Helena Feng
Managing Editor
Class of 2026
hfeng12@u.rochester.edu
commercialism
Why haute couture is worth keeping up with
At its very best, high fashion challenges its very medium, emphasizing the arbitrariness of fashion convention and pushing the boundaries of dress.
D-Day
Community, carnivals, and campus culture: UR traditions
The University of Rochester hosts a wealth of playful school traditions that have shaped the undergraduate experience since its establishment in 1850.
beauty
“TikTok pretty”: Beauty is more of a public performance than ever
Beauty has seemingly become a matter of public affirmation: something that, in its most desired form, draws a type of universal and objective consensus.
adulthood
Growing up into nostalgia
Recently, I’ve been grappling with a feeling of impending adulthood — what it entails, what it takes away, and what it creates.
american dream
The American Dream: a legacy of meritocracy
A deeper look into the meritocratic ideology of the American Dream reveals tragic, deeply-rooted consequences on national attitudes.
affirmative action
The end of affirmative action
Affirmative action was not, by any means, a perfect system. It was, however, an instrumental step in the right direction.
fast fashion
In defense of conscious consumption
We can choose to minimize our direct participation in exploitation when we can feasibly do so — we are not, and will never be, utterly powerless in the face of injustice.
antiracism
Understanding our complicity in white supremacy with Dr. Belew
Dr. Belew reminds us all that understanding our involvement in the perpetuation of white supremacy is the first step in creating social change.
beauty
Confronting colorism is more complicated than we think
Even now, I remember thinking if such an extreme degree of caution was worth it, if paleness truly was enough to sacrifice the plain, irreplaceable pleasure of sunlight on bare skin.
academics
Enough is enough — when to call quits
It seems ludicrous to think that any decision made in your freshman year of high school can have any bearing on your future, let alone dictate the rest of your life, but the reality is that it’s a slippery slope.
