astonishing things

[author_abz]

Hi friends. I'm typing this on a library computer. Not even one in Trumper. One on the main floor. I don't know. I was checking my mail. I meant to post yesterday whenever I was in the dining hall w/ internet (dinner?) but LJ was down, but now I can add random things that have happened since then. But MAINLY:

I was randomly checking Twitter, and I clicked on one of the articles Jessica Valenti linked to about the rape culture in colleges (one of her articles). Here's the link: http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/03/19/031911-opinions-column-campus-rape-valenti-1-2/ But this is what really affected me:

"This past September, college freshman Lizzy Seeberg killed herself after accusing a Notre Dame football player of sexual assault. Her parents say the campus police didn’t conduct a thorough investigation; it took the police two weeks after Lizzy came forward to interview the player, even after she received a threatening text message warning her against “messing with” football players."


Do you know why they say "college freshman" instead of ND freshman? Because Lizzy was a Saint Mary's student. My school. My school that is right across the street and totally, totally intertwined with ND. The article does mention the culture of the college campus, and that football players are "gods" that you don't mess with, etc. But that's not why this was striking to me. I went to Loyal Daughters and Sons. I know rape happens to ND/SMC students. I know we're working on making that not true or scary.

But this happened the semester I was abroad. I was in Australia when I got an email that a SMC student had died. A freshman, named Lizzy. The email(s) expressed the college's sorrow, President Dr. Mooney sent out an email expressing how this affected the college and how sad it was, one of the emails told me that counseling would be offered. I felt terrible, and sad, but I knew since she was a first year that I didn't know her. I was in a different country. But it said that she died in a hospital. It didn't say anything else.

But she was raped and killed herself. She got threatening texts. What sort of place am I living in if that isn't acknowledged? If her death isn't also met with a self-love atmosphere, and the campus believing when people say they've been raped?  I'm just entirely flabbergasted. Maybe it is because I wasn't on campus. Maybe people here did know. I just don't know how to ask my friends that were here about it. :/



ON A HAPPIER NOTE:

Room selection was yesterday, and I actually skipped part of class because it was so suspenseful, even though I had a proxy all ready and prepared to pick it for me. But I GOT THE SECTION I WANTED. I didn't get the exact room, because a person like three people in front of me did, but STILL. I am in the seniors only, Annunciata top floor of Holy Cross, where there is a kitchen/living area. YAY. And, I was looking today at room sizes, and my room next year is ~ 50 square feet larger than the room I'm in right now. So. I like my room now a lot, but next year will be KICK-ASS.

Last night in class, the first year I totally despise, both her and her story - clearly did not understand the concept of our workshop. Because in the workshops, the people who are not the author get to speak freely without worrying about the author defending their work or jumping on anything they say. The author is silent, and can ask a question or two at the end. Well, when it was my time last week, I kept my usually always going, opinionated, smart mouth shut. And then I didn't get to ask the question I had because of time issues. What does this first year do? Talk. She tried to interrupt me when I commented on her confusing POV problems, she did this annoying thing (that she's done before) where she pointed out a bit of her story going "I can't believe you guys didn't comment on this because I was all !!11!! about it." except in real person speak. And her questions were not questions, they were comments, correcting us so that we could properly read her story. M'k. Here's the thing. REAL AUTHORS CAN'T DO THAT. Their stories have to speak for themselves, because if you sell 3000 copies of your book, you can't stand over the reader's shoulder answering their questions and telling them that they're wrong in assuming something. Which, thankfully, one of our seniors in the class (whom I totally love and is also in my Shakespeare class and a writing major) pointed out to her, which was back up by the professor. I HATE THIS FRESHMAN SO MUCH. GRR. And really, her story might not be that bad, but it is not good. And it's not just me being bias or not liking intellectual/based in the mind stories as much as I do other things, but that is not the only reason I do not like her story. There are fundamental problems with it, and she needs to realize they exist, even if there are people fawning over it, that we HAVE to say strengths about her story, and those do NOT overpower the weaknesses, and the excuse that "I really am going somewhere with it" is not good enough for a reader 35 pages in. Give me something BEFORE THAT.

okay, I'll shut up about her. I think.

Why is it that classes sometiems tell me more cultural stuff than when I do go into cultural things on my own? Yesterday - in two of my courses, of all things, one after the other, told me that Starbucks, the coffee giant - was named after a character in Moby Dick. Which, we are reading in class 1. So that made sense. But then it was brought up in my next class, the reason I forget, and really - the very next class on the exact same day. And today I learned that Gary Oldman was in a version of Dracula, playing Dracula - a movie that also includes Keanu Reeves and Anthony Hopkins among other awesome people. I just- WHAT? I mean, if I had read Dracula before or something, it might have come up, and I'm glad I'm reading the book first, but WHAT THE HELL ?

English classes are just the place to be, I guess.

 

Oh, and if any of you HAVE read the novella excerpt I posted here on LJ and did not tell me about it/ comment on it - you really, really should. I take criticism super, super well. Tell me if I suck.


ETA: Also, I got a Tumblr, but I am not telling you what the name is, because I never plan on using it. Eventually I might go looking to where you guys put what your names are, because I am following Nikki.