11/17/2018 0 Comments Fall BreakAt Alma, we have a Fall Break - a four day weekend - in October around midterms to go home, participate in an alternative break, or to stay on campus. I went home over Fall Break, and I was excited to be back in the UP, see my family and pets, and to be outside. I had three objectives while on break - go biking, kayak, and to speak at the high school.
My Mom and I drove to Bruno's Run in Munising to ride the single track trails on bikes and to get Jack out of the house. It was a blast. The fall colors were in full bloom and there wasn't anyone else out on the trail. Just us, our bikes, and the dog. While at home, I was adamant about kayaking - even in October weather. So, I bundled up, prepped my kayak, placed it on the Subaru, and drove to Twin Lakes for a paddle. It was softly raining, while I was kayaking, but I dressed in layers so I was warm. The lake was calm, there was no one else outside, and I even spotted a loon. The next day, I spoke at the high school to freshman and sophomore year girls about the power of passion, role models, mentoring, and of course, biking. I made a presentation about cycling across the Upper Peninsula, my inspirations, mentoring, finding your passion, and making your dream happen. When I was talking to a teacher from high school over the summer she said (paraphrased) 'Eryn, most students don't come back from college and believe that they can do anything, and yet you are.' That really struck a chord with me, considering how empowered I was from my first year of college and taking a WGS (women's and gender studies) course. One reason that I wanted to speak in the high school was that "if she can see it, she can be it." That's the slogan of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, an organization committed to closing the gender gap in media, their aim is at "marketers and audiences about the importance of eliminating unconscious bias, highlighting gender balance, challenging stereotypes, creating role models and scripting a wide variety of strong female characters in entertainment and media." (https://seejane.org/about-us/). I think that this is extremely important considering the amount of time young people spend in front of a screen and concerning the political climate where women are degraded and not believed. (sources below) However, this is not recent issue. In the podcast "To Be a Citizen: The History of Becoming American," professor and author Linda Kerber draws comparison from the backlash of the Expatriation and Citizenship Act of 1907 by women and in contemporary society women not being believed in the #MeToo movement. Kerber explains, "the continuing percolation of old assumptions about women’s moral trustworthiness that have infused American law and custom and practice from the Revolution to the present moment" (Gain a Husband, Loose a Country), this indicates that we have a long history of social usurpations with women not being trusted. Therefore, with this being said, we should highlight the good in the world and inspire others to be the best that they can be. Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/sep/24/rape-conviction-figures-uk https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/16/opinion/sunday/amber-tamblyn-james-woods.html "To Be a Citizen: The History of Becoming American" Backstory Radio https://www.backstoryradio.org/shows/to-be-a-citizen/#transcript https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/03/17/520517665/that-time-american-women-lost-their-citizenship-because-they-married-foreigners
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Author: Eryn corinthCyclist. Feminist. Outdoor enthusiast. Tree hugger. Archives
October 2022
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