips of paper and put them into a hat. The name that got drawn, Vivian, was written by my mom and is supposed to mean “vivid.” It can also mean colorful, bright, lively, or anything that connotes or denotes the idea of being alive. I am really glad my parents had ended up going with this name as opposed to Helena or Angela, because I feel...

In my opinion, having a laser-like focus is more of a curse than a blessing – I could never throw my whole heart and soul into a single domain. This is what I appreciate most about Columbia: there is significant emphasis on holistic learning, ensuring that STEM majors are exposed to a core curriculum that encompasses arts and humanities as well. What’s a scientist who can’t draft a coherent paper about his experimental findings, or an engineer who can�...

Upon visiting the de Young Fine Arts Museum for the first time, I was both outraged and curious to see the modern art exhibits that they had, in which one of the most prominent paintings was simply a blue circle on a black rectangle. How can anyone call that talent? However, after visiting the museum a second time and truly reflecting on the pieces, I realized that the artists were indeed insane – only, it was a mad genius sort of...