by Second Year Cohort: Sarah Luu + Gwen Hoeffgen + Domenic Toliver + Adela Cardona Puerta

“These conversations highlight what it means to show up for one another, to share resources and experiences, and to grow alongside someone else. The issue reveals how friendships, both longstanding and newly formed, can shape creative practices just as profoundly as any formal study.”

by Adela Cardona + Wendy Shih 施文莉

“For me, sharing books and stories with people is what matters. I am trying to increase access to them because I want to spark that connection between the person and the book, but also between people, with the book as a catalyst.  It’s powerful because every single one of us has a role to play in creating this web of interconnectedness.”

by Sarah Blesener + Leigh Ledare

“The presence of the camera is really important. It plays all these different roles, right? It’s a stage, it’s a mirror, it’s a mother, it’s also a judge. It’s a panopticon. It’s a drug –  it’s also a tool that’s used to castrate. It’s also something like a priest that allows a confession.”

by Alex Deets + “H” of Project Belong

“What we really try to promote is the idea that we all belong in society, that individuals who are  marginalized as a result of their experiences in life can, through spaces like Project Belong and Social Club, maybe regain some sense of reintegration with a broader community… [peer  support] is in some ways potentially revolutionary.”

by Haruka Ostley + Tonye Stuurman

“Not a lot of women have the privilege, or can express or can’t speak out about it. So I think…That was my thing… I need to get this out there.”

by Peery Sloan + Shimabuku

“I never read guidebooks. I don’t want stereotypes. I’m not afraid of misunderstanding. Sometimes, a beautiful misunderstanding is better than a good understanding.”

by Rose Lewis + Dr. Zoe Bursztajn-Illingworth

“I do feel like there’s a social ideology where it’s teleological, you’re moving from friendship where you learn relational dynamics to romantic relationships. But what if it’s not that kind of linear progression, right? What if friendship can be the foreground, rather than the thing that leads to something else?”

by Clara Harlow + Suzy Messerole + Seniz Yargici and Sharon Mandel

“The communication that happens in the water is making me a better human being outside of the water.”

by Lou Blumberg + Devin Harkness

“I’m a person who believes that making the world a better place isn’t just going to happen magically, that it takes work and effort and everyone working together to make it happen. I sometimes struggle with wondering, what is my part in that? And what can I do beyond what I’m already doing?”

by Nina Vichayapai + Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander

“When you think about family and your place in the world, you also think about death and dying… My thought was that if visitors meditated on the finitude of their own existence, it would lead to living a more meaningful life.”