DISCLAIMER:

I am in no way a professional poet, nor is this an incredible polished poem (by any stretch of the imagination). There is no doubt a lot that could be made more clear or logical. It is very much an edited train of thought, either about myself or about situations I’ve seen other people in. It is a processing of emotion and a reflection of the stigma we subconsciously internalize in every day life. 

“SOMETIMES”

Sometimes, the right

words are the wrong ones for

the right reasons

but the wrong people

say them

no one tells them off 

it’s hard to see the 

discrepancy of the story

“I’M NOT A RACIST”

You can shout it

Americans aren't strangers to the idea of sustainability, or buying locally, or buying fair trade. Actually, it's become a "hip" thing to do-- coming from Portland, Oregon, land of local markets and hipster refashioners and recycling, I've realized that, much like mason jars, chalk print, and the color marsala, environmental buying is in. Sponsoring a child, wearing TOMs, tying your hair with colorful fair trade scarves... things I've done. Things that I wonder about.

How much of it actually makes a difference, this new mentality of consumerism? How much do we actually affect the salaries for people in China, or the opportunities for people in Nicaragua, or the quality of life for people in India? Is this the most effective way to go about it? And can't we do more?

I would like to learn about food. I spent this fall break at an organic farm which raises many animals and grows vegetables. The animals are raised in very large spaces surrounded by nature, so they have no stress. The vegetables are grown without pesticides. I was impressed by the taste of the food, and I felt really safe because I knew where it came from.  Although most of the food market here is based in industrial farms, I want to support local and small organic farms. Therefore I want to learn about this topic.

I'm really intrigued by the contact zone(s?) orbiting clothing. The person and how what they choose to wear reflects or juxtaoses what their personal values or feelings are. People, clothing, and WHERE the clothes are coming from- what's the market and production. Is it vintage with a story and feeling already attached? How about the globalization of production and transnational corporations, or the implications of labor rights and fair trade qualities.  How people and what they choose to wear causes conflict or even prevents the direct conflict from happening by giving messages about personality, class, sexual orientation, etc.

Through the black at Bryn Mawr tour, not only did we discuss sexuality in the form of M Carey Thomas's homosexual partners, but also race. I would like to take this one step forward and research on the intermingling of these two notions through Bryn Mawr's past and present. I am particularly interested in discovering the differences between Bryn Mawr students from varying cultural backgrounds and racial make up with regards to gender and sexuality along with studying how the very concepts of gender and sexuality have evolved in Bryn Mawr over time.

I am interested in the idea of contact zones versus safe zones. I would like to examine the ways in which Bryn Mawr has been a place for cultures to "clash" and "grapple," both constructively and destructively, and when the college has shied away from such interactions. This examination would span the college's history, comparing what cultures have entered into contact zones and what groups have been protected by safe zones, and how this has changed over the years. I would choose specific events to focus on, such as the introduction of new groups into the student body and events that caused disruptions in the community, like last year's Confederate flag scandal.

Actually, I never heard people speaking their "pronouns" before I came in Bryn Mawr College. Thus, gender and sexuality is a really interesting topic that I would like to explore. As a student in a all-women college, it is very common to see LGBT students in campus and during the Black Bryn Mawr trip, I noticed that one of the earliest presidents of Bryn Mawr College, M. Carey Thomas, had a woman parterner and never married during her life. I would like to find out how did the sexuality in Bry Mawr develop? Did any conflict happened in the history? Does the gender idea influnece the community and other people who come from other more conservative countries?

For me, the Emily Balch Seminar I am taking has been a very enlightening experience regarding “contact zones” and relationships among people, animals, and environments. I have never been in a class so open and one that made me feel quite so vulnerable...in a positive way. My ESEM has indubitably helped me to grow in many aspects and appreciate others’ thoughts and beliefs. Thus, I would be very interested in conducting some kind of project in which I could study the affects certain classes/subjects have on students. In which classes do students feel most vulnerable? In which classes are “contact zones” experienced between professors and students/between peers?

In my six week porject, I'll be working with Tralfamadorian to explore the history of class at Bryn Mawr, and the possible legacies of that history. M. Carey Thomas imagined Bryn Mawr as an institution devoted to the education of wealthy young white women, and catering to their accustomed lifestyle. Some of the questions we will likely explore will be: Who were the first underprivileged students at the college? How did their class influence their experiences here? When did the class demographics of the college beging to shift to what they are today? What ways has the college sought to include students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds? What legacies might this history of catering to wealthy white women have on the college today?