Flashback!

I really loved the story about ANK. The idea that girls are willing to bike very far just to go to school was really touching. Sometimes, I think Americans take education for granted; sometimes we even hate it. However, to read about this foundation that enables girls to be able to continue their education is really touching.

Reading the Prom article made me glad I never went to prom! The whole process, the salon, tanning booth, make-up artist (197) just seems like a completely overwhelming process. Best made an interesting point, about femininity and the prom- that prom gives girl a chance to “cement their femininity (200).” I did have some friends that did not spend the extravagant amount of money at prom- two friends made duct-tape dresses, and ended up entering a scholarship as well. Overall, Best seemed correct- girls that I had never known to care about looks were suddenly tanning and buying make-up just for one night. I don’t think this necessarily cements girls into being a certain type of woman…sometimes it’s just fun to play dress up for one evening. (Although, when I play dress up and go out, it’s usually much cheaper!!)

I really loved the stories in Red, particularly “Life Goes Up A Wall.” Harari wrote about being tormented by a particular group of football players about being Muslim in the post-9/11 world and for having gay friends. I related a lot to this story in particular, because in my back-water, conservative high school, many students felt the need to express their hatred of gays, Muslims, and anyone else who wasn’t a carbon copy of themselves. One day, at lunch, my gay friends gave each other a kiss on the cheek. It wasn’t even vulgar, barely noticeable, and yet the whole cafeteria seemed to notice and began to heckle my friends. What could we do? We just sat there and laughed. I think it takes a particular kind of insecurity, ignorance and fear to lash out at others the way Harari’s football players did. I even had friends who became outcasts after 9/11 because no one would stop tormenting them.

Lisa Chau’s “Stuck in Traffic” was like reading my own high school experience. Everything from her all-to-familiar description off the bathrooms to the mandatory lanyards reminded me of my high school. What I thought was missing from Red were stories about particular teachers or people who made high school better. Part of the prompt notes that boys receive more attention in school than girls. However, I think many of us probably had at least one teacher that really helped to influence us. I had two in particular; my AP US History teacher, who taught me history was more than just facts and dates. His influence is clear, I’m a history major today and history is my passion. My other teacher was an ex-JAG Marxist biker with a passion for history and law. If nothing else, he taught me to always stand my ground, even when the odds were stacked against me.

Comments

Ani Reina said…
Hey Lindsey,

I didn't really notice the absent of "positive" high school essays, maybe it is just because I really hated my 4 years. There are always those few teachers that stand out in our minds and I'm very happy yours infulenced your career goals. :)
Turnbullet said…
Did I say positive? Oops, I meant like, positive teachers :P
Natasha said…
I never went to prom either and reading the article about prom made me really happy with my decision. At the time, I didn't think of prom as a way of limiting girls potential, but I see it more clearly now.

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