Summer

Three years down, one to go!   Had my last final exam this morning.  This was actually not a terribly stressful semester, but of course it's a relief to have finally finished everything.  I've been ready to go home for a while, but now that the school component is over I'm glad to have a few days here on campus to relax, maybe set up my hammock outside and take a nap if it stays nice, and to see some of my friends graduate.  Once I do get home, I'll have about five weeks there before heading to Graz, Austria for the rest of the summer.  I have an internship at Graz University of Technology working in a Chemistry lab.  I don't know yet what project I'll be working on, but I'm so excited both for gaining some research experience and for the fact that I'll also get to do some traveling.  I have never traveled by myself before, so it'll be an adventure.  I'm planning to spend part of my time in May working on my currently nonexistent German (don't worry, everything in the lab is in English...).  And I'm open to hearing ideas of awesome things to do in/around Austria!

MissRepresentation

Last night I went over to JMU for a screening of the movie Miss Representation.  It was all about the portrayal of women in media today, and while it was enlightening, it left me feeling depressed about the state of our society.  It's hard to summarize the film's message without just going on a rant, but it talked about everything from violence against women to the fact that very few movies have female protagonists (and when they do, the main goal is finding love, from a man of course) to the need for good female role models to how this relates to hypermasculinity and men's "emotional constipation," as someone put it afterwards.  One of the main points was the extent to which even accomplished, powerful women are judged so much on their appearance as opposed to what they've done with their lives.  Some of the clips of newscasters and such really made me wonder how people can get away with saying the things they do.  I know I hear a lot of questionable comments and let them slip without thinking much of it, but some of the examples were absolutely blatant sexism.  Made me feel like such an angry feminist.  It was a very good reminder that there is no reason the degradation of women needs to be acceptable or ordinary.

Watch the extended trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5pM1fW6hNs

Hafiz: With That Moon Language

Admit something:
Everyone you see, you say to them,
     "Love me."
Of course you do not do this out loud;
Otherwise,
Someone would call the cops.
Still though, think about this,
This great pull in us to connect.
Why not become the one
Who lives with a full moon in each eye
That is always saying
With that sweet moon
     Language
What every other eye in this world
     Is dying to
     Hear.