Students’ Views

I can’t believe we’re already back in the swing of school again! This summer was an incredibly relaxing time for me after my shoulder surgery– lots of reading (including finally indulging in the Twilight series), being with friends and family, teaching swim lessons to the most adorable kids, and a little bit of exploring around Houston (museums, restaurants, and new neighborhoods) and the country (Bastrop, TX, Virginia, and Pittsburgh).

I have actually been at school since August 14, as I helped with move in and orientation week, and just let me say…I am so excited for the new class of first years and all of the transfer and exchange students!!! Everyone I have met is incredibly cool. I can’t wait to get to know more people!

Being a sophomore is fantastic. As great as my first year was, I am head over heels with my second year. Though I got off to an interesting start having to temporarily live in an on-campus apartment, I now love my newly renovated room in Moody-Shearn. (Having a living room is way cool. When I get my camera charger back, I’ll put up a picture!) I LOVE living with all of my friends again and knowing someone everywhere I go on campus. I even got to eat lunch in the Commons with President Schrum last week and talk about my experiences at Southwestern thus far. Another great perk of this small environment: invaluable personal relationships with faculty and staff.

In the past few weeks, I keep realizing over and over again how much Southwestern has already helped me grow and change in the past year. I came into college last year considering myself to be pretty open minded. Within about a month, however, my mind was blown open wider than I even knew how to imagine. The way in which I think about things is constantly tweaked and pushed.

One example of a shift in my thinking is realizing how ethnocentric, (thinking about everything from our own Western world frame), many of our common viewpoints are. I have had to learn to think outside of myself and of my cultural biases. As an anthropology major, (the best major ever, by the way), I must constantly step back and analyze how I think about situations. Even in my history and English classes I am coming to see how biased an account we digest in our primary schooling. (For example, Native Americans were not necessarily “primitive” and “uncivilized” but at times more advanced than their European contemporaries.) Hopefully my study abroad experience (next year if I ever figure out where I’m going?) will deepen my understanding of others’ viewpoints even more.

As incredibly busy and challenging as this semester is going to be, this trend of growth will no doubt continue. This semester I’m taking Theater History I, Human Anatomy, French, Early American Women Writers, and Anthropological Theory—probably about as mixed a group of classes as possible. I feel like I’m going to be a genius at the end of the semester if I can honestly learn everything I need to know for all 5 of those classes…but it should be interesting, no matter what happens.

Unlike last year, I will be going home this Labor Day weekend to get the rest of the stuff that wouldn’t fit in my car a few weeks ago. Unless, of course, Hurricane Gustav decides to visit Houston at the same time. Assuming that all goes well, and there is no unwelcome stormy company, it should be a good weekend with my parents, sisters, and goofy dogs. Happy first week of school, and happy Labor Day to you all!