Li Yang

  Heavy rains during the summer caused most of the village in Yiwangxi, my hometown, to be flooded, so my mother and sisters had to go out to the street to buy things, Thursday, July.17, 2014. (Photo/Li Yang) Professor Mieke of WKU took his students to climb the mountain behind the school during her 8 a.m. class, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (Photo/Li Yang)

  In Wenzhou University Town, two women have turned to street vending for income and independence, selling drinks and home-cooked meals while managing the demands of entrepreneurship and family life.   Many women choose street vending for financial independence and flexible work. Some college students run stalls part-time to ease tuition costs and gain experience.   Ms. Ye was about to graduate from a vocational school in Ningbo. Tired of finding a job, she chose to give up her traditional job and work with her sister to sell jasmine iced soy milk and cucumber milk latte on the streets of Wenzhou.   “ I'm here to make money, ” she said. “ I went back to Wenzhou for an internship and set up a stall to cover my daily expenses. I don't want to ask my parents for money.”   “We sold taro paste cups before, but the cost was a bit high for us,” she said. Hot spots constantly change, so Ms. Ye has to change what they sell because the original items don’t sell well an...

Hearing the ringtone at first may be incredible, but this portrays my life. However, as a college student, I realize that this small and sharp voices have become triggers for stress, anxiety, and even guilt. Between dealing with deadlines and group work, the telephone is no longer a tool for communication; instead, it has become a source of fear. Whenever I hear the phone ring, my brain immediately thinks of the worst situation: whether I forget to submit something or there is another new task. Or even to remind me that I haven't replied to anyone else's news in one day. We live in a high-tech interconnected world; people expect immediate responses. But I have time to communicate with myself. In my mind, life at university is supposed to be a time to explore and grow, but sometimes it feels like an endless to-do list for me.  In addition to this, there is also the pressure of social performance. What will happen when I miss the professor's message or send the wrong message ...