Meghan's reflection: Wednesday Sept 26th

Isabel Allende:

Recently, I have been faced with a question about the differences in the sexes. Homecoming is soon and each hall participates by performing a skit. Usually, Nixon Hall (my residence: an all first year girl dorm) is partnered with Alumni (also an all first year girl dorm) and Chautauqua (an all first year boy dorm), however, this year we are left without Chautauqua. In the past Nixon Hall has done well with combining enough humor and seriousness in the skits to acquire a first place win. This year, I feel has been different. This year, without any boys, I think the humor is a lot harder to come by. I wonder, if it is easier for boys to really test the boundaries or toe the line in their lives, hence making it far easier to be funny especially in a public setting.

So when I listened to Isabel Allende speak about a serious topic; the need for more women to embrace their passion and love their passion and who they are and at the same time engage her audience in laughter, I thought about m girls. Allende demanded a certain control over her audience; able to turn the audience from total silence while listening to a true horror story and then, in the next minute have that same audience laughing in their seats. Never once, does the audience question the appropriateness of such a sudden switch because she does it successfully. Even though, I believe, humor may be even scarier in front of an audience than any other kind of public speaking.

While designing and writing the skit for my hall and with my hall, I saw a lot more interest when we tried to add even a little humor, but it remained difficult to convince any of my girls to embrace that passion; to feel comfortable to truly put themselves out there.

Isabel Allende displayed her own passion by showing us her ability to be funny which was her ability to accept herself and feel comfortable enough with herself that she could speak at all.

So, what about those girls that don't display their passion? Will we survive? Allende hints when she spoke of the women with the nine children, that her passion saved her family; that her love saved the family. Are we doomed if we cannot display our own passions; our own confidences?