Monthly Archives: September 2013

The Beauty of Self Governance

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There’s something wonderful about self governance. Last year I didn’t understand what self governance was or what it meant to be a self governing community. There is often an emphasis on the Honor Code and SGA but what does that all mean? After my experiences at plenary this past weekend and my experience participating in the AMO (Alliance of Multicultural Organizations) workshop this semester, I have come to understand and own the fact that Bryn Mawr College is self governing.

I have seen problems revolving around club budgets and plenary attendance, or lack-thereof, be resolved or talked about through student-centered and student-led discussions. It is amazing to see the community come together around a central problem and not focus on the problems but the solutions. The solutions then either become plenary resolutions or easily fixable situations that are, once again, student-led and student-centered. One example that is very vivid in my mind is the budget issue that occurred in different AMO groups.   Instead of having a pessimistic attitude we generated a list of solutions, a lot of which had an impact on the whole community not just the AMO groups. Everyone involved took some level of ownership and responsibility and together we made changes to help the advancement of our community.

That is what self governance is to me. It is the ability to take ownership of our roles, effectively communicate what we want, and collectively make decisions that enhance the community. We don’t need an “adult” or administrator to tell us what to do; we can speak and decide for ourselves. We are held accountable for seeing our vision through and we initiate and continue progress. That’s the beauty of self governance.

Look out for my next post about the intersection (and if there is one) between SGA and students of color on this campus.

 

 

Being a Sophomore

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Majors, minors, and PE requirements – these are just a few things that daunt you in your sophomore year. I knew I wanted to major in psychology but I still wanted to explore other departments and classes. For some people this can change what they want to study and for others it can confirm what they want to study; I was apart of the latter group. I realized that I really do love psychology but I also love education and I want to work with children… so what now?

It seems like there are so many requirements that have to be filled and so little time to do it. Unlike high school, you get to structure how you fulfill those requirements. It’s taking me some time to adjust to the freedom I have in the liberal arts curriculum. A class that counts towards inquiry to the past (IP) doesn’t have to be in the history department and a physical education class (PE) can be anything from a dance class to yoga to personal finance.

Last week I built up the courage to ask one of my professors to be my major adviser. I had so much pent-up anxiety that I felt like I was asking someone to be my heller all over again.  It turned out fine and now I have a major adviser. Once I got over my anxieties I realized that I was making progress towards completing my college education. I’m taking more classes in my prospective major and I’m finding that I really enjoy it. I also started taking classes that relate to the areas I want to minor in, education and child and family studies.

I’m slowly crossing items off of my sophomore to-do list and it feels good.

First Week Woes and Parade Night

Study Tips, Traditions, ,

It’s a lovely Sunday afternoon, I think. I have not left my dorm today to find out; one of the perks to living in Erdman. I have spent the majority of this weekend doing homework… and it’s only the first week. Sophomore year is already proving itself to be a challenge but I’m ready. After a summer of relaxation, I had to convince myself to get into “school mode” and slowly but surely I’m getting used to attending classes, doing readings, and using BiONiC. Shopping week was a little hectic and I changed my schedule at least 3 or 4 times but I think my schedule is set. Now I’m trying to see when I’m going to do homework and when I’ll have time for fun. One thing I try to do is find blocks of around 2-3 hours where I’m not doing anything and then make that my homework or laundry time. It helps me to do my homework in the middle of the day while my brain is focused on school work versus at night when I just want to sleep (but don’t get me wrong, some people do their best work at night). It also helps to know what time of day you work best. It gets easier to figure out your homework schedule when you learn more about yourself as a student. Whether it’s the environment you work in or the time of day, knowing what works best for you will help move your college experience along.

On a different note, Parade Night was amazingly wonderful. We welcomed yet another year of students into the Bryn Mawr community with water, candy, and… apathy? I was able to watch as the first-years learned their class song, round, and parody in the Erdman common room – that is before a few of my friends and I surprised them with water guns and water balloons while they were waiting for instructions on how to line up. The first-years got to experience their first tradition as well as their first step sing. For the first year students, it can be a bit overwhelming but exciting at the same time. Last year I didn’t know what to expect, but I was having so much fun singing out of a songbook and chanting sister class that I didn’t care that it was getting cold or that I could barely hear anything, I was having a good time.

Last year I didn’t notice how the campus buzzed before Parade Night. There was no one in sight as I walked from Erdman to the arch, but on the other side sophomores, juniors, and seniors were waiting for the festivities to begin. As the first-years got closer, people began to chant and cheer and the pressure was high. Parade Night was filled with high spirits and will hopefully be a time that the first-years remember forever.

P.S. Thank you to everyone who read my first blog post. Keep providing me with feedback! I really do appreciate it.

P.P.S If you wanna see a clip of the first years singing their parody to Toxic by Britney Spears, I posted one to my instagram (@shorrtiie_)

P.P.S … we’d rather be the evens than the evil green and red!

Customs Week and Homesickness

Uncategorized,

Hello everyone!

Customs week is hectic, even the second time around. I got back to Bryn Mawr about two weeks ago and since then I have been in training, attending meetings, and welcoming first-years. When I wasn’t doing that I was trying to sleep, eating, and decorating my room (which I still haven’t finished doing). I was honored to welcome the class of 2017, transfers, and McBrides. It was fun to watch as they chose their class song, parody, and songs mistress. It was weird though, remembering that only a year ago I was in the same position wondering what the year would bring me and being excited about all the traditions and the community the school had to offer. I also remember the excitement that the upperclassmen had about welcoming the “babies” and the excitement I now understand as a sophomore. It’s different not being the youngest class anymore; although I do recall chanting at the end of May Day with some of my friends, “we aren’t babies anymore.”

I also remember that is was around this time last year that I felt my first bout of homesickness. It wasn’t because I missed my mother or my little brother, it was because I was missing the biggest event that my family hosted each year. It was my first time missing this event since my birth and even now I’m struggling with coping with the fact that I’m not home. Every year we have a pre-labor day cookout (picnic) at my grandparents house. There is food, music, and good company. I’m usually stressed out though, because this takes a lot of planning and preparation but I always look forward to this time of year, especially since I’m old enough to invite people myself. Last year, I think I took it harder than I did this year; so to everyone (especially first-years) that is worried about being homesick, the feeling may not go away… but it does get a little easier.  It’s okay to be homesick, but don’t let that rule your life. The community at BMC will always support you and can become your home away from home.