Hey, people. Welcome or welcome back to “In the key of E,” a column where I give a little bit of insight into my experiences here at UW-Eau Claire as a 20-year-old woman, and now, as a student in her last semester of college.
If you’re new to reading these, this is a weekly column I write, and it serves the purpose of being as close to a journal as anyone would ever get from me.
It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, so excuse me if this ends up being all over the place. With that being said, let’s jump into our usual talk.
Weekly recap
Two out of the 16 weeks of the semester have gone by thus far. Somehow, it simultaneously feels like I got back to Eau Claire yesterday and have been here for six months.
So far, classes have actually been really good. I’m not usually one to participate. However, I’m taking a Rhetorics of Social Justice class that I swear constantly has my mind racing a million miles per minute.
This semester, I have Fridays off. It’s nice so far. I don’t have a lot to do, though, so my time on Fridays so far has been spent waiting for my roommates to get back to the house.
Speaking of the house, I have a bone to pick with whoever built the place. The walls, which have no insulation, do me no favors when it comes to trying to stay warm. I’d be willing to bet that the air temperature in my room is no more than 55 degrees. Do I have the plastic to cover them? Yes. Have I done so? No.
Student orgs are also going well. We’ve only had one meeting for The Spectator so far. Both old and new faces were there, and the new ones seemed to be excited about joining, which made me happy.
Blugold Radio is also going well. We’ve had two meetings and Cora and I have recorded two shows so far. Our second episode of the semester, which we recorded yesterday, ended up being over 40 minutes long. What can I say? We had a lot to talk about.
From me to you
The topic of the conversation Cora and I had is one that I’ve already discussed way too many times this week. If you’ve ever had something you just need to tell absolutely everyone, this is that for me.
It stems from my previously mentioned Rhetorics of Social Justice class. We are currently reading three books for the class. One, “Tomboyland” by Melissa Faliveno, was assigned this past week.
The second of two chapters we had to read before class was called “Meat and Potatoes.” The meaning alludes to the metaphor, “It is what it is,” or, “What you see is what you get.”
Toward the end of the chapter, Faliveno recalls a conversation she had with her mother. Her mother was a supporter of PETA and couldn’t bear the thought of killing an animal. Still, her mother had eaten meat her whole life.
When asked by Faliveno why she never stopped, her mother said, “If I think about it, then I have to look at my whole life.”
When I read this, I paused for a long while. And I wondered: How far into our belief systems do we have to be for it to be impossible to turn back? Whether it be religious, societal, cultural or some random thing someone was told when they were eight.
And, at what point do we fear being proven wrong so much that we refuse to even acknowledge the other sides of an argument?
I suppose I can’t help but think about these ideas with a hint of negativity. I think of the way that people have, in many ways, used their belief systems to subjugate groups of people to harm and hatred.
I don’t know the answers to the questions I just asked. And I’m not sure any answers a person might give me will help. This, I suppose, is just food for thought. Maybe if we all start thinking about it, then a true conversation can be had.
Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T.
Reading: For class I’m reading “Tomboyland” by Melissa Faliveno, “Body Work” by Melissa Febos and “How We Fight for Our Lives” by Saeed Jones. For fun, “Twisted Lies” by Ana Huang, “Me Before You” by Jojo Moyes and “My Life With Words” by Barbara F. Luebke.
I know that’s a lot of books. But like I said, half of them are for a class. The other three are ones that I pick up when I can. If you read this column last year, it’s known I was reading the same three books the entirety of last semester. Outside of “My Life With Words,” I’m proud to say I finished the other books and have read four more since.
Eating: A lot of soup.
I got sent to school with two big containers worth of Costco soup. Does it get a little repetitive? Yes. Is it food? Also yes.
Playing: “AFTERCARE” by Nessa Barrett, “Optimist” by FINNEAS and “Kansas Anymore” by ROLE MODEL.
Obsessing: The news.
As a human, it pains me to see everything going on in this country. As a journalism student, I can’t stay away from all the reports.
Recommending: Stay warm.
Enough said. I feel like a human popsicle as I sit and type this in my room.
Treating: Movies.
I watched “Bottoms” with one of my roommates the other night and realized that I spent almost my entire winter break solely watching TV. That is, outside of forcing my parents to watch “Hamilton.”
It’s good to be back. Till next week, thank you for joining me.
-E.
Braun can be reached at braunee6220@uwec.edu.
