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Class begin with a few concerns focusing on our "rules of engagement." How are we connecting in class? How can we work on interacting so that no one feels silenced or incapable of speaking for fear they will be judged or offend someone else? No conclusions were made...but we're working on it. I say: "So what! Offend someone! At least then we'll be talking!"

The next order of business was as such: Susan Stryker is a hero! Some didn't feel "worthy of what she had to say," which transitioned well with our Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz reading of competance. We deviated from the a conversation of worthiness to one of catergorization. Some felt the urge to "box" Susan into a definable category and want to understand what is causing them to do so or to feel as such. We then toyed with some difficult questions: What does it mean to be intensely purposeful? How can you probe someone with questions when it seems to be no longer appropriate?

We learned we cannot say "that is not how i interpreted your life story" to the author of the life story...We settled on the question "how would you like me to see you?" and debated whether this too was an intensely purposeful question. What does being trandsgendered mean for a women's college? seemed to be the question reeling on everybody's mind for a few minutes.

We read Sor Juana's poem: "Romance Epistolar" and Anne and I decided that she was our hero. She was very widely read and couldn't stop thinking! Almost obsessed with the activity of learning! Gee what a gal! In short, Anne thinks of herself as Sor Juana reincarnated...hopefully, she too, will not go silent, or else we all will!