Selina Xu

telling life like a story

I declared my concentration!

BLACK SCREEN. FADE IN.

INT. DORM ROOM – NIGHT

Selina (20, Singaporean-Chinese) has both hands on the Mac keyboard. She is leaning forward expectantly before a desk piled high with dog-eared books, loose sheets of paper and thin notebooks with mythical, cartoonish covers. Cue music: something whimsical like Hisaishi’s Nausicaä Requiem! something dramatically perching on the edge of the symphonic abyss like Mahler’s Sixth!

The my.harvard page is loading.

She stretches and hums.

She checks Instagram, puts her phone down, and flips a page of Jess Row’s Your Face in Mine.

The front page loads. The music reaches a feverish pitch.

She feigns hesitation for a moment. It’s nice to dwell in a state of no commitment. Then the stillness breaks as her fingers start flying across the keyboard.

She swiftly clicks on “My Program” and then “Declare Concentration”.

ZOOM IN on her laptop screen. A series of selections from one drop-down list to the next:

  • Joint Concentration. Click.
  • Primary Concentration. History and Literature. Click.
  • Allied Concentration. Philosophy. Click.

The cursor hovers over the red ‘Submit’ button. The music dies. Silence is viscous on the screen.

SELINA
Alright. (a pause) Amen.

A beat. She grins and presses.

Click.

IMG_9426

Lots of Love,
Officially a Hist&Lit and Philosophy major,

Screen Shot 2017-04-08 at 11.16.46 PM

6 responses to “I declared my concentration!”

  1. blueskyroxy Avatar

    Congrats, Selina! The photo is so cuteeee!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sel Avatar

      thanks Roxy darling ❤

      Like

  2. pandahugstheworld Avatar

    恭喜小老虎🐯,贺喜小老虎🐯,加油👏👏🍭🍭

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sel Avatar

      最感恩有你们 💕💕💕

      Liked by 1 person

  3. tianyi207 Avatar

    You look so excited and happy! Happy for you!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sel Avatar

      thanks tianyi xoxo ᶘ ᵒᴥᵒᶅ

      Like

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