Taylor11's blog

            Accessibility is defined as easily reached, easily understood, easily available, and approachable.  From this view accessibly is something that makes something else easier.  From my understanding accessibility, relating to the classroom, is the idea of making the classroom more open and more inclusive.  When thinking about the ways in which our class tried to make the classroom more accessible it came to my understanding that by making the classroom more accessible to some, was disabling to others.  Myself, personally found the structure of the classroom and the class overall more hindering.

So I read this article to my family over the break and it provided a very interesting dicussion.  My family didn't understand the reasoning behind the point of using different pronouns instead of just using he/she pronouns. I attempted to give them a gender studies lecture and explain the reasoning behind it. Also I found the comments on this article to be interesting as well.

http://news.yahoo.com/preferred-pronouns-gain-traction-us-colleges-064437446.html

In reading Eva's man I came to the realization that even though the structure of the book is meant to be read with time being all over the place and not structured I found myself structuring it.  I found myself organizing Eva's life into order even though Eva wasn't doing that herself.  I understood that the author structured the book this way in order to evoke more meaning and really enter a mind of someone that has been truly traumatized.  You aren't suppose to fully understand, you are just suppose to experience the book and not try to restructure it for your own better understanding.  After I read the book and completely pieced together Eva's life in an order that I understood, I stopped an thought why was I doing this?  I was doing it because that is how I have been taught to understand books and have been programed that the way for a long time.  I have been stuck in normative time for so long will I ever be able to fully escape it?  

When thinking about changing the structure of higher educational institutions in order to make it more accessible for people with disabilities is very encouraging.  Everyone should be able to have access and the ability to attend college.  But before people begin to change the structure of the college classroom people should start with changing the structure of the elementary classroom.  Elementary school is where many students begin to shape how a “normal” classroom should be structured, how to study and retain information the “normal” way, and how they view people with disabilities.  By changing elementary schools, it will make changing higher educational institutions easier because what is now viewed as not “normal” will be seen as “normal”.   It also just might begin to destigmatize people with disabilities.

When defining home my first thought is my house back on Long Island with my family where I grew up and have lived for the past 20 years.  But home is not solely based on where you grew up, it is much more then that.  Home to me is just not a place, it is also people.  Whenever I am with my family or more friends I feel at home.  When I am on the soccer field I feel at home.  Bryn Mawr also is my home.  I have mutiple homes.  So when thinking about feeling homeless and experiencing that feeling it hard for me to understand.  I have left home and have gone to places on my own and I have felt homesick but that feeling of being homeless I never experenced.  No matter how far I go or where I end up, at least for now, I know my family and my friends will always be there for me.  So I may not have a house and stuck wondering the streets but as long as still have my family and friends to fall back on I don't think I will ever feel completely homeless.  

In our disscusion in class about the defiantion and the changing defination of what it means to be a women's college I came to the realization that I have never thought of what it means to be a women's college.  For me personally I did not apply to Bryn Mawr because of the fact it is a women's college, I applied and chose to attend because Bryn Mawr has one of the top archaeology programs in the country.  So when thinking about coming to Bryn Mawr the fact that is was a women's college didn't really matter to me. I have been meaning to ask in the class: why did you apply to Bryn Mawr and if the main reason for applying is because Bryn Mawr is a Women's college?  

“I am an archaeology major and finding pottery sherds are very common.  As an archaeologist it is my job to create a complete picture, a complete identity for the sherds I find.  Right now I’m struggling to find my true self, my authentic identity.  Right now I am a bunch of sherds waiting to be found and be put together.”

Identity Fluid or Not

When asked the question "is an autobiography a feminist genre" I struggled to find an answer.  I struggled because I am unsure of what exactly feminism is and what criteria has to be meant in order to make something feminism or not.  In examining whether or not Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is feministic, my first thought was yes it is because it is based on a woman's life and is told by a woman but I knew right away that was to simply of a thought.  It is simply because not all women consider themselves feminist and not all women write with the intent to spread feminist ideas.  So I stepped away from that quick answer and I came to the realization that I had truly no idea.  So when we did that exercise in class when you had to choose a side I thought that would help me come up with a final decision but I was wrong.  I found myself agreeing with both sides and even more unsure then I was before.  So I think my overall struggle in finding an answer to this question stems from the fact I don't really know what feminism is...    

I am from a small town on Long Isalnd called Sayville.  One of my favorite parts of my town is the bay and the docks.  It is my place to go to think and relax.  Home and family are very important in my life and this picture reminds me of where I am from and my family.  I also believe that home and family play a very important role in shaping how you think and who you are.  I know personally that my family and my town have played a role in shaping how I view gender and sexuality.  This is why I choose this picture to represent me.