The Heights

Cultivating a Secret Garden in Your Mind

Emmbrooke Flather • December 10, 2024

Every day, middle school me spent hours practicing tennis alone against a backboard, with only my imagination to keep me company. At the time, all I focused on was perfecting my form, not realizing that I was also inadvertently training something even more important: the ability to daydream.

Commit to the Bit

Emmbrooke Flather • November 21, 2023

A “bit” refers to a playful routine or a humorous exchange among friends, often a series of related jokes strung together. In my experience, bits are the most fun-spirited way to encourage genuine human connection and laughter.

“I Am Horribly Limited”

Jenny Hotchkiss • November 15, 2023

When I think of my goals for the future, my mind runs wild with ideas. As a young child, I wrote in my preschool journal that I wanted to be a firetruck. Slowly, my goals became more realistic—I wanted to be a chef, a teacher, a lawyer.

The Lost Art of Boredom

Emmbrooke Flather • October 1, 2023

I’ve always been well acquainted with boredom. When I was younger, my boredom fueled my imagination as I turned my uncle’s feather duster into a ballerina or rooted for raindrops racing across the windshield. But as I grew older, boredom became something much more meaningful: a tool for me to find a sense of home.