Dear friends, I have decided to change my blog address.
The new address is breannewhite.blogspot.com.
My defyingraviti blog will automatically redirect to the new site, but put the new address in your blog roll if you want to get updates.
3.18.2011
3.08.2011
Quick Update
Details about my recent (meaning: I am still on it) trip to come. For now:
I think I could really get used to being treated like a VIP. I love not having to buy my meals. :)
I'm pretty sure I broke my toe.
Sinus infection + really bad razor burn on my right leg + broken toe = not-so-great nights' sleep (especially when I have to get up at 4 am).
I realized I hate it when people interview you and they say, "Do you have any questions?" and that is the whole interview.
I love free wireless in airports and hotels.
I think I could really get used to being treated like a VIP. I love not having to buy my meals. :)
I'm pretty sure I broke my toe.
Sinus infection + really bad razor burn on my right leg + broken toe = not-so-great nights' sleep (especially when I have to get up at 4 am).
I realized I hate it when people interview you and they say, "Do you have any questions?" and that is the whole interview.
I love free wireless in airports and hotels.
2.27.2011
"Would you like fries with that?"
The actual title of this post is, "Would you like fries with that? Or, in other words, the moral obligation of a Humanities major."
It's a little long, though, so I thought I would just stick with the first part.
The other day I was at an evening symposium on the representations of WWI and WWII in England. It was quite interesting, actually, but the main reason that I had gone was because one of my former professors, Kristen Matthews (whom I loved, loved, LOVED!), was in charge of it and invited me to go.
So I went. And after it was all over, I started talking to Dr. Matthews and another of my professors, who also happened to be there. Another woman, an English professor who teaches in Arizona and a good friend of Dr. Matthews (do you have all of these relationships down yet?) was also talking to us, and she said something about English PhD programs--something along the lines of "they should keep those programs small--like 2 or 3 people, or none at all!" All three of us looked a little shocked, so she started to explain.
"I had a student who was just finishing up his undergrad, really bright and had done really well, who came in to talk to me about attending graduate school," she said. "He told me that I had a moral obligation to convince him NOT to go to graduate school in English."
At this point Dr. Matthews looked over at me with a look that said, "I hope you don't expect me to have that same obligation, because I would never convince you not to go to graduate school," and I looked back with a look that said, "First of all I would never expect anyone to have a moral obligation to convince me not to do something that I wanted to do, and secondly I would never as an English professor that also went to graduate school and obviously has a job now to convince me to not follow the same path because there are no jobs."
Yeah. It was a pretty intense look-exchange.
It got me thinking, though. What is it about majors in the Humanities that make people think I will be dishing out fries after graduation? I, of course, am adamant that these years of work will amount to a wonderful job that contributes to the well-being of society and ultimately changes the world. But not everyone has that same idea. Especially with the economy the way has been these past few years, many people think that a college degree is only useful if you can grab your diploma with one hand and your first paycheck in a full-time career with the other.
But really, are there any degrees like that these days?
Anyway, I thought I would make a short list detailing just a few of the benefits of having English majors in society. Because really, majors in the Humanities = helping the world understand what it means to be human. (Do we really want a world that gets paychecks every month and nobody knows how to be human? No.) So here are just a few of my favorite things about being an English major.
1. We have John Donne and George Herbert. Does anything else need to be said? Not to mention poetry in general. What would this world be like if we didn't have poems like "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways" or "The Road Not Taken." Think about what would be missing with your life if we didn't know anything about the poetry of Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, or T. S. Eliot.
2. Books can change the world--even fiction books. Ever read Grapes of Wrath? Uncle Tom's Cabin, A Christmas Carol, or War and Peace? They changed the world when they were written. And English majors make sure the world stays changed because of these books (not to mention writing their own books that can change the world). In fact, if you're curious, there are several lists of books that have changed the world. The Online Education Database has one, for starters.
3. Shakespeare. Have you ever read Shakespeare and thought, "That's beautiful. I have no idea what that means." You could take a class on Shakespeare at a university from...someone who studied English in graduate school! And believe me, it would change your life forever.
4. Critical thinking and research skills. I have developed my research abilities and critical thinking skills so much in my English classes. I know what to look for in an academic argument, I know how to figure out if sources are reliable, I know how to construct a coherent and convincing argument, and most of all I know how to think logically and critically about almost any subject, issue, or even ideas or situations (not because I am just amazing, but because that is what they teach us in the English major). I just went to a luncheon where the MBA program told us why women in the Humanities would make such great MBA students. Critical thinking + marketable skill = everyone is happy.
5. Writing skills. Have you ever had to read a college textbook and thought a-this is the most boring thing I have ever read in my life, b-did this person ever take a writing course in college, or c-if I have to read books like this in graduate school I am changing my post-graduate plans? Yeah. I have. And I did change my post-graduate plans for that very reason. Much of my time spent as an English major has been spent writing. And even though my best writing doesn't necessarily come out on my blog, I know what good writing is. I can recognize it, I can work to produce it, and maybe one day, I will write textbooks that are interesting.
There are several more, but I think I will stop here. What do you think--is English really a useless major?
It's a little long, though, so I thought I would just stick with the first part.
The other day I was at an evening symposium on the representations of WWI and WWII in England. It was quite interesting, actually, but the main reason that I had gone was because one of my former professors, Kristen Matthews (whom I loved, loved, LOVED!), was in charge of it and invited me to go.
So I went. And after it was all over, I started talking to Dr. Matthews and another of my professors, who also happened to be there. Another woman, an English professor who teaches in Arizona and a good friend of Dr. Matthews (do you have all of these relationships down yet?) was also talking to us, and she said something about English PhD programs--something along the lines of "they should keep those programs small--like 2 or 3 people, or none at all!" All three of us looked a little shocked, so she started to explain.
"I had a student who was just finishing up his undergrad, really bright and had done really well, who came in to talk to me about attending graduate school," she said. "He told me that I had a moral obligation to convince him NOT to go to graduate school in English."
At this point Dr. Matthews looked over at me with a look that said, "I hope you don't expect me to have that same obligation, because I would never convince you not to go to graduate school," and I looked back with a look that said, "First of all I would never expect anyone to have a moral obligation to convince me not to do something that I wanted to do, and secondly I would never as an English professor that also went to graduate school and obviously has a job now to convince me to not follow the same path because there are no jobs."
Yeah. It was a pretty intense look-exchange.
It got me thinking, though. What is it about majors in the Humanities that make people think I will be dishing out fries after graduation? I, of course, am adamant that these years of work will amount to a wonderful job that contributes to the well-being of society and ultimately changes the world. But not everyone has that same idea. Especially with the economy the way has been these past few years, many people think that a college degree is only useful if you can grab your diploma with one hand and your first paycheck in a full-time career with the other.
But really, are there any degrees like that these days?
Anyway, I thought I would make a short list detailing just a few of the benefits of having English majors in society. Because really, majors in the Humanities = helping the world understand what it means to be human. (Do we really want a world that gets paychecks every month and nobody knows how to be human? No.) So here are just a few of my favorite things about being an English major.
1. We have John Donne and George Herbert. Does anything else need to be said? Not to mention poetry in general. What would this world be like if we didn't have poems like "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways" or "The Road Not Taken." Think about what would be missing with your life if we didn't know anything about the poetry of Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, or T. S. Eliot.
2. Books can change the world--even fiction books. Ever read Grapes of Wrath? Uncle Tom's Cabin, A Christmas Carol, or War and Peace? They changed the world when they were written. And English majors make sure the world stays changed because of these books (not to mention writing their own books that can change the world). In fact, if you're curious, there are several lists of books that have changed the world. The Online Education Database has one, for starters.
3. Shakespeare. Have you ever read Shakespeare and thought, "That's beautiful. I have no idea what that means." You could take a class on Shakespeare at a university from...someone who studied English in graduate school! And believe me, it would change your life forever.
4. Critical thinking and research skills. I have developed my research abilities and critical thinking skills so much in my English classes. I know what to look for in an academic argument, I know how to figure out if sources are reliable, I know how to construct a coherent and convincing argument, and most of all I know how to think logically and critically about almost any subject, issue, or even ideas or situations (not because I am just amazing, but because that is what they teach us in the English major). I just went to a luncheon where the MBA program told us why women in the Humanities would make such great MBA students. Critical thinking + marketable skill = everyone is happy.
5. Writing skills. Have you ever had to read a college textbook and thought a-this is the most boring thing I have ever read in my life, b-did this person ever take a writing course in college, or c-if I have to read books like this in graduate school I am changing my post-graduate plans? Yeah. I have. And I did change my post-graduate plans for that very reason. Much of my time spent as an English major has been spent writing. And even though my best writing doesn't necessarily come out on my blog, I know what good writing is. I can recognize it, I can work to produce it, and maybe one day, I will write textbooks that are interesting.
There are several more, but I think I will stop here. What do you think--is English really a useless major?
2.25.2011
Valentines day. It's about...Love.
When I was a child Valentines day always meant new socks. (Who wants flowers, anyway, when you can get something practical like socks?) My mother or sisters might correct me on this one, but from what I recall, each Valentines day for several years we each got a pair of socks and a note from Mom detailing what she loved about us.
For me, socks became the defining symbol of Valentine's day and, in a larger aspect, love in general. Love = socks. Socks = love.
It was a real disappointment to come to college and no longer get socks for Valentines day. Plus, for 3 of the past 5 years on Valentines day I have been in countries where they don't even celebrate the day of love. Lame. No socks = no love in my life. (No wonder I am having such a hard time with graduating from BYU single! I need to get married so I can get socks on Valentines day!)
Anyway, just a couple of weeks ago, on Valentines day, I came home and found this waiting on my doorstep:
It's not quite like a pair of socks, but I could tell that this had been given with love, too. In fact, it was this girl (and her boyfriend) that had left this thing of beauty, this symbol of love, on my porch for me to see:
Remember that random couple from temple square on New Year's? Yeah. Actually she is my old roommate. Who just happens to also be my current next door neighbor.
Isn't that one of the most wonderful things you've ever heard? It falls in place right behind the announcement made when Kinder chocolate was available in the US and when laptops were first introduced. My (ex)roommate, who already has a boyfriend of her own and already probably got flowers on V-day, cared enough about me to get me flowers (since she knew I wasn't getting them from anywhere else!).
She's great. And I realized. V-day is not about flowers. It's not even about socks.
It's about love.
Just to celebrate, I thought I would leave you with a picture of (one of) the love(s) of my life:
My nephew. Can I just say that he just started saying my name, and now I am in love. He is even more adorable now that he wakes up and says, "Ahh-Bee?" (which is toddler for Aunt Breanne) while looking around for me.
Love that kid!
For me, socks became the defining symbol of Valentine's day and, in a larger aspect, love in general. Love = socks. Socks = love.
It was a real disappointment to come to college and no longer get socks for Valentines day. Plus, for 3 of the past 5 years on Valentines day I have been in countries where they don't even celebrate the day of love. Lame. No socks = no love in my life. (No wonder I am having such a hard time with graduating from BYU single! I need to get married so I can get socks on Valentines day!)
Anyway, just a couple of weeks ago, on Valentines day, I came home and found this waiting on my doorstep:
It's not quite like a pair of socks, but I could tell that this had been given with love, too. In fact, it was this girl (and her boyfriend) that had left this thing of beauty, this symbol of love, on my porch for me to see:
Remember that random couple from temple square on New Year's? Yeah. Actually she is my old roommate. Who just happens to also be my current next door neighbor.
Isn't that one of the most wonderful things you've ever heard? It falls in place right behind the announcement made when Kinder chocolate was available in the US and when laptops were first introduced. My (ex)roommate, who already has a boyfriend of her own and already probably got flowers on V-day, cared enough about me to get me flowers (since she knew I wasn't getting them from anywhere else!).
She's great. And I realized. V-day is not about flowers. It's not even about socks.
It's about love.
Just to celebrate, I thought I would leave you with a picture of (one of) the love(s) of my life:
My nephew. Can I just say that he just started saying my name, and now I am in love. He is even more adorable now that he wakes up and says, "Ahh-Bee?" (which is toddler for Aunt Breanne) while looking around for me.
Love that kid!
The Middle East: Some Helpful Links
The other day I was talking to my sister and she started asking me some questions about what is currently happening in the Middle East. She noted that if you don't get in on the action right away (by reading the newspaper), it is hard to jump in in the middle and know what is going on.
I will admit, it is quite overwhelming, trying to keep track of which countries are protesting and what kinds of governments they have and why they are protesting. So today I found this great link from the New York Times that I thought I would share with you. I found it helpful.
Also, there is a great link on CNN.com, and if you are in the mood to just read about it on a blog (from an intelligent sounding American--she and her husband were on my Jordan study abroad), you can click here.
Good luck!
I will admit, it is quite overwhelming, trying to keep track of which countries are protesting and what kinds of governments they have and why they are protesting. So today I found this great link from the New York Times that I thought I would share with you. I found it helpful.
Also, there is a great link on CNN.com, and if you are in the mood to just read about it on a blog (from an intelligent sounding American--she and her husband were on my Jordan study abroad), you can click here.
Good luck!
2.17.2011
The Girl Effect
I thought after my rather depressing post of yesterday I would post this clip about "The Girl Effect." I think it's pretty powerful because really, women CAN change the world.
(You can read more about "the girl effect" here.)
(You can read more about "the girl effect" here.)
2.16.2011
Lara Logan and Thoughts on the Middle East
Today I read my blogger-friend Bridget's blog (I've never actually met her, but last week I had a dream that I finally did--does that count?) and found about what happened to Lara Logan in Cairo in the wake of the protests.
I really appreciated Bridget's blog post about her own experience in the Middle East, and since I don't think I can write about my own experiences in the Middle East quite yet (it still makes me too angry), I think Bridget did a wonderful job of explaining many of the problems that come with being an American woman in the Middle East. You can read her blog post here.
And, as an additional note, there is an article from NPR discussing harassment of women in the Middle East (both native and foreign), in the wake of Logan's attack. You can find the article here and another article and recording here.
I really appreciated Bridget's blog post about her own experience in the Middle East, and since I don't think I can write about my own experiences in the Middle East quite yet (it still makes me too angry), I think Bridget did a wonderful job of explaining many of the problems that come with being an American woman in the Middle East. You can read her blog post here.
And, as an additional note, there is an article from NPR discussing harassment of women in the Middle East (both native and foreign), in the wake of Logan's attack. You can find the article here and another article and recording here.
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