Hi everyone. Welcome or welcome back to “In the key of E.” It’s unfortunate to share that this is the last issue of this column you’ll read for a while, as the fall semester comes to a close. It’s devastating, I know. But alas, I intend to make this last issue a good one. Let’s get started.

Weekly recap

I’ll admit that I didn’t do very much over fall break. With as much as I had going on at school, though, I desperately needed the time off. 

I had Thanksgiving with both sides of my family. Thanksgiving Day was spent with my dad’s side. I was in charge of bringing a dessert, so I made lemon bars. Trust me when I say it’s a terrifying trust-the-process type of situation the first time you make them. In the end, they turned out well enough.

The only other day I had anything going on was Saturday. It made up for all of the other days of nothingness. I worked eight hours, booked it to my grandma’s for Thanksgiving and then booked it to Friendsgiving with my hometown friends.

Once back at school, days moved slowly. My student organizations are coming to a close and I can finally see the bottom of my assignment to-do lists for each of my classes. I only have one in-person final, though, which is nice.

An exciting piece of what seems to be a very bleak upcoming week of events is this Saturday, my brother is graduating from UW-Whitewater. I haven’t been to a college graduation since I was nine or so, and I definitely still have the same, very limited attention span. While I’m over the moon for my brother, the three-hour ceremony is something I can’t help but dread.

From me to you

This final “From me to you” of the semester is inspired by an op-ed I wrote just before this story. I wrote about the story of Lady Jane Grey, a girl who would have been much better off if she had just been given the ability to make choices.

I started to think about this: Women and other marginalized communities have made leaps and bounds in achieving equality in terms of legality. Still, how much does that really matter if we’re still being treated, at times, as poorly as we were ages ago?

How impactful can law be if we are doing nothing to change the negative beliefs and stereotypes people pass from one generation to the next?

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), almost 90% of people globally hold biases against women. Laws, as this and many other studies have shown, will never be enough.

And while this is something I find so incredibly important, I can’t help but think about the women in countries around the world where they don’t have laws in place to protect their basic rights. 

Just this year, women in Afghanistan were banned from speaking or reciting prayer in public, as well as with other women. 

Additionally, they are required to cover themselves completely and be accompanied by a male relative in public, and there are no current protections in place to combat violence against women.

Female children are subjected to child marriage and are losing access to education and work. Women are unable to participate in the judicial system. Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.

I know this isn’t exactly a cheery lesson to end the semester with, but it just so happens to be what’s on my mind. I encourage people to educate themselves not only about what is going on in this country but around the world as well.

Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T.

Reading:  “My Life With Words” by Barbara F. Luebke, “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert and “City of Ashes” by Cassandra Clare.

I’ll finish these over winter break … I promise?

Eating: Thanksgiving leftovers.

I was sent back to school with way too much food. It took me a whole week to finish all of it.

Playing: Fine. Since you asked so nicely, I’ll share my Spotify Wrapped with you.

My top artists for 2024 were Lizzy McAlpine, Reneé Rapp, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Ariana Grande. What can I say? Women are cool.

My top songs were “I Wish” by Reneé Rapp, “Broken Glass” by Lizzie McAlpine, “THE GREATEST” by Billie Eilish, “Sharpest Tool” by Sabrina Carpenter and “Silver Springs – Live at Warner Brothers Studios 1997” by Fleetwood Mac. 

Obsessing: Winter break.

I swear it couldn’t approach any slower than it is now.

Recommending: For fellow college students, study.

Coming from someone who has experience in both studying extensively and not at all, the former yields much better results.

Treating: Soaking up my last few days with friends.

It hurts me that I can’t pack up my friends and take them home with me for winter break, so I’m trying to spend my (very few) free moments with them as the days wind down.

That’s it for this semester. Thank you for being here. Sending love to everyone reading. See you in a couple of months.

-E.

Braun can be reached at [email protected].