Bye Bye, Brownie!

After turning in our Action Plan essays, the next most important task was to practice our presentations for tomorrow. We split off in to small groups and all took turns presenting. Now that I've had time to practice and get feed back from my peers, I'm feeling pretty good about tomorrow. When we had all run through our speeches, we came back together and discussed the reading. Last night's reading was on the idea of a "supergirl" and how society today idolizes this girl because she is everything a girl supposedly should be: she's smart, pretty, athletic, funny, and sexy. We talked about how the pressures effect us personally as well as how this idea effects society. We came to a few conclusions. One being that it is not helpful in any way, to compare one's self to another human being. Another being that the idea of perfect can range from person to person and that this idea can prove to be motivating as long as it's clear that "perfection" can never really be achieved. In other words, set realistic goals for yourself so you still strive to be the best you can, but you don't hurt yourself in the process. I think these are very important messages for young girls because as the article we read said, girls are told to be everything they want to be and that can often be interpreted as, "be everything." Young girls, and women too, need to remember everyone is different and the ultimate goal should be to be happy with yourself and your accomplishments. 

Here's Molly and Emily practicing
how to get out of a wrist hold.

After our last lunch at Brown, we came back to class and had a self defense class. It was a great way to end an inspiring two weeks. We spent all week thinking and talking about big issues surrounding women and their rights, so it was nice to release some energy in a physical way- kicking and shouting at big, red pads. Knowledge can be a great way to feel confident but a little bit of self defense tactics under your belt is also assuring. 

Abigail practicing her blocks. 

Now, I'm almost done packing and like I've said many times this week, these three weeks have gone by so quickly and all I've learned is going to help me in every aspect of my life for years to come. I'll miss the beautiful Brown campus and the soft serve at every meal. I'll miss all the amazing people I've met here and my energetic instructor.