December 11, 2015 - 16:06
The topic of my six week project includes such a long history of Bryn Mawr as well as Haverford. There are multiple perspective to develop it and I found I just touch the surface. What we have done is learning the facts about how does Haverford went to co-ed and how does it affect the bi-co consortium, and the current connection of the two school and the students. However, I found I did not get enough background in this area and finding more about the situation of BMC before co-ed and after co-ed is necessary to finish this project. The history of bi-co consortium gives us the hint to analyze the current situation. We can see in what way do we want to build our relationship according to the past. Do we want to recover the more “intimate” relationship? Do we want to have many students live in the co-ed dorm instead of the lone male in BMC? Do we feel it is fine to stay in the current situation and deal with the identity that BMC get through the involuntary revolution? I think i will do more related to the contact zone. Also, I found Madi’s suggestion is very useful and I think it will be fun to do another survey about the students who apply Haverford and Bryn Mawr at the same time as the transformation of Haverford creates a competitive relationship with BMC. Generally, the information will equally come from the archive work and the survey and talks to students as I anticipated.
I think I would like to share it with all my friends in both campuses, especially the girls who have boyfriends in Haverford and the boys who have girlfriends in BMC(JK). I found it is practical to look at ourselves through the relationship of these two schools. The stereotypes kind of explain the mode to make friends and connect with people from Haverford, and they also explain the general types of students in both campus to some extant. They are not necessarily true, but it is interesting to examine ourselves form this frame.
Everyone has a great presentation! I’m specially interested in the gender issues in BMC from Akane and Amaka. I wonder if there is any relation between the thought that BMC is not a “typical” women college but more open to all the marginal sex and gender and the fact of BMC’s transformation as a result of Haverford’s transformation. (According to the ecological intelligence, there must be some connections.) Besides the interesting facts everyone presented in the class, I also experience and learn the varied pedagogies. They are so innovative and interesting. I find I’m engaged when there is some small group discussion as well as when I’m in movement. I really enjoy these presentations and learn a lot form them.