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I have invented an organization, Pregnancy Education Reform, and have included two potential publications from the organization. The first is a collection of pdf images of the pages of a pamphlet entitled, “Intersex: An Introductory Guide for Moms-to-be”. And the second is an open letter to primary care providers explaining how to most effectively use the pamphlet and general advice for making prenatal and postnatal care more sensitive to intersex children and their families. Although the organization intends to empower women and their choices, it does take a position against non-medically necessary genitalia normalizing surgeries in its literature.

 I talked about the relationship between space and elitism. The setting of the reading room inside Thomas Great Hall, reflects the intention of founders. The setting remained largely the “Quaker-lady Design” in which scholars can find a nice fireplace, digesting a fabulous book on a cold winter night. Through this photo, one can imagine the typical setting of rooms in Bryn Mawr College in 19th century. The education provided at that time tended to be more philosophical than pragmatic. The cloistered setting created a place to nurture leaders and liberal thinkers, fostering elitism exclusively in white without separating women’s culture. However, as time went by, the fact of having all white student bodies changed and Bryn Mawr took a move toward greater diversity. The space and designing did reflect the characteristics of elitism, a symbol of upper class; however, it just reflected the founders’ intended educational purpose while the spirits and direction of a college must be alterable to adapt the time change.

This is the pond at Rhoads Beach. I chose this image because of the fact that this space simultaniously counts as opened and closed. It is open because there are no walls, no ceilings, no doors. It is natural, bright, and welcoming. This provides room for thought and creativity. It is, however, somewheat secluded. It is set at the bottom of the hill of Rhoads Beach and surrounded by trees. It is also a farily solitary area as not too many people can fit on the small brige-like structure. I go here for reflection and relaxation. It's a very serene place and does offer the comfort of solice. This balance between free and isolated is ideal for me and why this spot on campus is so important to me.

I chose to focus my essay on the my hallway in Rock, and the way it fits into mine and my friends and hallmates academic and classed lives because it is a space where those often individual pursuits become shared. In the hallway, we participate in intellectual conversations and help one another with homework. We are de-classed and re-classed as we leave our possessions behind in our rooms (save for our laptops, often), but we are in a very privileged place together of being able to attend Bryn Mawr and spend the amount of time that we do (which is a lot) just socializing outside of our rooms.

I chose to focus my paper on Pem Arch because it symbolizes the official entrance into Bryn Mawr, where students walk through and feel like true Bryn Mawr women.  But for me, it’s also the place where I feel like I am leaving the real world and entering Bryn Mawr’s own atmosphere, one that intensely focuses on individual academics and not on the world as a whole.  Pem Arch really stood out to me as being a symbolic space on campus because M. Carey Thomas built the campus to be secluded from the outside world, and built it knowing that personality reflects space. In my paper I grappled with the fact that M. Carey seemed to almost manipulate our experience here at Bryn Mawr and whether that manipulation hinders or enhances our educational experience.  

For this essay, I chose to discuss a bench that overlooks Shillingford Field. I had a lot of trouble trying to describe how this space is lawfully public but private at the same time and how education and class play a role in this space as well. It was interesting for me to really think about how privacy is viewed in terms of space--for example, when people have to pay for a space (like the rooms of Bryn Mawr as Carey Thomas described), privacy and space are both viewed differently. Privacy implies wealth thus implying greater class--but my space eliminates wealth and class issues. I found myself questioning, then why is it that when class is gone, students can have a better education? Because in my space, I find that works becomes more pleasurable. This dichotomous space that eliminates class allows students to focus on their education and not worry about class issues which I find interesting because it is a public AND private space. 

*PICTURE IS ATTACHED*

I chose to write my essay on the make-shift “window seat” in my room. It’s really more of a window ledge, but it’s just wide enough for me to sit on while I read, write, and study. It’s a place where I feel very much at peace and I feel that I belong there, thus it seemed a fitting location to base my essay off of. The view from my window looks out onto Wyndham – the food service institution where I, as a work-study student, am employed. This fact made me reflect on the idea that, in M. Carey Thomas’s time, I would not have been able to attend Bryn Mawr, which forced me to contemplate where and if I fit into this campus. Furthermore, I came to the conclusion that, though some people see working on campus as an inconvenience, I find it to be a very rewarding experience that prepares me for “the real world” outside of the cloister of Bryn Mawr. Additionally, I think that my work-study program actually motivates me in terms of my academic studies, as it is a reminder that I am working to pay for my education and thus I need to get the most out of it that I can.

I decided to take my photo in Canaday library because that's where I do most of my studying. In my paper I discussed how comfortable and accepted I feel when I'm in the library. Furthermore, this is exactly what M. Carey Thomas wanted the library space to accomplish. However, do I feel accepted in the space because I would have been somewhat accepted during M. Carey Thomas's time? I am curious if students who do not fit the stereo type that M. Carey Thomas wanted feel as comfortable as I do? In addition, is Bryn Mawr today as diverse as we claim to be? As Sarah pointed out in class, only thirteen percent of the student that attend Bryn Mawr have a family income of $60,000 or less. I hardly think of this as true diversity.

*Picture is attached below.