Hello, hello.
Now that I've had the chance to catch my breath (read: crash on my bed after work), let me tell you more about what's going on in my world.
First, I wanted to give you some more mindfulness practice by showing you some information on Metta, also known as lovingkindness. I am currently reading the book LovingKindness by Sharon Salzberg, which my friend Josh, a practicing Zen Buddhist and Contemplative Psychology major, lent to me after we went to a meditation retreat/Q&A session with Salzberg herself. What is lovingkindness? It is an attitude, an approach to life that entails wishing peace and happiness toward everyone you encounter. Simply through thinking positively about other people, it improves your own mood and perspective on life. I think it is a very useful philosophy to keep in mind when interacting with people so as to keep tempers in check and smiles on faces.
I also wanted to talk more about the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health, as that is the internship I am most actively involved in on a personal level as well as a time-commitment basis. I am working on a lot of the PR aspects of the CSPH, which is great because it's what I do best, and because it is an unpaid and small internship, I have the freedom to do what I want with it, which is awesome. I am also learning a lot more about how many legal loopholes there are when it comes to sexual education, and how poorly sex ed is taught in high schools. I find it upsetting that people are supposed to know everything they need to know about sex once they leave high school, but usually that process is an awkward and confusing one, at best, and a dangerous and painful one at worst. Yesterday, I witnessed a health educator from Planned Parenthood and the New England Institute for Sexual Health answer high school students' questions about sex. The range of questions was insane, with everything from "how are babies made?" to fairly specific questions about certain acts. This woman was very competent, answered questions straightforwardly, and did not bat an eye. She told the truth, which is a refreshing change from awkwardly working around questions to try to direct high schoolers toward abstinence, which is what happened in my health class a lot of the time. The problem with abstinence-only education is that kids will never eventually learn about how actually to deal with sexual issues if they aren't taught explicitly or learn lessons through practice. This is bad when there are scenarios like relationship abuse, which can be an isolating, confusing, and almost impossible to navigate experience for a young person. When someone's index card was pulled out that asked, "What if he just won't take no for an answer?", my stomach did somersaults. No teenager should have to deal with that situation, and this health educator said so outright, saying leaving was a far better option, because this person obviously didn't really care about you. This is an obvious answer to an outsider, but once someone is consumed with a harmful relationship, it is much harder for them to understand that they are being mistreated and often very difficult to leave and seek help.
I'm glad about the work that I've been doing at the Center. I think Megan can use as much help as she can get, considering she doesn't make any money from having the Center open and she gets so much flack for doing what she does every day. She is pretty inspiring, and I hope to have even half the impact that she has had on the landscape of sexuality in Rhode Island.
On a completely different note, working three steady internships and a few random jobs all summer is starting to wear me out, but I've luckily begun my workout routine again, so I've been getting a bit more energy. These days, my day starts around 8 AM and ends at between 1 and 2 AM. I'm waiting to get the platform questionnaires back from the candidates for RI NOW, so that we can decide who we are endorsing. Once those start coming in, my life will get slightly crazier, because I will have to make spreadsheets for every candidate and every question and compare them to RI NOW's values to see if we will be making any additional endorsements in the state primaries, which are coming up in September. I will probably be doing more campaign work for Betsy Dennigan, as well. I also have to start worrying about studying for the LSAT again, which I'll be retaking in October. I started an LSAT study group that will have its first meeting tomorrow. Also, in September, I will be running a 5K. It's going to be insane, and I haven't even thought about that whole "school" thing, yet.
Now I need to take a nap. It has been a long, long week.
Take care.
Showing posts with label Meditation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meditation. Show all posts
Friday, July 9, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Updates and a local mindfulness program!
So, I have been doing a LOT of things lately.
I've started volunteering for Betsy Dennigan's campaign. I've now spoken with her twice, and I feel as though she definitely needs to represent the state of Rhode Island in Congress. She has really comprehensive plans concerning healthcare, education, stimulating the economy with new jobs and rejuvenating a dying fishing industry. She is pro-choice, she is an emergency nurse, she has been doing policy for 12 years, and now it is time to send her to Washington, where she can actually effectively implement change and fix this tiny state with high illiteracy and unemployment rates. The best part about working so closely with her campaign is that I can discuss real policy issues that affect the lives of myself and my friends and have them be addressed one-on-one and can even push them to a place of importance within her campaign on college campuses. It's also pretty fun to get to march in St. Patrick's Day parades.
Yesterday (Tuesday), I went to the State House with other members of RI NOW to testify in favor of 3 bills that were being heard and against another bill under the House Judiciary Committee. I couldn't stay the whole time, unfortunately, because they started the hearing far later than I had expected, but it was very interesting to actually sit in on one. Mostly, I got to speak with some important people on the pro-choice side, including a representative from Planned Parenthood and Susan Sweet.
Other than that, the LSAT studying is still in the works. Did you know that it costs $136 to register for the LSAT? And that LSAC asks you not only for your ethnicity and whether you are left- or right-handed, but also for your sexual orientation? Granted, this is asked through LSAC for the Candidate Referral Service, which finds law schools to recruit you based on your preferences, but I hardly feel that sexual orientation is necessary to inquire of applicants. Also, they lump all "other" sexualities (read: non-heteronormative; yes, I am a Brown student at heart) in one category. There is a check box in front of the statement that reads, "Check to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender." I don't think that who a person loves should determine their ability to be a lawyer, but I suppose my beliefs are relatively progressive compared to the vast majority of the law school admissions population. When I tried to find more complaints about this requirement online, I could only find this document, "The ABA 2009 Presidential Diversity Summit's State of Diversity in the Legal Profession Selected Survey Summaries." On page 14, there's a really poignant quote from a female lawyer:
So, all you law schools that claim not to discriminate based on these criteria, I hope you keep your word. It'll be a heck of a lot easier for qualified candidates to get into these discriminatory bar associations if they can at least get into law school.
For a complete change of topic, I found a great local mindfulness resource! The Providence Library is holding a mindfulness program series until May. This is awesome for the greater Providence area, because it is a really cheap or free way to learn Yoga and about meditation, sleep, even Reiki. While some Brown students take for granted free meditation and yoga sessions here, if the general public were made aware that Yoga is $5 per person per session, they would be less intimidated by committing to expensive per month or per year yoga programs. I am going to ask about it the next time I go there (which will hopefully be soon, I definitely need to find a new LSAT study spot) and if they have fliers, I'll take a bunch and distribute around my job on Fed Hill and around Betsy's campaign headquarters on Broad Street. Using the library as a public resource and center for interaction is a really key part of Betsy's campaign, and I completely agree with that concept.
So, to recap:
I've started volunteering for Betsy Dennigan's campaign. I've now spoken with her twice, and I feel as though she definitely needs to represent the state of Rhode Island in Congress. She has really comprehensive plans concerning healthcare, education, stimulating the economy with new jobs and rejuvenating a dying fishing industry. She is pro-choice, she is an emergency nurse, she has been doing policy for 12 years, and now it is time to send her to Washington, where she can actually effectively implement change and fix this tiny state with high illiteracy and unemployment rates. The best part about working so closely with her campaign is that I can discuss real policy issues that affect the lives of myself and my friends and have them be addressed one-on-one and can even push them to a place of importance within her campaign on college campuses. It's also pretty fun to get to march in St. Patrick's Day parades.
Yesterday (Tuesday), I went to the State House with other members of RI NOW to testify in favor of 3 bills that were being heard and against another bill under the House Judiciary Committee. I couldn't stay the whole time, unfortunately, because they started the hearing far later than I had expected, but it was very interesting to actually sit in on one. Mostly, I got to speak with some important people on the pro-choice side, including a representative from Planned Parenthood and Susan Sweet.
Other than that, the LSAT studying is still in the works. Did you know that it costs $136 to register for the LSAT? And that LSAC asks you not only for your ethnicity and whether you are left- or right-handed, but also for your sexual orientation? Granted, this is asked through LSAC for the Candidate Referral Service, which finds law schools to recruit you based on your preferences, but I hardly feel that sexual orientation is necessary to inquire of applicants. Also, they lump all "other" sexualities (read: non-heteronormative; yes, I am a Brown student at heart) in one category. There is a check box in front of the statement that reads, "Check to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender." I don't think that who a person loves should determine their ability to be a lawyer, but I suppose my beliefs are relatively progressive compared to the vast majority of the law school admissions population. When I tried to find more complaints about this requirement online, I could only find this document, "The ABA 2009 Presidential Diversity Summit's State of Diversity in the Legal Profession Selected Survey Summaries." On page 14, there's a really poignant quote from a female lawyer:
"Diversity is important to the legal profession. In order for laws, statutes, rules, and regulations, to be created and applied, without bias for the rule of law to have proper meaning, our profession must be charged with fully including the vast variety of backgrounds so that bias, prejudice, and
bigotry are minimized, or, at best, eliminated...
bigotry are minimized, or, at best, eliminated...
... In my professional life, I have seen local bar associations that discriminated based on religion, race, sex, and sexual orientation and gender identity. Some of that has abated through education. Some has abated by those that discriminated knowing someone in the class or status of the discriminated. My local bar still discriminates based on gender identity and sexual orientation (we have the most "liberal" bench and bar in the state, yet the bench of over 30 judges and masters does not have a single representative from that group, though the citizens they judge comprise about 20%.)"
So, all you law schools that claim not to discriminate based on these criteria, I hope you keep your word. It'll be a heck of a lot easier for qualified candidates to get into these discriminatory bar associations if they can at least get into law school.
For a complete change of topic, I found a great local mindfulness resource! The Providence Library is holding a mindfulness program series until May. This is awesome for the greater Providence area, because it is a really cheap or free way to learn Yoga and about meditation, sleep, even Reiki. While some Brown students take for granted free meditation and yoga sessions here, if the general public were made aware that Yoga is $5 per person per session, they would be less intimidated by committing to expensive per month or per year yoga programs. I am going to ask about it the next time I go there (which will hopefully be soon, I definitely need to find a new LSAT study spot) and if they have fliers, I'll take a bunch and distribute around my job on Fed Hill and around Betsy's campaign headquarters on Broad Street. Using the library as a public resource and center for interaction is a really key part of Betsy's campaign, and I completely agree with that concept.
So, to recap:
- Betsy Dennigan is an awesome Congressional candidate
- LSAT and CRS registration can lead to some upsetting discriminatory practices
- Learn about mindfulness at the Providence Public Library!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Hello!
Hi, friends!
This is my third attempt to keep a blog. This is also my first special interest-based blog, so I will have far more incentive to keep it up. I wanted to give you some background on my interests, and how they have changed significantly over my undergraduate career.
I am very interested in women's reproductive health care and working on the policy regarding women's rights. I am taking the LSAT this June so that I can actually do this. By knowing how the law works, I will be able to incite change within it. I have an extensive Cognitive Science background through classes taken at Brown University since Spring of 2007. During the last year, I have become increasingly aware of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and other Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) practices. With limited meditation training from a converted Zen Buddhist, involvement with self-soothing exercises in the context of women's support groups, and taking classes in a women's program at Butler Hospital, I have realized the vast importance that this kind of therapy can have on individuals, even when they are under minor amounts of stress or suffering. This kind of self-mindfulness is not commonly taught to us in classrooms, is not widely practiced at the workplace, and is rarely passed on to family members outside of specific religions or certain intellectual contexts. It is often quite hard to start this conversation with important people in one's life, and I intend to help from a distance if I can.
This blog will serve as a means of presenting this kind of information to the public through articles, my commentary, and hopefully, eventually, your input. For those individuals with illnesses like depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or bipolarity, just to name a few, it can be difficult to motivate oneself to achieve goals, even simple ones like personal hygiene or performing household chores. I want to make this blog as easily accessible as I can, and to provide links with useful information and current events or opinions. I also want to stress that self-awareness also involves an acceptance of the immediate state of being and working in the present, which is a means of reassuring oneself that the only moment to deal with is right now.
In addition to presenting useful techniques, I will post links as to political developments and international efforts, as well. There will also probably be some posts as to my own personal involvement in both women's healthcare and MBCT. And possibly some LSAT frustration/law school updates.
As promised, here are a few articles to start you off with:
Take care.
This is my third attempt to keep a blog. This is also my first special interest-based blog, so I will have far more incentive to keep it up. I wanted to give you some background on my interests, and how they have changed significantly over my undergraduate career.
I am very interested in women's reproductive health care and working on the policy regarding women's rights. I am taking the LSAT this June so that I can actually do this. By knowing how the law works, I will be able to incite change within it. I have an extensive Cognitive Science background through classes taken at Brown University since Spring of 2007. During the last year, I have become increasingly aware of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and other Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) practices. With limited meditation training from a converted Zen Buddhist, involvement with self-soothing exercises in the context of women's support groups, and taking classes in a women's program at Butler Hospital, I have realized the vast importance that this kind of therapy can have on individuals, even when they are under minor amounts of stress or suffering. This kind of self-mindfulness is not commonly taught to us in classrooms, is not widely practiced at the workplace, and is rarely passed on to family members outside of specific religions or certain intellectual contexts. It is often quite hard to start this conversation with important people in one's life, and I intend to help from a distance if I can.
This blog will serve as a means of presenting this kind of information to the public through articles, my commentary, and hopefully, eventually, your input. For those individuals with illnesses like depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or bipolarity, just to name a few, it can be difficult to motivate oneself to achieve goals, even simple ones like personal hygiene or performing household chores. I want to make this blog as easily accessible as I can, and to provide links with useful information and current events or opinions. I also want to stress that self-awareness also involves an acceptance of the immediate state of being and working in the present, which is a means of reassuring oneself that the only moment to deal with is right now.
In addition to presenting useful techniques, I will post links as to political developments and international efforts, as well. There will also probably be some posts as to my own personal involvement in both women's healthcare and MBCT. And possibly some LSAT frustration/law school updates.
As promised, here are a few articles to start you off with:
Take care.
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