Grrrl, I love you!
I don't really know how to convey how amazing of a class Girls Studies has been for me. This post isn't going to do it justice and is going to be all over the place.
I was not initially registered in the course. I didn't want to go all the way to Cocoa and a million other excuses as to why I should be in another class instead, all rebutted by my friends who were taking the class and swore that I would love it and needed to switch into it immediately. Part of the reason that I caved was because of how many amazing women that I knew were taking the course and how great I knew the discussions would be as a result.
What can I say? Y'all proved me right. All of the women that I already knew and whom (who? that?) I'm glad that I know now consistently had such unique and fascinating stories, arguments, and ideas that sometimes the continuing discussion on the ride home wasn't even enough for me. Maybe I'm overzealous. I was always excited for every other Wednesday night to hear what everyone had to say. Everyone was so passionately engaged in what was going on. I've never seen another Women's Studies class, or feminist space in general, like it.
What exactly IS girlhood? Did we all experience the same thing, along with all of the authors in the texts and the girls and women in the movies or did we all have crazy different experiences that we choose to lump together as same? I have no idea. I related a lot and I didn't relate a lot.
Either way, why is this the first place that we've really delved this deep into discussing girlhood? I didn't even realize it until taking the course. I am constantly talking about and deconstructing what it means to be a woman, but never until Girls Studies, did I discuss so much what it means to be a girl.
The discussions were AMAZING. Sitting in a circle, discussing things the way that we did, is how I wish every class was. I've seen attempts at it in other classes fall flat, but everything came together perfectly in that room, somehow. I learned and thought and connected so much, I don't know where to start or how to convey it in a blog. I didn't memorize and regurgitate material. I critically thought and grew as a person and I can carry that with me.
How do we create a better culture for girls? We're doing it and going to do it. I especially enjoyed hearing from the women in YWLP. They're really doing feminism, whether it's called such or not, and actively and tangibly improving the lives of girls.
I loved having a woman-only space to talk about these issues. I love talking about feminism and women and girls' issues with men and I love feminist men, but the dynamics of when it's just women are so different. For this class, it worked. It would have been fabulous to have men in the class too, but it would have been different.
Can we just keep holding class?!
I was not initially registered in the course. I didn't want to go all the way to Cocoa and a million other excuses as to why I should be in another class instead, all rebutted by my friends who were taking the class and swore that I would love it and needed to switch into it immediately. Part of the reason that I caved was because of how many amazing women that I knew were taking the course and how great I knew the discussions would be as a result.
What can I say? Y'all proved me right. All of the women that I already knew and whom (who? that?) I'm glad that I know now consistently had such unique and fascinating stories, arguments, and ideas that sometimes the continuing discussion on the ride home wasn't even enough for me. Maybe I'm overzealous. I was always excited for every other Wednesday night to hear what everyone had to say. Everyone was so passionately engaged in what was going on. I've never seen another Women's Studies class, or feminist space in general, like it.
What exactly IS girlhood? Did we all experience the same thing, along with all of the authors in the texts and the girls and women in the movies or did we all have crazy different experiences that we choose to lump together as same? I have no idea. I related a lot and I didn't relate a lot.
Either way, why is this the first place that we've really delved this deep into discussing girlhood? I didn't even realize it until taking the course. I am constantly talking about and deconstructing what it means to be a woman, but never until Girls Studies, did I discuss so much what it means to be a girl.
The discussions were AMAZING. Sitting in a circle, discussing things the way that we did, is how I wish every class was. I've seen attempts at it in other classes fall flat, but everything came together perfectly in that room, somehow. I learned and thought and connected so much, I don't know where to start or how to convey it in a blog. I didn't memorize and regurgitate material. I critically thought and grew as a person and I can carry that with me.
How do we create a better culture for girls? We're doing it and going to do it. I especially enjoyed hearing from the women in YWLP. They're really doing feminism, whether it's called such or not, and actively and tangibly improving the lives of girls.
I loved having a woman-only space to talk about these issues. I love talking about feminism and women and girls' issues with men and I love feminist men, but the dynamics of when it's just women are so different. For this class, it worked. It would have been fabulous to have men in the class too, but it would have been different.
Can we just keep holding class?!
Comments