#section23srw

Looking back on the final plenary, I’m still amazed at the open and powerful environment the mentors were able to create. I did not personally share any experiences, but the level of support and acceptance in the chapel was incredible. I think the opportunity to be part of something like this is what it really means to be part of the DRC community, and having this kind of support available is extremely valuable, especially at such a huge university where help can be hard to find.

The underpayment was less surprising. Money is power, and people want to keep that in their own hands. But I felt really bad for Ms. Ren.

I also thought Tirado’s take on men telling women to smile was great, because frankly, no one ever tells men to smile more, and if you’re going to be doing something you don’t like, why not get paid for it? (Though I suppose that’s what media stars do, since women in TV shows and anime and movies are so often these perfectly put-together glamourous girls, bubbly and high-cheekboned and smooth-skinned and always, always smiling, unless they’re crying attractively, designed to appeal to the male audience.)

Attending this DRC event was such an eye opener, I personally did not know, or knew I known, any victims of sexual assault. So this made this issue very real and not so distant. I think awareness is most important when it comes to this topic

Knowledge really is Power. Shout out to Cydney the best mentor

In class a few days ago, we talked about #blacklivesmatter. This video serves to capture what the movement really means and why it has its title. It is also important to acknowledge why “all lives matter” is perceived as wrong to say in place of #blacklivesmatter because of the connotations behind each phrase. In my opinion, the former dismisses the struggles of black lives in favor of creating a false plane of equality. The latter is specific and represents the struggles that reside within the various black communities that exist.

Maybe I’m being nitpicky, but this misinformation just irritates me. A lot.

Today was our last plenary for knowledge and power. I feel positive and empowered from all of our plenary speakers. I am so grateful for joining DRC and meeting very intelligent girls just like me. The mentors we received for the course were very inspiring and motivational. The skits today was very informational and made me think about my future. My mentor Cydney was involved with the racial problems skit. People these days stereotype against certain races and assume things based off the media. Just because you don't understand a certain race doesn't mean you have to critique it. I also very liked the sexual assault skit. People assume that when girls get sexually assaulted it's generally her fault for dressing that certain way and talking that certain way. Sexual assault should never be the victims fault. Overall I'm thankful for all these mentors for speaking out on all these issues and I will deeply miss this course! ❤️