Competition is a big part of the everyday world. It overlaps with the desire for power and the desire for community, bringing people together at the same time it could be tearing them apart.

My first exposure to competitive club travel sports was a difficult one, primarily because of the attitude and actions of one team member. She was quick to say how certain team members didn’t deserve play time because they weren’t as good as she was.

I used to wrestle… One time, after losing a match, I sat back down on the bench, changing my shoes and getting a drink of water. I heard a parent yelling at their son for losing his last match. They never told him what to do better, they just yelled…

What does it mean to win or lose? How can we use competition to grow as individuals? In response to these queries, I thought about three of my past experiences: Suzuki violin training, The Agents of Social Change (TASC) incident, and my SSAT experience.

I stare blankly at myself in my bathroom mirror, disappointed with my reflection. It doesn’t come as a surprise anymore; I’ve grown immune to it. My lack of self acceptance has become a part of who I am, and sadly who I will become.

I used to despise competition. Growing up with siblings, our lives were devoted to one-upping each other and proving who had done something better than the other. I often found myself doing crazy things solely for the purpose of proving…

Since tenth grade, I have participated in a competition called Ethics Bowl. Every year high school students gather in teams in New York City to talk about ethical dilemmas and give their opinions on how these dilemmas should be resolved.

Thank you to all of the 237 participants of the 6th annual Student Voices Project!

How can we explore the edge of our abilities?

Welcoming a new narrative in which we all are gifted.

FJ Poetry: "Parking in the lot at work / early in the morning sun"

Letters from our readers.