Seminar Takeaways

COHESIVE SYNTHESIZING

My favorite takeaway from seminars is the ability to integrate multiple ideas into one cohesive argument. One of the first essays I wrote for Hutchins was my Human Enigma Essay. When I re-read this essay now, I realize that my thesis was extremely weak. I had no idea how to synthesize, so I struggled to draw connections between course materials. Looking back on my education prior to college, the books I read in school usually had no connection to one another. Or perhaps they did, and my critical thinking wasn't developed enough to recognize it? Regardless, my synthesis skills have gained strength over the years. A great example is my first paper for WGS 202, weaving together the first three guest lectures in class. I tied all three speakers together by positing that they all queer in unique ways.

All of my Hutchins professors pushed me to break free from summarization. Instead, they wanted to know my opinions or interpretations of the media I was responding to. My annotated playlist for AMCS 355 is my favorite example of this skill. I was prompted to choose any 6 songs and analyze them through the lens of a major course theme. I chose to curate my playlist around the theme "Black Resilience". Though the theme is very broad, I felt comfortable proving that these songs demonstrate black resilience because I knew that I wasn't being graded on a 'right' or 'wrong' interpretation.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

CONFIDENCE & VULNERABILITY

Because I am a woman, I have been socialized to make my presence as small and as quiet as possible. This made it easy for me to accept a docile role in classrooms throughout my k-12 education. However, I have been emboldened by my seminar classes in a way that I never expected. On multiple occasions, I have been the first to chime in when prompted with discussion questions rather than following another's lead. Seminars have also allowed me to be more vulnerable in my writing. I have told deeply personal stories that I never thought I'd be able to discuss openly. One example is my experience at San Fransisco pride, written in response to Ordinary Affects - a collection of experiences that are affected by omnipresent systems like capitalism and white supremacy. The other story is chapter 2 of my memoir, from 320C with Ianthe :)