The following essays, written by students in the introductory writing subjects at MIT, were selected for publication in Angles 2023 by an editorial board of lecturers. The nine works are categorized by theme and linked below. For more information on Angles, see our About Angles page. For an overview of this edition of Angles and an explanation of the thematic categories chosen for this edition, please see our Editors’ Note.
Family, Identity, and Experience
Leaving Destiny Behind by Ruby Adkins
“I melted into blankets in my makeshift bed and stared into the night sky. I let my mind drift across the thousands of glittering stars…”
Field of View by Anonymous
“There is a field behind my mom’s house. In the center of it there is a hill, that slopes gently; in the center of that hill there is a tall tree.”
Demogorgon Heads by Jeannie She
“In one swift movement, I tear open the package and peer inside. Are those… demogorgon heads from Stranger Things?”
The Youngest Daughter by Serine Eun 은세린
“I’m the youngest daughter of a youngest daughter. I’m the youngest of two children; my mother is the youngest of five, all sisters.”
Self in Society
Nothing’s Free: The Rightful Resentment of Uncompensated Student Labor by Paul Irvine
“Internships have become a staple in American higher education, with many people,… viewing the real-world experience as a necessary supplement to academic course loads.”
Living in the Face of Death by Kanna Pichappan
“As a young child, I didn’t think much about aging and death. However, it is my childhood experiences that I reflect on most when I ponder the meaning of life amidst the reality of death.”
New Technologies: Promises and Threats
Sailing on a Sunbeam by Max Miller
“If you’ve ever sailed on a boat, you know how exhilarating such an experience can be, gliding along almost effortlessly, letting the wind do the hard work.”
Therapeutic Video Games: Virtual Reality in the Treatment of PTSD by Srihitha Dasari
“And then I was back in Iraq. My heart was beating. I was sweating. I was holding an M16 rifle and I almost freaked out. It was too much.”
Deepfakes: A Cat-and-Mouse Game of Generation and Detection by Quan Manh Nguyen
“In the video, Nixon is mourning the two Apollo 11 astronauts stranded on the moon….The video looked incredibly real to the two of us, except that obviously none of this happened.”
Cover Photograph of Collier Memorial by Christopher Harting, May 2015. MIT Media Library, Flickr.