Intimacy and Education

I apologize for my late posting; my parents were up at Bryn Mawr for Parent's weekend on Sunday, and I didn't have a chance to visit my spot until this afternoon. While there, I reflected upon recent class discussions, and couldn't help but feel a little bit frustrated--and conflicted--about the role of women in present day society. I don't identify with the "radical" ideas that we discussed this past Thursday, but our discussion about ecofeminism coaxed out some bitter feelings that I've been harboring for quite some time (actually, I wouldn't exactly call it harboring...it's a common topic of discussion with my roommate). The patriarchal views which dominate American society have even penetrated the bi-co, crushing any sort of intimacy that may have been emerging between students and their curriculum, peers, and professors. This obsession eith domination is the problem. We're so focused on dominating our academics, social tiers, and athletics that many have lost their love of knowledge. William Butler Yeats once said that "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire". This is the type of education that our liberal arts institutions have attempted to provide, but that we have not truly taken advantage of. I want to return to the state where I love to write, read, and learn with out feeling like I'm robotically taking in information. However, this is easier said than done, especially gievn the academic rigor of Bryn Mawr. This week though, I like to think that I took a step back and tried to pace myself with my work in a way that made it much more enjoyable. I really developed my thoughts into concrete ideas, and wrote about topics that I'm passionate about (for my French essay). Not only did I take in more information about my subject, but I loved doing it. I realize that I won't always be able to spend as much time on my work as I would like, but I'll try, and I encourage others to try the same. If we can't foster intimate relationships with the curriculum, it's going to be a long four years.