correspondence

My apologies for taking so long to write; the best way to make it up is to compose a nice long email updating you with every minutiae of my life.

The last semester was very stressful. There was an ado at Scripps over a t-shirt printed by the 5-college crew team that read “Scripps College: Men don’t go here, they just come here”. Many women found it at least problematic and at most very offensive. They sell shirts every year poking fun at each of the college stereotypes. I think last year’s for Scripps was “T-shirt slogans are offensive to women” - bizarrely prophetic.

Classes were also stressful. I always perform poorly second semester, I just get so sick of being in school. For some reason it feels meaningless: answering questions I don’t care about, writing essays that are just hoops I have to jump through. I know it’s pretty silly, I shouldn’t act like a spoilt brat; I am so blessed to be where I am. I got incredibly tired of one class in particular, a history of 19th century London and Paris. The professor and material were exciting (too much French history though, I’m a true anglophile), but the students in the class were too close-minded for my liking. My fuse has recently become quite short, I don’t tolerate things the way I used to. For the first time that I can remember I lost my temper in a class - twice actually, at the same person. Half way through the semester I was introduced to the writings of Catherine MacKinnon and experienced a conversion to Radical Feminism. Is it odd to talk about it as a conversion? Perhaps. But it felt like that. I’d always identified as a feminist but I’d never lived the beliefs I espoused. I think that had an influence on the shortening of my fuse. I finally realized the connection between language, gender equality, and social behavior. I'm a lot more aware about the way people use words to talk about men, women, and gender.

The semester finally ended in May and the last two weeks were hell. I had to hand in a final late because I hadn’t managed my time well (who knew I would write 24 pages about the history of hair from the late 19th century to the early 20th century?!). I was so relieved to be on the flight home to Seattle for the summer. I’ve been here for the past two months volunteering and trying to enjoy my “last” summer (it’s technically my “last” summer before I leave college for the non-college world). I volunteer at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Community Center in Seattle. It’s mainly secretary work, answering the phone and doing odd jobs around the office. I really enjoy it, I love working with people for a cause I believe in. I’m also volunteering for the East African Center for the Empowerment of Women and Children. This is far more challenging. I’ve volunteered to raise $1000 to help build a school in Takaungu, Kenya, close to where I stayed. I’m always up for a challenge and this one is exercising my abilities in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

Everything else is going pretty well. I enjoy being in Seattle, it feels like paradise sometimes. A lot of the time I spend daydreaming or planning for after college. I’m still thinking about teaching or working for an NGO, but I’d like to fulfill my dream of living in England. I’m researching the visa requirements for emigrating and what I would have to do to work there. I’d either have to get my master’s and work experience here or go to a graduate school in England. It’ll be more expensive in the UK, but my god! I’ve always wanted to go back, ever since I was a little girl. I lived there when was a kid and swore I’d return. It would be much scarier applying to schools in England because I don’t know what they want and how I’d go about applying. I’d almost rather work and study in the US for a bit and then go. I’ll probably apply for Teach for America or another teacher training program. There’s always the white privilege possibility of traveling in Europe for a bit of post-college back-packing. Oh the possibilities!

Well, I think that’s a pretty good update. I’m laid up a bit because I pulled my hamstring yesterday while I was running so the next few days are pretty much shot. You’ll probably here from me again soon.