How Swattie: Environment

Sarah has Beachwood bed-sheets because they are environmentally friendly and apparently far cozier than cotton. Maybe it’s because she’s from Berkley where environmental awareness is more prevalent, but she knows all the wiles and ways of how to live environmentally friendly and comfortably. Before I came to Swat, I admittedly was relatively apathetic towards living an environmentally friendly life. It had just seemed so inconvenient. And I really didn’t know enough. Now, I am bombarded with information.

In order to fulfill my science lab requirement, I took the class The Earth and Its Climate, which was my first exposure to these issues. Then my “screw” date (for screw your roommate where you set up your roommate for a blind date) turned out to be passionate about environmental science. In this blind date, you do end up spending hours with your screw (most of the time) so discussion about environmental issues was unavoidable.

The club Earthlust has spread its propaganda very well. They put pamphlets on every table at Sharples educating about more environmentally friendly living styles. Simple things like unplugging unused appliances, such as a cellphone charger when the cellphone isn’t being charged. By virtue of being plugged, it releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Over time, that solitary appliance from one person adds to the problem. Now imagine millions of people doing it.

Washing clothes in cold water instead of hot water is another example. I don’t remember the exact reasons, but I think it deals with the amount of energy used to warm the cold water. They have posters over the washers with the exact statistics as a constant reminder of our excess. (Or American’s flippancy with excess, as an interpretation Loos’s and Fitzgerald’s literary works might illustrate.) Okay, so the cold water does my jeans turn out slightly more wrinkly, but it’s worth the trade-off. There are clothes lines strung around the basement, as well, but I don’t think anyone really goes that far in avoiding the dryers completely.

I came here as a vegetarian for religious/tradition reasons but currently appreciate it for the numerous environmental/economic reasons reinforced by my peers.

Lastly, my professor in my religion seminar movingly reflected that animals don’t destroy their home (birds in nests, etc), yet we humans do. Admittedly, that could seem to be a contentious claim, but it’s certainly worth thinking about.

It is impossible to be unaffected by the awareness efforts on campus. Some people maybe annoyed, but I think it’s necessary for us to be jolted out of our comfort zone of apathy. Reading it about it in the newspapers just doesn’t make it real enough.

Hurrah for organic bananas in Sharples. Although there was an article a few weeks back in Time magazine disputing the organic craze and promoting a “locally-produced” philosophy. Hmmm.

How Swattie.

Everyday Swat and Admissions

Everything is beginning to bloom. Isabel, Katerina and I lay out on Parrish beach studying. A few other friends tossed the disc in the rose garden. It was a contrasting sight with mist trees barren of leaves yet the sun pretending it is summer. 80 degrees, really. We all agree that Swat is made for spring…it’s making every day more worthwhile.

It’s the everyday experience of college that makes it worthwhile, to me, more than the knowledge of the end result. You might go to college for the end result, but you stay and love it for the experience. I realize that I have taken it for granted, how accessible my teachers make themselves to us and how valuable are the classes. Well, I’d rather enjoy it than contemplate it. I’m meeting with my English professor to discuss Tender is the Night…hopefully I don’t get carried away again.

Admissions letters went out today, good luck and keep tight! I can’t wait to see y’all prospective students at Ride the Tide.

Small School: Perspective from Literary Magazines (And Misc.)

I love the small size of Swarthmore. It has innumerable benefits such as small classes, being able to maintain intimate friendships, and knowing about all the events and opportunities available. But for literary magazines, it’s a tight squeeze. Ourstory has been around for almost 10 years, I believe. Yet this year, we have been struggling to receive submissions. We’ve been creative and tried every marketing tactic possible, but it boils down to writing: we can’t force people to express themselves.

Small Craft Warnings hasn’t had much trouble, but they have broader category of submissions. The problem is that there is such a diversity of literary magazines: SCW (all-inclusive lit mag) Enie (ñ) (Spanish), Ourstory (Multicultural), Remappings (Asian-American), Mjumbe (African/Black community) Scarlet Letters (Women’s), Spike (Humor) but a small population of students willing to submit their work! Some editors noted that the dearth of submissions is unique to this year, but they just don’t know why. Coming from a small high school, our lit mag faced similar problems and it’s a bit frustrating to go through this again. Hopefully next year will be better.

Traveling here on Sunday was worse than usual. My flight was delayed and I decided to take the Septa from the Airport to Swat. That meant I switched trains from the R1 to the R 3 with luggage that did not fit in between the seats. I thought I had a rough time until I saw Arlys. He had come by bus from Boston to Philly and just missed the R3 at 9. On weekends, it comes every two hours after a certain time, so he came in all worn out around midnight. Oh, the adventurous lives of college students.

Monday was classes all day, Tuesday was Phoenix all day (don’t download illegally, the RIAA is watching YOU, check out the online version this week’s edition of the Phoenix), and by Wednesday everyone was exhausted. Happy Thursday, almost Friday!

Grenades of Pop Culture

I felt like I stepped out of the Swarthmore bubble into the real world when I came off the plane last night. When I first read about the Swarthmore bubble on Swat forums, I freaked out. Existing without the constant bombardment of consumerist culture? Oh em gee! That’s essentially the Swarthmore bubble. It’s a bit of a relief but also a bit strange.

There are no advertisements except the ones in the New York Times and those colorful brochures that go into every bookstore purchase with a bag. Our hall doesn’t have a TV and the one on the second floor is the kind my great-grandparents might have had in the 1970s. In order to fulfill our TV cravings, we turn to YouTube or other websites with commercial free, free episodes. When we walk around campus, there are obviously no large signs advertising “FORMLESS OR SHAPELESS HAIR? TRY NEW BRAND X SHAMPOO”.

In the movie “After the Sunset,” an independent film featuring two people walking around Paris and conversing, Celine narrates a similar experience she had in an Eastern European country, and she “felt at peace,” for the first time.

I used the word constant in the first paragraph, because advertisements not completely avoidable. Bright, flashing pop-up ads on websites and whatnot are not entirely escapable. But they aren’t on the same level; they are easier to ignore.

Of course, pop culture is more than annoying ads. When I come home for breaks I try to make up for all the lost time. (I know this is true of my other collegemates.) Watch long hours of TV, spend hours shopping, listen to trashy pop songs on the radio, and read new cheap thrills at the bookstore.

Cheers to spring break.

Quick Update

Midterms are next week! I just finished a philosophy paper and now I am trying to find time to study. The problem is that there are so many wonderful and exciting things happening this weekend. Guerilla Girls, Boy Meets Tractor Sketch Comedy, a variety of parties, I’m going to dinner with Deshi at an Afgahni restaurant, Social Savvy dinner, Tour Guide Party, Holi festivities, Wanda Sykes for the Large Scale Event…and I bet you there is more! Sunday will be a long day, haha.

But on very good news, I see green again! The snow magically melted and it looks like spring. PA weather is so bipolar…it was raining terribly this morning! Whatever, I’ll just accept it for what it is.