PinnedMember-onlyWhy are we here, anyway?The state of the humanities and academia against a strengthening careerist milieu. — As Fall 2023 courses were released, I sat in Hotung Café browsing SIS on my laptop, which rested precariously atop our beloved, wobbling tables flanked by Emeco Navy chairs (a military industrial project of its own, designed for use in naval ships and prison interrogation rooms). I selected my major…Academia8 min readAcademia8 min read
PinnedMember-onlyHush-Hush: The coded racism of the Northeast eliteA New England boarding school-bred South Asian reflects on the ways in which he has been socialized into accepting racism and interrogates its compatibilities with other cultural tendencies of the Northeast elite. — I sat by the dining table of my Floridian college-friend’s mother’s suite at the Boston Four Seasons, listening to her debrief the chaos of her day in Boston as we awaited our dinner reservation. The venue was not unfamiliar by any means; just weeks prior I had spent time in…Race6 min readRace6 min read
PinnedMember-onlyChallenging Nostalgia and Confronting Racism at Elite SchoolsA student at a prestigious, New England boarding school reflects on his time there; the role nostalgia plays at elite, predominantly white schools; and the paths we can take to making our communities more inclusive and just. “St. Paul’s School has a storied past. More importantly, it has an unwritten…Boarding School7 min readBoarding School7 min read
Published inMomentum·PinnedMember-onlyA Former U.S. Senate Page Reflects on Security, Race, Class, and the Capitol RiotsIn the summer of 2019, I had the privilege of working as a U.S. Senate page. We had to be compliant with many layers of security protocol. This included forfeiting access to our cellphones and the internet when we entered the campus. Every morning, my colleagues and I would walk…Politics3 min readPolitics3 min read
Jan 3, 2020Member-onlySorry, That’s now how you say my name.You are pronouncing my Asian name incorrectly — but that happens to be my fault — Take a look at my name for a second — “Nikhil Vootkur.” If you’re alone, feel free to say it out loud and if you aren’t, say it in your head. I can almost guarantee that you said (in air quotes) it wrong. …Asian American4 min readAsian American4 min read
Nov 10, 2019Member-onlyNo, We are not the Same Student (of Color)(This article was initially written for The Pelican, the St. Paul’s School student newspaper) Students of color at St. Paul’s School are frequently confused for other students of color, regardless of their likenesses. Misnaming dehumanizes students of color by stripping them of their identities. Simultaneously, it reminds them about the…Racism5 min readRacism5 min read
Apr 6, 2019Designing in IsolationWhen I was in the 6th grade, my father and I cofounded an education-technology startup. It’s called KudosWall, and it happens to be a resume builder and portfolio incubator for students — ranging from K-12 to University. Cofounding KudosWall was an integral part of how I became passionate about design…Design2 min readDesign2 min read
Mar 29, 2019I’m Writing More (of less)I joined Medium a long time ago, back when it had its geometric-green logo and no in-your-face revenue model. I’ve always loved the content made accessible through Medium, especially everything written by and for designers. It is because of designers (who happen to be incredible writers) like Pablo Stanley —…Design4 min readDesign4 min read
Published inUX Collective·Apr 4, 2018Member-onlyNewmorphismA new term for an old design language. — *Warning, long read! There’s a TL:DR at the end!* Who here remembers, or refuses to remember, skeuomorphism? The design language that ruled our screens before 2013, did more than just being a difficult spelling term. …Design6 min readDesign6 min read
Published inKudosWall — Showcase your Talents·Mar 16, 2017What I learned from First Lego League 🤖As a student in today’s world, I’ve explored a lot of different extracurricular activities, and one of my favorites is First Lego League. I’ve participated in this competition for 3 years, and from those years I’ve learned a lot — both within robotics and in basic project-habits. …Portfolio4 min readPortfolio4 min read
