What
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Recently.
      I
      had
      a
      conversation
      with
     
     
      another
      student
      who
      expressed
      some
      con-
     
     
      cern
      over
      the
      Women's
      Studies
      program
      at
     
     
      UPEI.
      She
      felt
      that
      the
      focus
      of
      the
      pro-
     
     
      gram
      was
      "aggressive"
      and
      even
      "intimi-
     
     
      dating"
      and
      did
      not
      feel
      like
      --
      at
      least
      in
     
     
      the
      class
      she
      participated
      in
      --
      people
      were
     
     
      allowed
      to
      express
      their
      real
      opinions
     
     
      unless
      it
      agreed
      with
      the
      feminist
      perspec-
     
     
      tive
      being
      discussed.
      Since
      I
      only
      began
     
     
      the
      taking
      Women's
      Studies
      courses
      a
      year
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      a
      half
      ago,
      I
      can
      relate
      to
      her
      concerns.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      thought
      it
      might
      be
      interesting
      to
      share
      a
     
     
      journal
      entry
      I
      wrote
      after
      completing
      my
     
     
      first
      Women's
      Studies
      course.
      Hopefully
     
     
      this
      will
      help
      others
      understand
      a
      little
      bet-
     
     
      ter
      what
      the
      purpose
      of
      these
      courses
      is
     
     
      really
      about.
      Enjoy
      my
      insanity!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ere
      Meme
      id
     
     
      summer
      learning
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Carleton
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      u
      UNIVERSITY
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      Canada’s
      Capital
      University.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Summer
     
     
      Session
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2003
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
          
     
     
         
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sun.
      Sand.
      Study.
      An
      unlikely
      combination
      —
      unless
     
     
      you're
      taking
      a
      summer-session
      course
      at
      Carleton
     
     
      University
      in
      Ottawa.
      Flexible
      and
      convenient.
      Courses
     
     
      are
      available
      days
      and
      evenings
      in
      classrooms
      and
      on
     
     
      our
      itv
      channel.
      Whatever
      course
      you
      choose
      will
      fit
     
     
      easily
      into
      your
      schedule,
      leaving
      time
      for
      the
      beach,
     
     
      chores,
      and
      a
      job.
      Everything
      you
      need
      to
      know
      is
      on
     
    

    
     
      ;
      our
      Web
      site.
      Just
      log
      on
      and
      follow
      the
      instructions,
     
     
      then
      get
      out
      and
      enjoy
      the
      sun.
      You're
      already
      on
      your
     
     
      way
      to
      a
      brighter
      future.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Over
      the
      semester
      I
      have
      become
     
     
      more
      aware
      of
      the
      subtle
      complexities
      of
     
     
      the
      socially
      constructed
      norms
      that
      affect
     
     
      woman
      and
      the
      decisions
      that
      they
      make
      in
     
     
      and
      for
      their
      lives.
      I
      think
      I
      have
      become
     
    
   
   
    
     
      more
      accepting
      and
      have
      a
      better
      under-
     
     
      standing
      of
      my
      own
      choices
      for
      the
      direc-
     
     
      tion
      I
      want
      my
      life
      to
      go,
      and
      seem
      to
      be
     
     
      more
      comfortable
      sticking
      to
      my
      decisions
     
     
      and
      opinions.
      For
      the
      first
      time
      in
      my
      life
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      don't
      feel
      the
      necessity
      to
      always
      agree,
     
     
      or
      get
      along
      with
      people
      (especially
      men)
     
     
      and
      I
      find
      that
      I
      have
      a
      renewed
      sense
      of
     
     
      freedom
      and
      choices.
      I
      am
      no
      longer
     
     
      afraid
      of
      losing-out
      or
      suffering
      for
      the
     
     
      sake
      of
      my
      opinions
      (or
      being
      called,
     
     
      heaven
      forbid...
      a
      FEMINIST),
      and
      have
     
     
      gained
      a
      self-confidence
      to
      speak
      up
      about
     
     
      things
      that
      I
      feel
      need
      to
      be
      addressed,
      or
     
     
      are
      derogatory
      or
      degrading
      towards
     
     
      women.
      I've
      stopped
      laughing
      off
      degrad-
     
     
      ing
      comments,
      I
      no-longer
      avoid
      intimidat-
     
     
      ing
      men,
      and
      I
      don't
      swallow
      my
      so-called
     
     
      pride,
      and
      ignore
      discriminatory
      treatment
     
     
      (towards
      me
      or
      other
      people).
      More
     
     
      importantly,
      I
      have
      gained
      a
      better
      under-
     
     
      standing
      of
      the
      choices
      that
      other
      women
     
     
      make
      for
      their
      lives,
      and
      realize
      that
     
     
      although
      their
      choices
      may
      be
      different
     
     
      from
      mine,
      that
      we
      all
      share
      many
      com-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Start
      up.
      Catch
      up.
      Brush
      up.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      carleton.ca/summer
     
     
      registrar@carleton.ca
      (613)
      520-3500
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mon
      experiences.
     
    

    
     
      I
      have
      a
      greater
      respect
      for
      women
     
     
      that
      do
      unpaid
      work
      their
      entire
      lives.
     
     
      I
      have
      realized
      and
      gained
      an
      appreci-
     
     
      ation
      for
      the
      work
      that
      these
      women
     
     
      do
      in
      order
      to
      allow
      men
      the
      freedoms
     
     
      to
      pursue
      careers
      outside
      the
      home,
     
     
      but
      that
      also
      allows
      me
      to
      do
      the
      work
     
     
      that
      I
      enjoy
      and
      pursue
      outside
      the
     
     
      home.
      If
      not
      for
      these
      women
      that
      run
     
     
      the
      Home
      and
      School
      Programs,
     
     
      organize
      and
      volunteer
      their
      time
      to
     
     
      community
      events,
      and
      take
      care
      of
     
     
      other
      peoples'
      children,
      I
      would
      not
      be
     
     
      able
      to
      do
      the
      things
      I
      want
      to
      do
     
     
      either.
      I
      may
      not
      be
      married
      to
      a
      stay-
     
     
      at-home
      mom,
      but
      I
      benefit
      from
      their
     
     
      work
      as
      well.
      Women's
      unpaid
      work
     
     
      effects
      the
      entire
      community
      that
      they
     
     
      are
      a
      part
      of,
      and
      we
      need
      to
      recog-
     
     
      nize
      this
      in
      a
      more
      respectful
      and
     
     
      appreciative
      manner.
     
    

    
     
      I
      get
      involved
      in
      my
      community,
     
     
      and
      volunteer
      my
      time
      to
      various
     
     
      organizations
      throughout
      the
      year.
      I
     
     
      coach
      soccer,
      and
      help
      out
      at
      hockey
     
     
      and
      church
      suppers
      as
      well.
      But
      I
      am
     
     
      rio
      where
      near
      as
      reliable
      or
      consistent
     
     
      as
      the
      other
      women
      that
      are
      involved.
     
     
      I
      do
      as
      much
      as
      I
      can
      within
      the
      busy
     
     
      schedule
      that
      I
      already
      have,
      but
      these
     
     
      women
      devote
      their
      lives.to
      taking
     
     
      care
      of
      others,
      and
      maintaining
      the
     
     
      programs
      and
      events
      of
      which
      we
      all
     
     
      may
      take
      advantage.
     
    

    
     
      I
      think
      that
      the
      most
      important
     
     
      thing
      I
      have
      learned
      from
      this
     
     
      Woman's
      Studies
      course
      is
      awareness,
     
     
      and
      with
      that
      comes
      knowledge
      and
     
     
      understanding.
      I
      realize
      though,
      as
      I
     
     
      stand
      in
      the
      shower
      shaving
      my
      legs
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      Women's
      Studies
      Really
      About?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (which
      I
      haven't
      had
      time
      to
      do
      for
      three
     
     
      weeks),
      that
      I
      still
      have
      a
      long
      way
      to
      go.
     
     
      I
      still
      catch
      myself
      making
      mental
      check
     
     
      lists
      of
      what
      I
      did,
      who
      I
      did
      it
      for,
      and
     
     
      whether
      it
      warrants
      me
      doing
      something
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      no-longer
      avoid
      intimidating
     
     
      men,
      and
      I
      don’t
      swallow
      my
      so-
     
     
      called
      pride,
      and
      ignore
      discrimi-
     
    

    
     
      natory
      treatment
     
    
   
   
    
     
      extra
      for
      myself.
      In
      the
      past
      four
      days
      I
     
     
      have
      attended
      four
      classes
      at
      the
      university,
     
     
      written
      a
      paper,
      and
      finished
      a
      web
      page,
     
     
      met
      with
      seven
      clients,
      taught
      two
      exercise
     
     
      classes,
      done
      a
      volunteer
      presentation
      for
     
     
      TOPS,
      gone
      on
      a
      date
      with
      my
      partner
     
     
      (which
      admittedly
      often
      gets
      neglected),
     
     
      held
      a
      birthday
      party
      for
      seven
      nine-year-
     
     
      olds,
      made
      a
      gingerbread
      house
      with
      my
     
     
      children,
      and
      played
      the
      ‘space-ship
      rocket
     
     
      game’
      with
      my
      three
      year
      old.
      So
      why
      am
     
     
      I
      feeling
      guilty
      about
      going
      to
      the
      sympho-
     
     
      ny
      with
      a
      friend...
      I
      have
      no
      idea
      after
     
     
      writing
      all
      that
      down!
      Whew!
      Seems
      |
     
     
      need
      to
      do
      this
      more
      often!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      STUDENTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      imagine...
     
     
      not
      having
      to
      explain
     
     
      your
      marks
      to
      your
     
     
      parents!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      IT
      IS
      POSSIBLE!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Call
      us
      today.
      892-9645
     
     
      www.spellread.com
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Igniting
     
     
      Success!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Confederation
      Court
     
     
      MLL
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2™
      Level
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      page
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
     
     
      VAD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [17]
      March
      26
      2003