September 13, 2015 - 22:24
I definitely agreed with a lot of what this essay was saying. Two things stood out to me: Nia's discussion about stifled identities at Bryn Mawr College and the discussion about how students uptake lessons from their professors.
While Bryn Mawr College is an open-minded and accepting community, it is true that certain groups are more celebrated than others. Despite the high number of international students, it definitely seems that people who fit certain criteria are treated differently than the rest of us. Being white, upper-middle class, queer, or liberal are all labels that can lead to being treated more kindly by peers. Nia's observation reminds me of our discussion in class about how Bryn Mawr is more concerned with making this campus a "safe zone" and to avoid confrontation, which is definitely not a reflection of the real world. It makes Bryn Mawr a bubble and can in fact make us less tolerant of those who don't share the same views as us. It is also interesting that the everpresent racism was mentioned in the essay, as it is not something that is mentioned a lot at this college.
Another issue that really struck me was the miscommunication between what the professor taught and what the students heard. One line was especially powerful:
"The gap between intention and uptake can be huge — as they struggle to make sense of their identities … and as we struggle to make sense of ours."
Teachers can do their best to teach their students to think actively, but this comes with risks. They can have good intentions but the students can take what their teaching and use it in their own way. Because students in American schools are encouraged to think for themselves and to form their own opinions, these opinions may not align with what the teacher wants them to think. There is no way to control this outcome, for better or for worse. Oftentimes it leads to good discussions and debates, but sometimes these opinions lead to bigger things outside of the classroom. At this point, the teacher may want to blame themselves. But this is a natural consequence of enlightening people, and the teacher can only do so much before the students learn to be more independent.
It's a complicated issue, but it's definitely worth thinking about.