originally published in the edge 2019, “kaleidoscope”
when i applied to marlborough seven years ago, i was immediately captivated by the close-knit community present here. i saw girls collaborating in the classroom, friends lifting each other up, and teachers stitching the quilt together with their own special thread. i longed to wrap myself in that quilt, to explore every niche and fold of its comforting yet rugged terrain. somewhere around my junior year, i abandoned the quilt metaphor. i realized that inasmuch as marlborough is stitched together with unique fabric and fibers, it is also constantly evolving and transforming. this place has changed just as much as i have over the course of our six years together. we’re both almost unrecognizable. yet, there is an essence that has remained intrinsic to both of us, a curious core that has driven me far beyond the front bricks.
ultimately, my marlborough experience has been defined by perspectives—especially by learning to accept those that differ from my own and being open-minded to the possibility of mine changing over time. here, i’ve learned how to engage in civil discourse, how to challenge the status quo, and how to immerse entire communities in conversations that are born through mediums fueled by creativity—through journalism, through music, and through simply raising my hand. marlborough isn’t just about adding elements to an already existing entity; it’s about shaking things up and challenging our traditions, while keeping their integrity intact.
it’s like the sensation a child experiences when she looks through a mirrored tube filled with colored glass and watches the shapes morph into new patterns and images. she is mesmerized by the fast-moving fractals, each one different and unique, as her perspective shifts and horizons broaden. rotating this toy recalls the gears in my brain turning to generate ideas. the playfulness of childhood turned ingenuity of adolescence. our ruthless attempts to shatter glass ceilings and alter our patterns in the hopes of leaving something slightly more beautiful in our wake. such is marlborough—a kaleidoscope—and this year’s theme for the edge.
amongst these pages you will discover a vibrant collection of art and writing that piece together this diverse yet prismatic community of thinkers. just as the next time i return to this campus, the kaleidoscope will have blossomed into new shapes, my greatest hope is that each time you look at this book, you see something slightly different than you did before. immerse yourself in all its angles, and let your imagination run wild.