"If you're accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression"

Remember how I said you'd probably never hear from me again after yesterday? Yeah, turns out this is a much better place to vent than Facebook and Twitter. I don't have any followers on here because no one actually knows that this exists (which is fine by me, honestly. If I wanted people to read everything I'd post on the Odyssey Online or something.)

So why am I posting again today? Well, as it turns out, POLITICS

Representative Bob Thorpe of Arizona's 6th Congressional District proposed a bill that would ban classes and events on college campuses that deal with privilege and social change. (What the heck?!) He said that he was specifically targeting the University of Arizona's Privilege Walk, and Arizona State University's class Whiteness and Race Theory. 

Okay, so first of all, WHAT THE HECK?!

He's literally straight up saying "Don't teach them that white privilege is a thing, they might rise up against it." And if that's not what he's saying, then what exactly is he saying? You better come up with a good on for this Bob (although, let's be honest, the last bill like this that he passed banned the teaching of ethics in grades k-12 because 'they might grow up to rebel against the government' (??)). 

Then there's the fact that a LOT of ASU's programs are something along the lines of Global Studies or Human Rights or something like that, so if this bill passed, there would be THOUSANDS of students displaced because their programs will be cancelled. I mean, come on. Listen to the names of some of these programs: Social Justice and Human Rights, Ethnicity Race and First Nation Studies, Global Studies, Justice Studies, Social and Cultural Studies, Ethics, Ethnic Studies, Human Rights, International Studies, Religion and Conflict, Social Transformation. And that's just a few of them. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE PROGRAMS WOULD BE TERMINATED. 

And then there's the simple fact that ASU prides itself on it's international programs. We have one of the highest numbers of international students in the country. We have students from so many different backgrounds with so many different religions, beliefs, and stories. ASU offers these classes and these programs not to "incite rebellion", but to help our community come together. The skills we learn from being part of such a large, diverse community can than be transferred into our normal lives, and we can build up a world of acceptance and cooperation, neither of which we have right now. But somewhere between Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, the idea of college went from a 'necessary step in the search for higher education' to a 'liberal breeding ground for privileged millennials'. I don't understand where it went wrong, but when the translation changed, so did the understanding about what actually goes on at college. Apparently, now alt-righters think that colleges are training us as tiny militias that will eventually rise up together and overthrow the government. Or something like that. I wonder if they have nightmares about us ripping up the Constitution on national television. Well, let me just say as a college student that yes, I am a liberal, but no, I have no intention of overthrowing the government or using my education to flaunt my privilege (though I'm not sure what part of being 18 years old and $18,000 in debt qualifies me as privileged). I do love America, even if I don't agree with it right now. I do plan on living abroad, but not because I'm 'running away', but because I think it would be a fantastic learning experience. I am (probably) going to become a professor, but not so that I can teach more students to be liberal, but actually just so that I can help students to discover the beauty of the universe, whether that be through fiction, travel, education, or just meeting someone new. I want to help not hurt the world, and I'm not going to cry when things don't go my way. I'm just going to stand up, dust myself off, and go right back to where I started: fighting for what is right.

On World Peace or A Tired College Students Decides To Reflect On The Past And Ends Up Talking About The Future

Last night as I was drifting off to sleep, a random memory popped into my head: this blog. To Neverland... And Back. I tried to start this blog back in 9th grade. I'm not entirely sure why. Perhaps it was a way to try to explain what was going on in my head? Or perhaps it was a last ditch effort to try to raise money for a school trip? Who knows. All memory of why I attempted to start this blog are completely gone, but the blog itself hasn't quite left my memory. I often wonder why? I don't remember usernames or passwords for any Webkinz, Neopets, Club Penguin, or even Warriors Forums, which was basically my entire childhood. I do, however, remember this blog. I don't really use this email anymore. I have a "professional" one now that I use for most things. This is the email that I use when some junky website or store requires an email address and I don't want to deal with their spam. But here I am, typing away on this long-forgotten (or so I thought) blog that 14 year old me created under some lightbulb moment. I imagine that the reason this stands out in my mind so much is that the title To Neverland...And Back is still incredibly relevant.

Last time you heard from me (that is, if there even is a "you"), I was just entering high school. Apparently young me thought that that was a big enough deal to try to write about regularly. It obviously wasn't. I can't even say that I have enough to write about now. I'll probably make this post and then disappear again for x number of years and then reappear out of nowhere again to laugh at this (current) young version of myself who thought that she understood so much more of the world than her 9th grade self did. But I guess I should take advantage of that. How often can you say that you got to laugh at your future self? Anyway, I am now a second semester freshman at Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, and I'm concurrent majoring in English Literature and German Language, and getting a certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. It is my goal to participate in the Fulbright ETA program which would allow me to live and teach English in Germany for a year. I also hope to one day join the Peace Corps to help bring education to people who are in need of it. I've always known that I would one day become a teacher. The type of teacher has varied through the years however. When I was in 9th grade I bet I never imagined I'd be trying to  teach English in other countries, and yet here I am. 

The idea of the world...of travel...that's my Neverland. I'm 18 years old and I've lived in 3 separate US States and visited 2 German states on separate occasions, one of which was a 4 week long exchange program, but that's not enough. Every second that I spend staying put is that much more restless that I become. The world is so large and so interesting. There are so many new people that I can meet and hear stories from! So many new cultures that I can experience! My quest for knowledge is vast and endless (though I will admit, I do find math and science rather dull. There are way too many rules for my liking. I prefer the Humanities, where everything is open minded and there are endless possibilities for pondering and debate), and I want to help other people have similar opportunities, which is why I'm becoming an educator. The best way to open peoples minds to the beauty and truth of the universe, if they are unable to experience it firsthand, is to educate them. That is my philosophy (and also my political stance but I'll touch on that later). Don't get me wrong, I love college, and I'm in no rush to leave (especially since I'm a member of the Sun Devil Marching Band and as soon as I graduate I'll have to be done with marching band forever), but that doesn't mean that I don't itch for the experiences that I dream about. 

As I'm sure you're aware, there has been a lot of...activity happening in the world. Ideologies are clashing, people are blaming each other for things that are no one's fault, and it often feels like everything that we as a society built is collapsing in on itself (though frankly that may just be an extremely left opinion... sorry, guilty as charged). As much as I hate checking Twitter everyday and seeing violence in Aleppo, shootings in every city, hazing in the military, blatant racism, or just xenophobia in general, I force myself to keep looking. I force myself to keep reading. I force myself to keep learning. Why? Because knowledge is power. And words are power. And as awful as this sounds, those things, those awful things that happen every second of every day all around the world are my motivation. They motivate me because they remind me how much I want to get out there and help. No, I can't stop xenophobia, and no I can't bring about world peace, but what I can do is I can get out there and I can educate people. I can teach them how beautiful and amazing the world and life truly is! I believe that if more people would pause to think about how amazing it is that all of us, each of whom have our own minds, our own beliefs, and our own stories, live together under the same atmosphere, and if they would allow themselves to get curious about another person's story for just a moment, that this world wouldn't be so unbearable all of the time. One moment of inquiry into another's life rips a hole in a closed mind, no matter how much the closed minded person denies it. Through the power of education, through fiction, non-fiction, science, history, math, music, art, languages, you name it, we may be able to bring the world that much closer to that fabled thing that we like to call "World Peace".