It’s housing selection season.
Taking Up Space (Physically & Metaphorically)
Recently, I had a conversation with a friend about being more conscious of how much space you take up, physically or metaphorically. We talked about it through the lens of leadership, and how a mark of maturity is being conscious of how much attention you are putting on yourself, or how much space you take up, and when to shift the attention to others, or when to share space with others. Continue reading “Taking Up Space (Physically & Metaphorically)”
Researching a Dirge
When I began my dirge essay, I had very little background on what exactly a dirge was, and what role they played in society. I was sitting in the College Union (where I do most of my work), with some friends, and I began to speak out loud. Continue reading “Researching a Dirge”
Birth Order and The Turner House
Birth order has always been a very intriguing topic to me, mainly because I see myself fitting very nicely in the trope of “oldest child.” In my youth, and still today, like to keep myself busy by being involved in a myriad of activities and clubs, I’m loud, bossy, and like to be the center of attention. My younger sister, the middle child, fits her prescribed path as well: she often feels as though she is “forgotten” and is much quieter and more reserved (my mother says this is because I did all the talking for her). As for my brother, the stereotypical “youngest child,” he is just as free-willed and spoiled as you might imagine. Continue reading “Birth Order and The Turner House”
Alpha’s Question (Delayed)
**I mis-entered my password too many times, so the blog locked me out.. but I’m back!
Blog Post:
“Although our learnings in this course have given us further insight into wall street ventures that most of us were not aware of in the past, crooked dealings by the 1% that have a huge trickling effect on the ‘real economy’ have always been hinted towards (very frequently by Bernie Sanders). With that being said, why did it take a required reading for us to finally dive into these issues? What was holding us back?”
So I’ve watched a lot of Scandal recently. Yes, the ABC network drama in it’s sixth season, that Scandal. For those of you who have not yet religiously binge watched dozens of episodes, it’s a show starring Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope, a high powered woman who knows all the Washington D.C. insider secrets, and uses them to “fix problems.” She takes on high profile clients, and helps them work around the legal system of the U.S. and work the media outlets, sometimes taking advantage of those who don’t know as much so that justice, or at least her interpretation of justice, can prevail.
When I was thinking about Alpha’s questions, I thought about it in two ways: 1. Why didn’t society as a whole dive into the issues of the financial world? 2. Why didn’t I, as an individual look into these issues? (Thank you to Jes during our group discussion in class for putting what I was vaguely thinking into concrete words). My reasoning for both interpretations of the question stem from the same place. We aren’t concerned about things that don’t involve us on an individual level; we place a certain amount of faith in those who are making the decisions and setting the rules when it comes to things we don’t entirely understand. Prior to the stock market crash of 2009, not many people were affected by the actions of “the 1%.” Continue reading “Alpha’s Question (Delayed)”
Belated Musings on Course Themes
I’ve been meaning to write this post after class on 1/27, but I’m just getting around to it now, so I apologize for the slightly delayed discussion. The passage we read from Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye really struck me with what I’ve interpreted to be the themes of this course to be.
The first line of the second paragraph of the excerpt reads, “There is a difference between being put out and being put outdoors. If you are put out, you go somewhere else; if you are outdoors, there is no place to go.” This seems to emphasize one of the themes of the class- the importance of having a home. Morrison is talking about what happens when you are displaced from where you are as opposed to having no where to go, also stating that, “Outdoors, we knew, was the real terror of life.” This reminded me of the documentary we watched in class, The Old Man and the Storm. Those affected by Hurricane Katrina were either “put out” or “put outdoors,” and the distinction between the two is rather heartbreaking. Those who were “put out” were displaced, to family, to friends, but they had somewhere to go. Many, however, realized soon that they were “put outdoors.” The storm revealed how many homes the victims had, whether they had a place to turn to, to take them in, or if the entire epicenter of their lives was in New Orleans. Those in the latter group were stranded.
I’m excited to explore, throughout the semester, more about the importance of home, and of having a place to be grounded in.