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Oh, God, I feel like I'm going to die.
I just went around to the heavily used classrooms on campus that did not currently have a class in them and did not have a random studious student in them and wrote one of two things on the whiteboards:
"Interested in promoting / reproductive health and choice?"
or
"Upset Indiana de-funded / Planned Parenthood?"
both with "Contact aforne02" underneath (because that's my school email if you attach the @ to it.
And I feel so on-edge, because even though this time I didn't actually use the phrase "pro-choice" or the word "abortion" it's totally implied and the last time I tried to publicly gain other people so I could actually start an activist group my flyers got torn down and someone 'reported' them to Student Activities officials and I got an email telling me to STOP IT because any postings have to be approved by them.
And I am going to die.
I'm being melodramatic, but STILL. I'm just so pissed with all the pro-life shirts and people and random fliers and Indiana being stupid and just ARGH. I need to DO SOMETHING. And I'm just really freaking tired of not having enough people I know to even submit an application to become a group. And I'm running out of time. As I keep having to put on my course evaluations, I'm a junior. (Holy shit, btw. People in my classes I'm totally fond of and talk to on a regular basis are seniors and they're going to be gone.)
Random fact: I know that Kari Byron is married (as far as I know) and has an adorable daughter and stuff, but I still totally ship her with Tori Belleci. Yes, real people, and yes, they are famous. You know, if you watch Mythbusters. :) And the fact that Tori actually started using his Twitter only makes me ship them more.
Speaking of Twitter, LET ME UN-PROTECT MY TWEETS, DAMNIT!
And since this entry seems to be themed... here, have a video:
astonishing things
Apr. 5th, 2011 04:19 pmHi 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 picks, workshopping and classes )
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.
