
Letter from the Editor
Cover
In recent years, the topic of mental health has finally been getting the attention it deserves. Instead of
being told “you are fine,” we are talking about our issues. As a college student who balances school, jobs and life, I know it can be difficult to take the time to address mental health issues. Everyone is going through things that you may not see at the surface, and you need to be understanding of that. This past semester took a toll on me. I was going through a rough break up while balancing school, work and friends—it was a lot for me to handle. I was able to see a therapist and learned to prioritize my feelings and thoughts. I also picked up a new passion that has helped lead me to a better place mentally. I hope to see the students of UMass Boston and everywhere do the same, as it is easier said than done. You must always keep in mind that things will only get better. It just takes time. If I could go back a year ago and tell myself that, I would.
This year, I took my passion for photography and ran with it. It helped me find myself and allowed me
to foresee what I’d like to do with my future. I started doing portraits, which then led me to explore concert photography. The thrill of seeing some of your favorite artists and taking images to be shared is the most amazing feeling in the world. I had been told when starting out that it was an unrealistic thing to pursue, but I couldn't see myself doing anything else. This passion allowed me to work hard to get where I am now. Your passions and dreams can lead you to the light and help you find your way. So if you have a passion or dream, do whatever it takes to get there, and it will be worth it in the end. I can look at myself with pride, as I see what I went through to get me where I am today.

Olivia Reid, Editor-in-Chief
Covet
Riley Hammond
Some say
The journey is worth more
Than the destination—though
What is there to say
When the destination
Is merely a concept
The mind is a foreign place
An escape
Sitting in the basement of my thoughts
I find a quiet still
Not dark, not light, not grey,
Though ambiguous
I think many people are scared
To sit in that quiet, and listen
To what filters in
​
Oftentimes,
Our deepest fears
Lie within ourselves
How else are we to learn, to heal,
If we always turn away
What lies below, guides,
Our everyday lives
​
It’s easy for me to fade
To feel like a ghost in my own life
Withering away,
Control slipping through my fingers
And my own being
Put on the back burner
​
he cacophony of life
Overwhelms the mind,
And we cannot ignore it
We must listen
We must respond
We must be present
For to ignore this sound
Is to ignore the world
It is only natural, I think, to
Fall into this loudness
To embrace it
​
So then, how do I not
Lose myself in the noise
​
It seems to me
The only way is to
Turn all of that attention inward
To find the sound
That we ourselves make
​
To try
Is a scary thing, because
It implies success
Or failure
​
What does it mean
If I try, and
can't seem to correct anything

I’m determined to find out
Through the fear, and the pain
I am learning
I am healing, or
At least I’d like to think so
Because
It is only in this silence
That I begin to regain myself
Writers
Joe Potts
Ben Egan
Joe Barca
Samantha Stanley
Madison Tonti
Robert Castagna
Valentina Valderamma Perez
Riley Hammond
Artists and
Photographers
Samantha Stanley
Riley Hammond
Olivia Reid
Eva Lycette
Jaffna Innocent