New Eyes

September 16th, 2010

Dear GLW Newsletter Editors,

I wanted to personally thank you for the chance to write a piece specifically tailored to GLW, and I really appreciate having been shoe cased like that. The session 1 writer did a lovely job, and I found a lot of truth in her writing. Once again, thank you.

For those who haven't yet read it in the newsletter, here's a copy:


"New Eyes"
Written by Rebecca Stark, 2010 GLW Participant

The commencement of my GLW experience began one February afternoon when I found myself writing. Writing and editing, rewriting and reediting efforts became a vicious cycle until I was satisfied with what I had created. It wasn't necessarily a long essay, but I was content with the outcome. My topic had been based around the idea that every effort matters, no matter the size. Before arriving at GLW, I had thought that I knew the full meaning of that idea. I thought that my eyes were capable of seeing the smallest of difficulties and the fine details of life's obstacles, and then following that, could see possible solutions, but my sight was not fully clear. Sure, the basic ideas were there, but they were still too underdeveloped to really see any completion. This realization never occurred to me until I came to GLW.

Even in my first moments, I noticed a difference. Though initially said differences were invisible to me, many things became apparent upon delving into the world of GLW. My eyes changed the most in those first few days. They were becoming clearer and clearer until I finally felt that I could see. No longer were the days of only seeing the bigger picture; finally the details were perceivable. What captivated me, though, was the fact that only days before Session Two began, I had been so sure that my vision of the world was fine; I had been so sure that I was able to pick apart the details of worldly and communal issues. GLW turned my world upside down, yet in doing so it began to make sense. What further captivated me was that every single GLW participant influenced this change. Each person contributed something that further opened my eyes to the world around me.

Upon my return to my small-town Connecticut reality, it was easy to see my transformation. All throughout the week I had kept a detailed record of our daily events, and in rereading them I noticed that as the week went on, the entries became more and more insightful. Not only could I see it in my writing, I could see it in my thinking as well. It was something intangible that I observed when venturing into the harsh honesty of the world. As I began to open myself to life's various perspectives, I found that my eyes were new - they were bright, they were aware, and they were open. In the midst of summer, these struggles were more difficult to see, but with the beginning of my junior year, it was easier to see the quiet struggles of high school. The best part was that I felt more willing to give my help, and for once I felt conscious of my surroundings.

New eyes not only help in identifying life's details, but they also intend to influence a change or a difference. They are meant to make history and change the world in beautiful ways. They no longer focus on whims or self-oriented issues, but they focus on both the bigger picture and the details at once. All who participate in the GLW experience obtain these eyes, ones that Eleanor had always possessed, and these eyes give hope to the future. A remarkable woman once said "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams," and with new eyes, one's dreams can become a reality. To all who influenced the obtaining of my new eyes, I sincerely thank you.

With Love,
Becca

"[Stererotypes] are incomplete"

September 10th, 2010

So far I've been loving my English and french class. In both we've been discussing worldly issues, and I absolutely love learning and talking about them. Today in English we watched this speech, and I instantly thought of my GLW girls. It's a great speech; I really enjoyed it, so I hope you will too!

http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

There is some great information and insight within this video. Chimamanda Adichie titled her speech "The Danger of a Single Story." In it she covers the topic of stereotypes, not only in the world but also in her own life. I really enjoyed how she presented the information. She used humor and self incrimination to bring her speech down to earth and more captivating. Enjoy!

With Love,
Becca

Dear GLWers

September 2nd, 2010

Hey lovely GLW alum! So it's my second day of school, and I got my first AP English 11 assignment, and it is about none other than women's rights in the mid to late 1800s and early 1900s. Well, we were handed this reading (that I attached as pictures below) and it is the Declaration of Sentiments from the Seneca Falls convention. I recognized the name, so I checked in my handy-dandy notebook and it was in my notes from the History of Feminism with Julie! It's a really cool document, so I thought I'd post it.

And here are the notes on this particular reading from my notes:

(1848) The Seneca Falls Convention takes place and the declaration of sentiments is ratified by 68 women and 32 male abolitionists. Based on the declaration of independence, the declaration of sentiments states "all men and women are created equal."

With love,
Becca

Welcome Back to Reality

September 1st, 2010

Making the change from summer vacation to a new school year is always challenging and today I found myself being forced to make that change. My lifestyle of late nights and freedom has been tossed aside for the time being, and now I am back to a structured schedule. On my return to school I was blasted with the realization of the world that actually existed there. All summer I had been pretending that it was great, not dramatic, and not catty. Well, it's as if vacation never happened: all of that is back, and the silliness in classes is back too.

I was put into a class called Consumer Survival Skills unwillingly, and I'm not complaining because it'll give me my applied arts credit that I really needed, but it's not considered a serious class so everyone in there doesn't really care about the class and some of them were kind of awful to the teacher. To get to the point, it's going to be a long year. My summer was magical, and everyone who took part in sharing this summer with me helped shape that magical summer. Even up until my last trip, it was magical, and now I am back in reality and it almost seems like it isn't enough. What happened to people who wanted to talk about something serious? What happened to respect?

Junior year. I can't say that I'm not unbelievably excited, but I can't say that I'm not worried either. I'm excited for my classes, even if they are more challenging than I've ever tried before, and what also makes me complain is what I missed the most. I just missed seeing people and having more face to face conversations with the people I've always known. When it's summer little effort is made to speak face to face if you know that you'll see them soon. Ah whatever, time for some homework, but please, tell me how your first day was!

With Love,
Becca