Lauren Xie

“In quarantine, a day feels like 10 years, so I can’t really remember anything from last week. But I got a haircut. I got a bunch of new skills and focused on new things. And now I’m freaking cutting my hair––self-sustainable, talented. I’ve been doing a lot of random things. I taught myself to play the harmonica. I can play, and I’ve also been practicing the clarinet, I guess, and studying for APs. It’s dumb. I hope after this, colleges realize that AP testing is just another gatekeeping way to keep low income families from getting quality education. That’s all that they are. And I am learning how to draw. I can actually draw! Well, I give up halfway, because it takes so long. It’s a long process, like I have to finish it, otherwise if I stop, I’ll leave.”