Make Your Home Among Strangers

So much for making a new home...

FYE Read (link within caption)

Good news or Bad news first?

Good news:

The book, Make Your Home Among Strangers, was ... boring. I know this doesn't sound like good news, but it is definitely better than the other news. However, I did enjoy what I read. It was relatable in some cases and mind challenging in others. 

Bad news:

I don't feel as though I can make my home here at Georgia Southern. While the school and faculty are nice, the students (some, not all)  seem as though they are afraid of diversity.  Diversity includes me as a student, others as well, no matter where they came from. There have been comments after the author spoke here at Georgia Southern that are not so pleasing to the ear; I'd rather not say. It doesn't even feel as safe as I thought it should be on this campus. How can I speak up when there are larger numbers ahead of me?

On the other hand...

In the FYE read, there were some questions posed in the few topics about how we relate to the main character Lizet, what college is like for her versus us, and the support if family and other resources. First and foremost, we can all agree that college is HARD. While there are rays of sunshine, there are clouds of thunder too. Lizet tells us through her story that it takes time to adjust to college, that there are adversities that we have to face. For example, Lizet is a Cuban college student who came from Florida to a prestigious predominantly white school, with hardly anyone who looks like her. Sounds familiar? Ever been somewhere where you felt as though you didn't quite belong? Same, me too.
It's not easy feeling left out or alone, but eventually one finds their group. The only thing about finding your group is that it can be hard to branch out.

How my first week felt (link )

I also know that having a support system is important. I know that without my mom, adviser, or friends, college would be like a ton of bricks on my back. My support system has been a blessing in many ways. Lizet, however, lacked support. Her mother, in fact, felt emotionally betrayed at the fact that her daughter , Lizet, went off to college. Even when Lizet came back to visit her mother acted somewhat indifferent to her.

(Link)

I feel as though I ca relate to Lizet as far as the different atmosphere that college an give off especially not seeing your "kind". How exactly am I supposed to talk or act? What will people say or think if I did do or say this? It's definitely a a lot trying to find yourself in college, let alone a group of friends. It can be EXTREMELY hard to keep them as well because a relationship has to be built, and we're getting to know each other.

Now the juicy stuff...

Bump that little girl (link in caption)

Y'ALL...author (in picture next to book above), Jennine Crucet, WENT OFF. I like her. Her attitude and poise is EVERYTHING. I'm pretty sure that a the last of the few student's turning this in as late as I shouldn't, you have already heard about the book burning and comments from other students. All good stuff. I want to emphasize the speech. I love, LOVE, LOVED the topics and points she brought up. BUMP the little girl who asked the offensive question of that night. That situation matters, not trying to take away the importance of it, but I really loved her speech.

I liked how she spoke on what "whiteness" meant. When she lived where she resided, she said that after moving out of the area she "lost her whiteness". Whiteness is anything equivalent to having privileges that others do not, it is typically a group of some characteristic who receives this treatment. She also mentioned the success rate of colored students that had some correlation with the colored faculty of the college. She talked about how finding sense of who she was was productive and painful. There are so many ideas and thoughts that I want to talk about and share, but I'll save that for Monday.

Personal Reflection:

I enjoyed and feared this week with all the many events that occurred. There are definitely many topics that need to be talked about and addressed. I have many questions like: "What does it mean to loose Whiteness", "Where does our community REALLY stand on certain topics", or "How is being a professor a tradeoff?"