In JOUR 4953 on Tuesday, Professor Lowe was explaining to our class that blog posts can't just be for a grade. He scrolled through posts of advice for student bloggers and some example blogs. One in particular caught my attention.
After class, I returned to the Washington Post blog to browse some more. I was impressed by the variety of content, from Grammy performances to hot-topic election issues.
What rings true for all the posts on SheThePeople is that each author truly cares about the topics on which they're writing. None of them are superficial rants. Some, such as this, are brief, single-thought entries. But they all offer a unique perspective. A woman's perspective.
We often forget in this "modern" day and age, that women still do have voices that need to be heard. I am a woman, and even I forget that sometimes. More so recently than in years past, but seeing this blog reminded me that I need to remember.
I attended an all-female college prep high school. I was lucky to have such a great secondary education. We were reminded, on a daily basis, for four years, that we truly deserved our unique opportunity to learn. We were taught that "feminist" is not an insult. We were taught to speak our minds, never to be afraid to raise our voices in dissent if we felt compelled to do so. We were taught to have confidence in our opinions and our abilities - whether in the classroom, on the stage, the soccer field or basketball court. We discussed politics, religion and ethics; we didn't shy away from "difficult" topics. My favorite teacher, who taught my senior year English class, would scold us, "Do NOT disclaim yourself!" if we started a statement with "This might be wrong," or "I don't know if this is right," or "This is probably a stupid question." All this became my norm.
And then I went to college. For the first time since I was fifteen, I sat in co-ed classrooms. I remembered what I learned in high school and spoke out in class. I was surprised at first when my classmates, male and female alike, shot me odd looks for having strong opinions. Anyone who has had class with me knows I don't hold back if I have something to say. That, I haven't forgotten.
What I have forgotten is that there are parts of the world where women aren't allowed to speak up or have opinions. What I needed to be reminded of was the blessing I have as an American woman. But the fight is far from over, even in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
As a woman, a journalist and now, a blogger, I have a responsibility to share my voice. Not as someone who only speaks or writes about "women's issues," but as a woman who speaks and writes about issues from a woman's perspective.
What rings true for all the posts on SheThePeople is that each author truly cares about the topics on which they're writing. None of them are superficial rants. Some, such as this, are brief, single-thought entries. But they all offer a unique perspective. A woman's perspective.
We often forget in this "modern" day and age, that women still do have voices that need to be heard. I am a woman, and even I forget that sometimes. More so recently than in years past, but seeing this blog reminded me that I need to remember.
I attended an all-female college prep high school. I was lucky to have such a great secondary education. We were reminded, on a daily basis, for four years, that we truly deserved our unique opportunity to learn. We were taught that "feminist" is not an insult. We were taught to speak our minds, never to be afraid to raise our voices in dissent if we felt compelled to do so. We were taught to have confidence in our opinions and our abilities - whether in the classroom, on the stage, the soccer field or basketball court. We discussed politics, religion and ethics; we didn't shy away from "difficult" topics. My favorite teacher, who taught my senior year English class, would scold us, "Do NOT disclaim yourself!" if we started a statement with "This might be wrong," or "I don't know if this is right," or "This is probably a stupid question." All this became my norm.
And then I went to college. For the first time since I was fifteen, I sat in co-ed classrooms. I remembered what I learned in high school and spoke out in class. I was surprised at first when my classmates, male and female alike, shot me odd looks for having strong opinions. Anyone who has had class with me knows I don't hold back if I have something to say. That, I haven't forgotten.
What I have forgotten is that there are parts of the world where women aren't allowed to speak up or have opinions. What I needed to be reminded of was the blessing I have as an American woman. But the fight is far from over, even in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
As a woman, a journalist and now, a blogger, I have a responsibility to share my voice. Not as someone who only speaks or writes about "women's issues," but as a woman who speaks and writes about issues from a woman's perspective.