The Necessary - Symposeum Magazine

They Carry A Sickle and We Bow Down To Them

I am a petite, baby-faced woman. Many people close to me still joke about it. It is all too familiar—every time I get ID'd at a bar (or worse,

Issue 3 - Searching

Reaching for the Stars

Reaching for the Stars, micron pen on illustration board, 10" x 8", 2021American Dream, photograph, 10" x 8", 2021 Artist’s Note For so many people, America represents a place of new beginnings and new opportunities. That’s why in 2007, my family traveled

Issue 3 - Searching

Terrain

Haven't I shared all my memories already? Sweated into ink the anchored years When the sun drove us like a team of plough-horses through the summer sky? No, I’ve kept a few things back, fears now half-forgotten, loves remembered always but never acted

Issue 3 - Searching

Things I Need to Know

I do want hope, belief in intercession. That my children, if in need, could expect bread. To know them is to know the dirt -engrained lines of their shoeless feet as they belly sprawl over coloring books. Just one state over, a blue newborn

Issue 3 - Searching

Crypto's Search for Meaning

I magine that you make a salary of $100,000 a year. After taxes and various living expenses, you manage to save $10,000 of that original figure. You tuck that sum into a savings account that steadily accrues interest. You feel like you

Issue 2 - Recovery

The Transformative Potential of Trauma Recovery

This piece explores the interrelationship between trauma and recovery in psychotherapy. While it does not discuss any specific details of traumatic events, it is important to acknowledge that the topic itself may bring up unwanted memories or reflection. I n my office, I have

Issue 2 - Recovery

A Conversation with Steve Loya and Tristan Welch

Symposeum cover artist Steve Loya and cover musician Tristan Welch in conversation with editor Matt Miller. This interview was edited for length and clarity. It is a special feature for the digital edition of Issue 2. _________________________________________________________ Matt Miller: How did you two meet? How

Issue 2 - Recovery

No Justice, No Peace?

On Law Enforcement And Criminal Justice Throughout History Professor Hadar Aviram interviews Professor Joel Harrington and PhD candidate Mohammed Allehbi, with an introduction by Symposeum editor, Nissim Lebovits. Nissim Lebovits: Last year, the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd (and countless

Issue 2 - Recovery

‘Voy a hablar de la esperanza’

Your browser does not support the audio element. Reading by the author Ruth, you are angry at the world for its miscarriages. It is early November and we are walking again in the Haagse Bos, wondering at the rusty-headed ducks, the yellowing of the

Issue 1 - Transition

Vital Arrogant Fatal Dominant: On Poems, Attention, and Relation

Why poetry matters in times of great global change.

Issue 1 - Transition

Conception to Delivery of the COVID-19 Vaccine

A fter nine months of clinical trials, the COVID-19 vaccine is finally being delivered. This breakthrough marks the end of a tragic era of unprecedented financial and logistical burdens. For many, the vaccine is an inoculation against both the virus and despair, a shot

Issue 1 - Transition

Da 5 Bloods Movie Review: Spike Lee Takes on Double Consciousness

S pike Lee’s latest and critically acclaimed film, Da 5 Bloods, released direct-to-Netflix in June 2020—less than three weeks after the murder of George Floyd and only two months before the death of starring actor Chadwick Boseman. While Lee’s previous films

Issue 1 - Transition

Thermodynamics of Cybersecurity

O utside my apartment window, piles of snow lay coated with an icy sheen formed overnight. Inside, the warm air condenses on the windows. Droplets form and break free, running down the foggy glass in the morning light. I am fortunate to have a

Issue 1 - Transition

An Old War in a New World

A first-generation immigrant, Rhodes Scholar, and Biden Administration member on America's battle over identity.

Issue 0 - Liminal Space

Theseus's America

The Ship of Theseus is a thought experiment that questions whether an object that has had all of its pieces replaced remains fundamentally the same object. A king in Greek mythology and founder-hero of Athens, Theseus fought many naval battles. Athenians replaced the rotted oars of his ship over cen

Issue 0 - Liminal Space

Dilemmas of Duty

Religious holidays were some of my favorite days growing up. Hindu holidays in the U.S. didn’t result in days off of school, but they were all accompanied by rich traditions. We’d make elaborate chalk drawings outside to welcome good fortune into our home, or play on the swings to celebrate spring’s

Issue 0 - Liminal Space

Arm in Arm

The realization hit me like a rusty, yellow school bus: I have not issued a single demerit. Since March, I have reimagined my pedagogy from the ground up. I rebuilt entire units from scratch, filmed video lessons to help kids learn asynchronously, and spent countless hours debating with colleagues

Issue 0 - Liminal Space

Leave No Trace: Carrying Hope, Home, and Freedom from the Appalachian Trail into Everyday Wilderness

There is a rugged footpath called the Appalachian Trail running 2,190.9 miles from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is a wilderness, a sanctuary, a classroom, and a pilgrimage for those who travel it. The Appalachian Trail becomes deeply woven into one’s being—from

Issue 0 - Liminal Space

Finding Space in the Sky: How Covid-19 is Grounding More Than Flights

As the plane touches down, the tires give off a screeching sound, the force of the braking sends loose items rolling, and the pilot welcomes the crowd to its destination. Most passengers feel a sense of excitement, relief, and maybe some lingering nausea. I always feel a bit of melancholy that the