Emily's Greener Blog

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Sun, in Olympia?

What does it mean when the sun finally appears after the long rain of winter?

Olympia is one of the rainiest cities in Washington, so be prepared for this!

As someone coming from California, which is constantly in a state of drought (even when it does rain), I love the rain. It taps into deep adolescent memories of going months on end without rain. And then suddenly a rainy day would hit, pure joy would bloom, and I’d run outside without shoes on to feel the mist on my skin.

This is now the conditioned response I experience every time it rains. Even on days where I don’t enjoy it as much, the moment I step outside and smell wet asphalt, something automatically switches inside me. I’m utterly content in rain.

However, this isn’t everyone’s experience. And even as a lover of rain, I still need a balance of sun.

The long, dark winters here have taught me to appreciate the sun very much. And every time I return home, or whenever the sun comes out in Olympia, I’m compelled to drink it in as much as possible.

This week, we got several days of extremely warm whether in a row. Yesterday even hit the 80s.

It was such a relief. Suddenly, the campus was alive with people, lounging around Red Square or on the Lower Field. Classes were held outside. The trails were full of people and emerald green trees. I saw one class doing an activity that involved chalking up the bricks. And people even came out to play music and serve orange juice. Everyone was wearing tank tops and shorts, sunglasses and dresses. I definitely got burned (don’t forget to put on sun screen no matter what your skin looks like!). However, it’s evening out into a bronze color now, a taste of the warm Spring and Summer to come.

Today it’s cold and rainy again, but this pocket of sun is only the beginning.

 

Independent Learning Contracts

This quarter, I’m doing an Independent Learning Contract (ILC).

This type of study is one of the first things that grabbed my attention about Evergreen.

I have the ability to create my own curriculum about essentially anything I’m passionate in? Building bridges between passions and subjects that are normally separated like water and oil?

Now that I’m in my third and final year, I’m finally here, at the fork in the road where I’ve chosen the ILC path.

This is both challenging and exciting. As preliminary steps, I had to identify possible faculty sponsors, because without a faculty to support your curriculum, it can’t be approved.

Next, I had to write my own curriculum, including a schedule/syllabus.

As tedious as this process was, it was also really exciting. The programs offered at Evergreen have expanded my educational horizon greatly, however this is my attempt at a last “hoorah” before I walk the stage in Spring.

I’m doing my ILC on being multiracial/ethnic and how this intersects with my other identities. I chose my entire book list and I’ve also committed to journaling every day and finishing a piece of creative writing each week.

So far, I’ve run into a couple of challenges. Time managing and balancing how much work I do each day in conjunction with work and social life is definitely a learning experience. And as much as I love complaining about getting up early for class, I surprisingly miss being in the classroom a lot. I didn’t realize how much of a privilege it is to have the space to discuss what we learn each week, bouncing ideas off of one another and wading through a lot of deep material together.

This is also why I added into my contract some engagement with the community by starting a club on campus, focusing on giving an open and safe space for “mixed kids” to share and learn from each other.

It’s only Week 2, so I have hope that my studies will only continue to go up hill from here. And alongside the difficulties are the rewards.

I’m learning way more about myself and my identities. Integrating this self work into my academic studies has been beneficial in the way that making time for one is making time for both. I’ve also been relishing in the increased creative work, since so much of my studies recently have been focusing on analysis and theory. And as Week 2 comes to an end, I’m also being reminded that I have to take it easy from time to time. I tend to take on thousands of things at once, but having a curriculum that’s self guided is allowing me to be more mindful about where I put my energy.

In all, I’m excited for what this quarter has to offer.

 

Evaluation Week at Evergreen

Evergreen isn’t a typical college. Unlike most schools, Evergreen doesn’t have letter grades. Instead, we have evaluation conferences.

While some people might be intimidated by the prospect of substituting grades for evaluations, I promise you’ll soon join the many students who are overjoyed at not having grades.

Here are some of the perks:

Your worth as a human being isn’t measured by a letter from the Roman alphabet.

While we’ve often been taught the opposite throughout grade school, Evergreen’s evaluation system is both validating and freeing. This means that your individual personality gets to shine through a detailed account of your strengths and process throughout the quarter. You get to reflect on these in a self evaluation, as well as a faculty evaluation, which are then compared at your end-of-the-quarter evaluation conference.

This also means that you are an individual student competing only against yourself. Competition against others is immensely decreased because students are often learning for their own passion and motivation. Especially if you’ve been through a lot of US public schooling, then you’ll know that learning for individual passion rather than learning for a letter grade is a way more beneficial style of education.

No grades also often means less harshly-graded tests and essays.

Although I can’t speak for every student, I know that I have had very few tests while attending Evergreen. They’re definitely more common in science and math programs/classes. These are the only times that I’ve encountered tests, while studying physiology, neurology and  pre-calculus. And even when I have run into tests, my faculty have made it very clear that the tests are only measures for our individual learning, not measures of our individual worth. Especially because math isn’t my strong suit, I almost didn’t believe my professor when she told me this. But it was true! The tests were only a gauge so that I could see where I needed to focus more attention, or to take in my progress.

And while there’s a large emphasis on essays and writing at Evergreen, I’ve often found that final drafts aren’t just smacked with an empty letter grade. Often, there is detailed critique of the writing, and feedback from professors and peers.

At first it seems like having no grades might be a roadblock for getting into graduate schools, but it’s actually often an advantage. Most graduate schools (and jobs you will apply for) actually do evaluations and performance reviews. Although your transcript may not contain a GPA or letter grade, it will contain a personalized account of who you are as a student. Praiseful evaluations will definitely be taken into consideration when it comes to applications.

Evaluations are like quarterly diaries.

Imagine ten years after you graduate. What if you want to go back and relive the experiences you had in college? Evaluations track your educational path with an update each quarter. I’ve found this to be very helpful in reflecting on and deciding where my passions lie. It also allows me to appreciate the experiences I’ve had, and all of the skills I’ve gained and all the skills I will gain in the future.

Finally, evaluations means Evaluation Week!

Evaluation Week is an entire week after classes officially end where your only requirement is to show up to your faculty’s office once for about 30 minutes. This essentially means that a week is added to breaks like Winter Break and Spring Break. While most schools only get a week off for Spring Break, Evergreen students technically get two weeks off if Eval Week is included. This can be what you make of it. But at least for me, this week is a time to decompress. Although there’s always work to do, it’s a nice transition into the rest of break.

And as Eval Week comes to a close, it’s always a signifier that a new quarter is on the horizon. This means that new leaves can be turned over in the near future. Eval Week is a staple part of the Evergreen education. And while the word “evaluation” might cause some anxiety, they’re a lot less scary once you experience them!

LEADing Towards Inclusion Art Gallery

As a part of my SOS: Culture, Community, and Disability program this quarter, there’s an internship portion. Like many SOS’s, mine is based heavily in community involvement and individual projects. Each student was expected to participate in LEAD, which is an acronym for “Literacy and Education for Adults with Disabilities.” Along with this, each student had to work on an independent project.

A group of students decided to put together an art show in Evergreen’s Student Art Gallery, which showcased a diverse amount of artwork from both tutors and learners within the LEAD program. It was an opportunity for the class and community to come together, while also being a great opportunity for those who shared their artwork. I’ve had artwork in that gallery before and it was a special experience to share with the larger community, rather than just myself and those close to me.

It’s also a very vulnerable experience, to be able to express your soul through art and to then put that on display. So it was an amazing experience to do a walk-through and be on more of the receiving end this time, observing others’ art and the ways each piece contributed to a colorful atmosphere.

The theme of the art gallery is inclusion. This speaks to the same theme within my SOS, where we learned in depth about what it means to be excluded because of disability or difference. Especially in artistic spaces, there’s often a standard and a lot of privilege that goes into whose art gets displayed. So it was nice to see a space that didn’t have any of those expectations, yet which had just as much talent and spirit.

It was also a great celebration of the work students and learners did throughout the quarter, and I look forward to more events like it.

What to Do When You Get Your Wisdom Teeth Pulled at Week 9

I had the lucky timing of getting my wisdom teeth pulled right before Week 9 (out of 10) of Winter quarter. One of them being infected, I decided it was a good idea to get them out as soon as possible.

However, this meant that I was also spending an entire weekend sleeping in the midst of several assignments, two projects and a test that are due very soon.

Despite the surgery, I’m powering through Week 9 and here’s how:

  1. Prioritize your recovery. As stressful as it is to prioritize health over school (ironic, I know), it was necessary in order for me to heal properly. In the end, health should always take priority over school if you have that privilege to do so, because what’s the point of learning when you’re unable to focus in the first place?
  2. Eat a lot of soft foods and sleep as much as you can!
  3. Don’t beat yourself up for doing numbers 1 and 2. Since it’s out of your control, adding stress or shame onto your already-traumatized body isn’t going to be helpful. Stress often worsens conditions and sleeping is way better than stressing over homework that you don’t have the energy to do.
  4. E-mail your professor(s). Most Evergreen faculty are understanding and accommodating to student needs. If an extension isn’t allowed, then they at least want to be updated on where you’re at. My experience with professors has been mostly one of compassion and kindness in situations where I’m unable to meet certain class expectations  because my health comes first. And since we’re on first name basis here, personal relationships are valued. In other words, professors often understand that you’re a human alongside being a student, while students often offer the same understanding to professors.
  5. Take breaks throughout the next week. Although I’ve been able to catch up on work, I’ve also been hit with headaches caused by the aches in my jaws where there are no longer two wisdom teeth. This reminds me to take frequent breaks, which are necessary while studying anyways, and to check in with myself constantly.
  6. In other words, Keep Calm and Carry On! Spring Break is just around the corner.

Si Chuan Opera( 川剧 )

Tonight I had the honor and pleasure to watch the touring Sichuan Opera: Buddhist and Ghost Plays with Madam Chen Qiaoru.

They traveled from their performance in Seattle to grace the stage of our campus experimental black box theater. I’ve never experienced Western opera, let alone Chinese opera, so this was a completely new experience.

They played only small segments, the most climactic scenes, of three much larger operas. Each one tells a story, and the actors and musicians engage in dance, acrobatics and music to best convey each one. They also wear elaborate costumes. One of the most famous parts of Sichuan Opera is the “face changing,” when the characters change masks in the blink of an eye. This talent was showcased in the last scene performed, which was definitely my favorite one. One of the most impressive parts was Madam Chen Qiaoru (who is highly famous in China) casually doing backflips across the stage, taking the form of her character, White Snake.

It was a privilege to be able to see them perform tonight, and to be even more involved with my family’s culture. It was also a great way to practice the Mandarin I’ve been learning, by listening to the singing and reading the characters and translation that were offered for this audience. Needless to say, it’s just a taste, and I’m very excited for my upcoming study abroad trip to Taiwan and China this summer!

 

Snow Day

Coming from California, I’ve only seen large amounts of snow a couple times in my life. Last year was the first time I’d seen snow in about ten years. And this year, we were treated with our first Snow Day this past week.

I woke up early Tuesday morning to the sound of my roommate frantically running down our apartment stairs. When I finally raised myself from bed, I was greeted with the reason for their frantic running. This was the view from our Olympic Heights back porch:

Throughout the last few days of snow, there’s been children sledding down the slopes in our backyard, I’ve nearly slipped on ice many times, and I also got to enjoy a class-free day. Tuesdays are usually my busiest days, where I arrive on campus around 9:30am for my main program, SOS: Culture, Community and Disability and I end up staying until around 8pm for my 4 credit class, Chinese II. And although I missed seeing my classmates, it was nice to have an unexpected break.

I used this unexpected break as a chance to catch up on homework, but also as an opportunity to engage in some activities around Olympia. Treating myself to a Discount Tuesday $5 movie (which I’m usually too busy to indulge in), I walked the ten minutes it takes to get from my apartment complex to the mall, where I watched the recently-released Black Panther.

Needless to say, the movie was amazing. It was a treat; including a taste from home, Oakland being one of the plot settings, a majority black cast with strong female characters, politically aware dialogue, and engaging cinematography. I left feeling emotional, inspired and grateful.

When I got back to my apartment, I eventually raved so much about the movie that my roommates and I all went back to see it a second time that day. (This was interluded by a soak in our apartment hot tub and more homework).

It wound up being a relaxed day, with some highly needed self care time, especially as Week 7 of the quarter comes to a close.

Field Trip to Portland Lan Su Flower Garden

Despite the snow, sleet, and rain, my teacher and several classmates from my Chinese 2 class made the trip to the Chinese Flower Garden in Portland this Sunday. As driver of a school van, it wasn’t the most pleasant experience, however Portland greeted us with sun and a bright Lunar New Year celebration.

Learning Mandarin has been a significant part of my personal journey, as well as my educational one. And language is often a key to culture, so Chinese 2 has opened me up to a world of experiences I never expected to walk into.

Our itinerary began with a stomach full of family-style Chinese food.

We continued by touring the Lan Su Garden, which was a fun and cathartic experience for me. Not only were there beautiful elemental highlights: the water, the rocks, the flowers, and the buildings; but I also discovered emotional landmarks as I uncovered more about my heritage and the history of my family. Being 4th generation and multiethnic, I’ve found a lot of importance in learning more about my ancestors and the cultures that have been passed down through blood, if not by practice.

There were several different rooms set up with different activities, including calligraphy-writing and ornament-making. The pathways were styled with lush plants and looming stones with holes naturally carved out by water. The walkways surrounded a large pond that was home to many koi fish. There was also a traditional Tea House and a gift shop.

With the start of Lunar New Year on Friday, this was a special time to attend the Garden. Paintings and trinkets were a constant reminder that it’s the Year of the Dog. And our day was highlighted with traditional Chinese song and dance, followed by a celebratory dragon and lion dance performed by the Viet-Hung group.

Our evening came to close after a visit to a local tea shop. And even though the morning began with a challenging drive through harsh weather, at the end of the day, the trip was completely worth it.

Who Am I?

Hi, my name is Emily (she/her). I grew up in Oakland, CA, then moved to Olympia fresh out of high school about three years ago. Realizing that a lot of my AP credits transferred over, I planned to graduate early, so I’m now a senior looking to graduate this Spring. I’ve studied a wide array of subjects, including physiology and neurology, anthropology and psychology, studio arts and creative writing, and so on! I’m now focusing on cultural and art studies with an interest in traveling and art therapy. Outside of the Evergreen-sphere, I also dance, write poetry, color, watch Hulu, and hang out with friends.