New Comments on Serendip

I really like how Fdaniel put this. I agree that there are many different kinds of feminism and that each interpret feminism in different ways.  Some may see this as a weakness but I think it is a strength because it covers so many different grounds and they all get connected back to feminism.  However it does make understanding what exactly feminism is more difficult.  I am curious of what the common theme that connects all these different kinds of feminist together would be and how one would go about making one over reaching theme of feminism that connects all the different groups?

I was very suprised at the things that happened to those young girls regarding their hair. I know I've faced discrimination throughout my life about my hair especially being that I am natural. This idea of how hair should look is quite offensive. Attending Bryn Mawr has made it even more appearant being that the majority of the student body is White. I've only been here for 3 months and I've already gotten the questions " Can I touch it?" Is that real? As frustrating as these questions are I am forced to accept it because those student "just dont understand." There needs to be more awareness about black hair but also more acceptance. Haverford College has a campign right now on facebook glorifying black hair. It's very interesting to read the responses people have said to combat the stigma. Heres the Link :https://www.facebook.com/events/267184743406286/269375679853859/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity 

I’m 17 yrs. old and i get sleep paralysis quite frequently and it comes on and goes off but then never totally goes away. I don’t really know why i get it i researched about it after repeatedly having dreams of demons or something in my room, like once i get this dream of a black ghost or something that i couldn’t see clearly outside the window and me looking towards it then i suddenly woke up by praying to Allah (god) i called out to him caz i notice every time i do that i wake up and because i get it frequently i try not to stress over it or else that will just make it worse so i try to make myself understand that’s only a dream and it will go away. After having one terrifying dream i have another one after the other and it’s quite scary, now it’s night 3:54am and i recently had all these scary dreams. I felt like i was dying or that im becoming a spirit i tried to fly while my body was still in rigid place but it’s this feeling that i can’t move myself but i always try to understand the fact that’s a nightmare. Because i kept on having dreams one after the other i forced myself not to fall asleep each time i woke up caz i would keep on going back to another nightmare so i forced myself to stay awake and decided to research this. i heard many people saying this could be a demon, ghost or something evil which is from religion side but from scientific side it wasn't much of a clear explanation i mean i don’t really know if the scientific info would have much evidence or prove that could explain this repeatedly nightmares. I remember i was a sleep one night and then i dreamt there was an insect on my neck so i reached out to get it in my dreams but then i woke up and i had my hand on a moth which was on my neck in reality during the night and this freaked me out caz i was having a dream about it then it was caught in my awaken life. There’s this other day i came from school and i straight away went to my parents room and slept near the window on their bed caz i was soo tired they were not home. i fall asleep in their room alone and later on my sister woke me up, it was around 6-7pm already dark and then i went to the kitchen and sat down tired and i felt a pain on my leg when i looked at it i saw this oval long brose, bluish and purplish colour it was new but i had no idea how it got there before i didn’t see it there i know for sure after that sleep it happened like that so i didn’t take it as a big deal at the time but then in that night i slept at 12 am again on that same bed although with my sister caz i was scared this time then there i kept on having nightmares after nightmares and i wanted to wake up but couldn't caz i would fall back to sleep every time i called out gods help and dream another part of a new nightmare... i was soo scared and i didn't want to sleep anymore i called my sister on and on but she was comfortable sleeping until i read a prayer of islam (dua) and finally i fall peacefully to sleep but after calling my sis she didn't even seem to care until she then started having those demons dreams as when i prayed it went off me to her and she was struggling with it and she tried calling me caz she was scarred i didn't even notice her calling me caz i was in peace at last so she then said a prayer to god and fall to sleep i have had many of these dreams and always tried to wake up but i couldn't. i believe it might be ghosts or demons evil spirit because when saying prayers they go away but if not then this happens its really creeping me out i wish i could have further information on this and why it really happens! Thanks.

I really enjoyed your essay. I think that you made a great argument but also brought in the objections that changing the school would create. What you wrote about the older alumna being hesitant about changing the name was very interesting. I think that the alumna and many people who know and are impressed by Bryn Mawr as a college see the college in a different way that many of the students here see Bryn Mawr. Both a feminist and a Queer college are accurate ways to rename the college. Even though in class we identify queer as outside the norm most people I know who do not go to Bryn Mawr only think of it in regards to sexuality. I would be hesitant to rename the school queer in the sense that it might alienate and confuse some perspective students at to what the college is. If we were to become a feminist college would you allow cys -men in as well? If a cys man was focused on a gender and sexuality major and we became a feminist college would there be an issue letting men in? Both our papers deal with the issue of restructuring the college. Mine focuses on how to restructure the school to better accommodate disability. I think that what we both proposed would be met with opposition because they are big changes for the school. This paper laid out the history and your opinion about what we can do in a very fascinating way.

After reading your comments, I do realize that the term "sisterhood" implies a divide within itself: that there those who are a part of the sisterhood and those who are not. Is it idealistic of me to want Bryn Mawr to be accepting of everyone and for it to truly be a judgment-free zone? Humans are naturally judgmental creatures because we have the ability to analyze, thus we analyze each other. Does a safe space for one identity automatically put another identity at risk? I was discussing my paper with a friend last week and she said that perhaps there is not negative effects on heterosexuals as I described, but perhaps it is perceived because we are so used to being outside of Bryn Mawr where heterosexuals dominate. At Bryn Mawr this domination is threatened not by another dominance, but by queer equality. She said that perhaps equality is viewed as having negative effects because it's so different to what we are used to. I found this very interesting food for thought. I don't quite buy it, but it's another layer to this situation that I had not considered before.

A community without walls. Both walls separating the community from the outside, but also walls separating parts of the community from each other. The later explanation is what my paper explored, the walls the student body at Bryn Mawr has created from the culture we also create. It is obvious that Bryn Mawr is currently a community which exists within the campus boundaries: the Bryn Mawr bubble is real! I think before we can build a world without an outside, we need to first build microcosms without walls. Bryn Mawr is a microcosm of society, we have formed our own society within these walls. But within our walls are also walls, which need to be torn down before we can examine the larger picture of a world without walls. 

It would be nice if we could do both (get takeout in Chinatown and take it to either mark or Anne's place), but that might be a little difficult to arrange. Some one would have to order it and pick it up, or we would each have to make a separate order and retrieve itourselves.  This might be a situation where it would be easier to do one or the other rather than both.  Either go to Chinatown or Anne's place. I personally prefer going to Anne's house.

I think the most significant commonality between our papers is an emphasis on the need for a 'safe space' for high schoolers.  We both shared a little bit of our high school experience and how infrequently students or faculty spoke about issues of identity.  It seems like high school has essentially become a place of silence and-like you said in class today-and, consequently, oppression.  While our paper's addressed the same desired outcome, we approached the subject with different tactics.  My paper called for a physical classroom in which these topics could be freely discussed without the fear of any kind of judgment.  And yours seems to address the faculty and how they should act as role models for the students.  I think that either way that this is accomplished we are looking for a space that students feel comfortable enough to discuss their identity.

I would really love to go to Chinatown as well! The noodle house sounds amazing and I love soup and dumplings. 

My grandaughter is 12years old and checks cutlery plates and many other things that they are clean, I think she may need help some way.
Please help.
Jeanne

Your paper largely addresses the issue that Bryn Mawr needs to be more accepting of people with disabilities whether they are mental, physical, or emotional. Naming the daunting Admissions progress and restrictive normative time as the key factors against those with disabilities, you explain the pitfalls of each and suggestion a resolution. You propose a deviation from running on normative time, because queer time would provide time crucial for a differing mental capacities for learning. This would create a more inclusive environment for learning. Bryn Mawr’s ideals for academic achievement cannot be reached if the institution does not provide a time-queered, inclusive, supportive space for those who have disabilities.  

You're not alone, I'm 40 years old and stutter to the point that often I can't even get words out. I've read that its caused by an involuntary act of the locking of the vocal cords. I know that's its very disabling and extremely misunderstood.. I really need help so desperately.. My whole life is continuing to fall apart. I am very scared of becoming homeless and God knows what else.

I don't know why this happens, but people have no sympathy for a stutterer.. A true stutter's life is a living hell everyday.

I truly wish you and everyone else that stutter's some tranquility and success!

It's a good idea to go to Anne's "natural habitat". I would also like to go to Chinatown~ 

Ziyan and I are going to Chinatown this weekend, so we can go to several restaurants and see if there are places that are big enough to hold all of us.

The time works for me.

BTW Mark's profile pic is soooo cool!

I saw this powerful article titled "White Women With Black Hairstyles Redefine Corporate America" on Huffington post a few weeks ago, and it really reminded me of your topic when you had mentioned it in class. I'm glad you included it in your paper because it definitely highlights the ridiculous stigma against various hairstyles.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/18/endia-beal_n_4116379.html

I'm fine for pretty much everything but I do think Agatha had a good point that it would be much easier to socalize/mingle in either Anne or Mark's "natural habitats."  But as Abby said we could just use them as a fall back if another plan doesnt work out.

Also the times are good for me.