Welcome to the New Black Renaissance

Today, I happened to stumble across my new year’s resolutions from 2008. Looking back, a lot of the habits that I wanted to change 10 years ago are still things that I need to work on. That’s depressing, but I’m not alone in the millions of people who make these promises to themselves that they don’t keep. New Year’s resolution customs are more common in Western culture, but it happens all over the world. It’s a tradition that has BEEN happening for quite some time. NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS ORIGINS The ancient Babylonians are regarded as the first people to make New Year’s resolutions about 4,000 years ago. They were also the first to hold celebrations to bring in the new year – they were recorded every year in mid-March when the crops were planted. During this 12-day religious celebration, known as Akitu, the Babylonians crowned a new king or reaffirmed their loyalty to their reigning king. They also made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any borrowed objects. If...

I have saved almost every piece that I’ve written since I was in the 7 th grade; that’s when my creativity began to emerge and demand more of my attention than the television. The one essay that I imagined keeping for the rest of my days was the one that granted my acceptance into Florida State University. From the tender age of eleven, I had my educational plans in order. I knew the middle and high school that I was going to attend. And I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I would apply to FSU and attend in the fall of 2008. Most of my premonitions came true. I attended the primary and secondary schools of my choice, and I was accepted to attend FSU. I chose to go to the University of South Florida instead of living out my all-time educational dream. This decision was difficult and based off many factors, but my most emotional rationale was grounded in the lie that I wove to create my admissions essay. At that point, I didn’t understand that my ability to create a ...

“Stronger than lover's love is lover's hate. Incurable, in each, the wounds they make.” I’d rather be reading Medea by Euripides rather than starting my weekly wash-day routine. Euripides'  Medea  opens in a state of conflict. Jason has abandoned his wife, Medea, along with their two children. He hopes to advance his station by remarrying with Glauce, the daughter of Creon - king of Corinth. Jason's recent abandonment of his family has crushed Medea emotionally, to the degree that she curses her own existence, as well as that of Jason and her two children. Fearing a possible plot of revenge, Creon banishes Medea and her children from the city. After pleading for mercy, Medea is granted one day before she must leave. After securing sanctuary in Athens, Medea sets her plan for revenge in motion. She intends on using her last day to complete her quest for justice. An easy read when it comes to the genre of Greek tragedies, for me Medea stands as the ...