Ramble on Multiculturalism

Wow, what a Haverfordian topic to ramble about. But of course, our discussions yesterday made me think, and when I think it's a good excuse to blog.

So if you go to Haverford, what I'm saying might be familiar, just because I feel like we talk about this so much. Or maybe just cause we talked about it yesterday. But my main pet peeve with how we tend to use the word "multicultural" on campus and even in society at large is that it tends to mean either "not white" or "including large number of races/ethnicities." So a multicultural student might be a student who isn't white, or if a high school adopts a multicultural standpoint (I know there's a better word but I'm sleep deprived and can't think of it), it embraces all the cultures - meaning races and immigrant ethnicities - of the students who go there, rather than trying to Americanize all of them or something.

But culture is a way broader word than that. It's not just about your skin color and where you're from. Culture can mean the food you eat, or the diversity of where you live, or your class, or the general socioeconomic status of the people where you live, or the traditions, or the commonly accepted values. So sure, ethnicity and race can cover a lot of those things, because people of one ethnicity might eat similar foods or hold the same general values. But although I feel like I'm not considered a multicultural student at Haverford because I'm white, I consider myself to be multicultural mainly because I'm Jewish and because I identify as LGBT and am so much a part of that community and those two cultures. (Or, well, I'm starting to have a problem with that acronym because the LGBT community tends to turn its back on its T members so often, but that's another ramble.) So while I and so many other white students here could bring a diverse perspective to things like Honor Council trials, we aren't considered to be "multicultural" members of a jury because we're white and thus not considered "multicultural." I feel like when we talk about multiculturalism here, we're talking about race, maybe country of origin or family origin. Who gets invited to Spectrum and Multicultural Weekend? Mostly specs of color. (Haha, that sounds like I took paint and flung it at a wall and then there were specs of color. Spec = Prospective student. Need sleep.) Then again, we aren't really asked to identify our sexuality or our religion on college applications, so how should they know? But there are other ways, I think. Like I put down youth group, temple committees, and GSA on my app. I just feel that race and nationality/ethnicity are not the only kinds of culture that should be included in the term "multiculturalism," especially at Haverford where we have a fairly diverse student body in so many aspects of life.

Excitement!!!

I have a ramble on Judaism and Christianity basically set to post, but I'm too excited about customs to talk about anything else!

My hall is SO COOL. Like...aaaahhh! It's such a good mix of people, from what information I've gathered from stalking them for the past two days. Yes, I'm creepy. Yes, it's loving. Yes, I basically have everyone's names, rooms, and home states memorized. And really, was anyone expecting anything else?

So since I wanted to post something, and this is basically all that's on my mind right now, I felt the need to come on here and freak out to the internet at large.

CUSTOMS X IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!!!
♥

Day 26 - Your Week In Great Detail

Basically, this week has been awesome. Awesome enough, I think, that I almost don't mind working for three more weeks because I'll be back at school so soon. I've seen friends I missed, and I've been to so many cities in such a short amount of time that when I saw a guy wearing a Yankees hat in Philadelphia it actually took me a panicked second to figure out where the hell I was. So I'll go by cities.

City 1: Boston

Last Saturday morning, Neelima picked me up and we got bagles at Cafe Fresh before she drove me to the bus at South Station. I guess Boston doesn't really count much as a city except for that drive to the Megabus.

City 2: New York

My bus arrived at around 3, and Erica was there to meet me. Fairleigh's bus was wicked late, so we stood around with Dan, Alisha, Erin, and Chris. Apparently Dan and Alisha live in the city, and Erin and Chris were visiting. They were all very couple-y and me and Erica were just excited to see each other. Fairleigh's bus finally got there and we went back to Erica's apartment, ate Thai food with all the above people, then Fairleigh, Erica, and I had the most amazing girls night ever. It involved cookie dough, three flavors of ice cream including sangria sorbet which is incredible, fancy cheese and crackers, Sex and the City, and Amelie. We also chilled on the roof of Erica's dad's building and sat on some rocks down by the Hudson and talked.

Sunday, Fairleigh and I chilled most of the day while Erica slept from 11am until 4pm (it's a long story involving her dad and a triathlon). I finished up Sarah's friendship bracelet, which is awesome. Then we went to Shake Shack in Madison Square, walked through Union Square and went to The Strand, which is a bookstore. Then we stayed up later than necessary doing nothing.

Monday, Fairleigh and I chilled in the morning while Erica was at her improv class, and then we…I have no idea what we did on Monday. Oh, we went to Ricky's I think, and I got awesome green fishnets for Dorm Olympics, and some tights for my Halloween costume. And we must've walked around, but I forget where we went. That night Erica babysat and Fairleigh and I got ourselves to Chinatown all by ourselves and wandered around there. Then we stayed up til 3 skyping with Josh.

Tuesday, Erica had improv again so Fairleigh and I went to Columbus Circle and wandered, then Erica met us and we ate, walked through a little bit of Central Park, and went to a chocolate shop. Then Fairleigh and I got our stuff and barely made the Megabus in time.

City 3: Baltimore

Tuesday night we got ice cream at TCBY with Fairleigh's mom and sister. Wednesday morning Fairleigh and I made berry pancakes and went to Starbucks. She showed me this hippy-esque store called Something Else, and we also went into a consignment shop. Then we met Fairleigh's mom for lunch at the Paper Moon Diner, which is this awesome place where all the waiters share tables and it's all decorated with random crap all over the walls and ceiling in odd positions (I posted pics on facebook). Then we wandered and shopped on The Avenue in Hampdon, where I bought awesome yarn to make Fairleigh a scarf and we got Alex shotglasses with mustaches on them. I napped back at Fairleigh's, and then she took me on a driving tour of downtown, and then we ate dinner at her grandparents' house with her dad, sister, uncle, and cousin.

Thursday morning Fairleigh and I left at 8 to pick up her friend from high school, Celia, and we hit the road on our way to Haverford. I drove her car, which we named Mildred (Millie for short) because it drives like a grandmother and completely refuses to accelerate.

City 4: Philadelphia

We arrived at Haverford at around 11:30, when Alex was at work and Josh was about to leave for work, so we said hi and then drove to Swat to hang out with Hilary, who is Fairleigh and Celia's high school friend. We got lunch in the town of Swarthmore with Abby, who drove over to meet us. We went back and sat around in Josh and Alex's apartment, and then Fairleigh, Celia, Hilary, Alex, Josh, Marta, and I met Kelley in Philly and we all got dinner at Sansom Kabob. Then we wandered around Chinatown and got gelato, and I saw that guy with the NY hat and got really confused. Then we all hung out with Ryan in back at the apartment, and Josh and I wrote out postcards to our future freshmen whose names we still don't know.

Friday, we walked around Suburban Square and Ardmore while Alex worked, as Josh had left for Pittsburg early that morning. Then when Alex got off we chilled in the coop (literally) because the campus center has a/c, and then we met up with Kelley and Ori and we all went to Panera before we left to go back to Baltimore.

Back to Baltimore

We arrived back in Baltimore last night, and this morning Fairleigh and I went to Starbucks and this grocery store where they were giving out free samples of Hagen-daas ice cream, complete with a brownie chunk and hot fudge. Then we watched Gilmore Girls and her mom drove me to the airport.

Back to Boston

I flew into Boston, my parents picked me up, and we got dinner in Boston at this place called Durgin Park. It's in Quincy Market, and they have excellent steamers and strawberry shortcake. Then we walked back through the marketplace on the way back to the car. Now I'm finally home (although off to Connecticut in the morning!).

And that's the end of my busy week and awesome trip! :D

Day 7 - A Photo That Makes You Happy

Yes, I know, it's not a work day. But I feel like posting anyway.

Credit: Ricardo González

This picture makes me happy. It makes me happy because I love Alex and Fairleigh, and because it brings back a memory of one of the most fun days of my freshman year. We didn't have class due to a nor'easter that dumped about 1.5 feet onto Haverford's campus, so Fairleigh, Alex, Josh, Maia, Ricardo, and I stole trays from the DC and went sledding on Barclay Beach. Then we found this random table under the snow and attempted to sled with it too. Playing in the snow is basically my favorite thing about winter. That and the prettiness. :)