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PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THE CLASS

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Berkeley chapter.

Formless on the outside,
Empty on the inside.
It sounds like a riddle
And my answer is
Nothing.

What is your favorite color?
What do you like?
What are your hobbies?
What do you think?
Who are you?

It’s a test and I want to give the right answer
Your love was conditional, and so is my identity.

I want to be liked, but that doesn’t answer the question.
I want to be enough, but how can I say that?
I want to be accepted, and the fear is suffocating me.

Leaves rustling, howls echoing between buildings
Even the wind asserts its presence in the world without ever being seen
Whereas I am physical, tangible, and visible—but not in the ways that matter
It’s lonely in here—not even the wind passes through a void
A half-baked, shadow of a person
Who exists for others and has nothing of her own.

Karen Li

UC Berkeley '24

Karen is a sophomore studying computer science. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, reading, journaling, hanging out with her dog, and binging TV shows. She strives to reach others through her writing and hopes to write meaningful pieces that someone, somewhere can relate to or learn from.