The 19th Century Bedroom

I found some interesting threads of furniture--

Mahogany was the wood of choice used for most furnishings. This is interesting to me because I am really into wood furnishings instead of the more contemporary plastic and metal furniture. Mahogany is a very exotic and beautiful wood.

Passion In Sustainability

 A sustainable farm I visited in California that grows all ingredients necessary to bake pies

The first Occupy Wall Street protest I attended

                        I have a theory that the only way to true sustainability is by living intentionally with necessities provided by the land and collective manual labor.  While in the academy and under the support of external sources, I intend to learn more about my interest in a pastoral, naturally political life via studying anthropology.   I want to study other regions and cultures that live in accordance with my idyllic goals for myself, as well as cultures that are contrary to my values to question and advance my opinions.

 The interest in living differently from our accepted society sparked from the ineffable helplessness I felt from my first exposure to the nature of capitalism, neoliberalism, and environmental degradation.  I felt as if the train of overconsumption and seemingly inherent violence in humans is unstoppable; that activism and communication between opposite sides wouldn’t help.  The last few years and the insurgence of the Occupy Movement has given me hope, but has also led me to research modes of solitude that confines sustainability to a smaller group.

I hope that my involvement in high institutions will continue action that will progress, rather regress, thought.  The further I go in academia, I hope to gain knowledge that will help me articulate and expound on my beliefs, while simultaneously explaining the alternate points. 

Sweet Briar Heritage Cabin

“At the beginning of the Civil War there were 4 million slaves. They lived somewhere”​
​​​​​​​-Joseph McGill

​The potential for the Slave cabin on Sweet Briar’s campus is evident in the period and manner it which it came about. In the very walls, there is history spanning many different uses and decades. I believe the back-story of the building could aid Sweet Briar by transcending contemporary racism and allowing marginalized history to become visible and integrated in the Sweet Briar community.
​As a perspective student, I visited and saw the slave cabin on my own time, not with a tour. I saw it while it was packed with antiques from the old farm museum. I remember thinking how strange it was seeing the slave cabin with really no historical markings or professional organization. I thought that there either needed to be more of an effort to represent the slave cabin as a historical site or none at all; maybe even bulldozing it.
​I think as an institution, Sweet Briar should represent people and industry that created that founded Sweet Briar. The school focuses on the history of Indiana and Daisy, however I have a feeling there were more people who helped the school begin. The workings of the plantation itself I think aren’t explained well enough, and I feel that there should be more representation.
​To break through the stigma of displaying historical racism, I believe Sweet Briar should utilize the slave cabin as a museum for the disenfranchised population of Sweet Briar’s history. Controversial history is still history, and especially since the school is trying to steer clear of racist undertones, I think that out of respect, I think the enslaved should be accounted for. The museum could hold pictures and paintings, owner charts, daily tasks, and other miscellaneous information from the pre-bellum plantation. Some farm tools should also be displayed to show what sort of agricultural technology was available. Also, pieces from period homes that could be seen in a slave cabin should be displayed.
​This spot could later be used as a venue for local happenings supporting the history of this region. The cabin could be arranged so that musicians, speakers like Mr. McGill, and historical tours could take place there. With the versatility of the venue, more people affiliated with Sweet Briar and the local community could utilize the space.
​Finally, instead of calling it “the slave cabin”, I think the building should be called the Sweet Briar Heritage Cabin. Yes, it once was a slave cabin, but it was used for many other uses afterward; a part of its history that also shouldn’t be forgotten. The cabin could attract many more guests to Sweet Briar if displayed eloquently and respectfully. The cabin could, with some work, be a reminder of the history of Sweet Briar while simultaneously supporting other historical happenings from around the region.

Marilyn Strathern

Marilyn Strathern is a British anthropologist who has focused on gender roles and feminism in England and Melanesia.  She was born in 1941, and still is an active academic.  Starting by talking to her mother who was a teacher, she followed her passions and studied Archaeology and Anthropology at Girton College.  She has published 44 articles and 15 books.

            She studies gender roles specifically with the addition of reproductive technology.  I think it’s really interesting that she juxtaposes her work in an indigenous community (Melanesia) with Britain because of the large differences in “advancements” of the civilizations.   She also references she mother in the interview from which I sourced this information, which is an indicator of her interest in the feminine role in the family.  She is really connected to her mother.

Works cited

Interview with the President of AAA

http://blog.aaanet.org/2011/03/31/inside-the-presidents-studio-marilyn-strathern/

The High Five

Money is ingrained in us.  As young people, we are told that part of responsibility is to be able to plan ahead with our money.  If we want something expensive, save up.  If we do not have the proper funds for what we want, too bad. When trading, questions arise as to how connected are you to the person with whom you are trading.  Do you care about what they are getting out of the transaction?  Do they care if they are selling you a good product? For my form of Sweet Briar Currency, I want to take it back to a community without a currency. In this world, Sweet Briar would be much more involved with what they were obtaining, and the transactions would be between to communication persons, and no money would be necessary. Instead of a hard currency, I propose to use the high five.

A simple high five could be the total sum of payment because instead of a hard currency that could be used for another transaction, the high five lingers only as long as your hand tingles after the initial smack. The necessity for reciprocation of items and skills would keep this system going. For example, the people involved in a transaction would also understand that they might need something the other person has at a later point. People would need to have some prior knowledge before transacting, unlike when using money. Word would get around who makes the best dinners, who is the best at tutoring in Spanish, and who doesn’t mind cleaning out the bathrooms. All needs could and would be met by an understanding that doing your best at what you do will get you want you need in return.

Since the high five is a pretty basic human movement, the denominations of the high five would need to be explained.  There are three basic fives: the standard high five, the double high five, and the low five. All of which would determine the satisfaction of the person receiving the item or service. So that means that the payment is relative to the product itself. The value is based on the same fundamental aspects of our current economic markets: the buyer has a demand, and the giver must reciprocate accordingly.

To go about a high five, the receiver of the item must have one hand at the ready, raise it into the air, look at the giver’s opposite elbow, and forcefully stretch their hand forward. It is important to look at the elbow, since it is a sure-fire way of not missing.  With the double high five, it is important to keep both arms equidistant so that a hand doesn’t hit someone else’s face. For the low five, you actually shouldn’t look at the other person’s elbow. For the Low five, the best thing to do would be to look down at the waiting hand, and aim towards it. With the low five only the giver’s hand is actively moving, whereas the standard and the double take both parties.

The standard high five is for those times when the product is just what you need. Where the item you are receiving did not exceed your expectations, nor did it fall below your expectations.  Usually, the standard high five is used when the transition is quick and easy, and the people involved go about their business with ease.  The receiver will probably give back to the person who gave them the object, but it’s not necessary.  The standard high five is a way to say “Thanks”.

The double high five however is where the product exceeds the receiver’s expectations. They are humbled and grateful for the care and execution the giver put into the product, and so as payment they get not one high five, but two! This is to be used when the product does the job better than usual, or surpasses other experiences affiliated with the person or item. This would extend the happiness to both parties: The pride of the previous owner for a good product and the receiver appreciating the extra work or time put into it. This could be spending extra time on tutoring, making a terrific dinner, taking out the trash when no one else did, etc.

On the other end of the spectrum, the low five is considered when the product is of poor quality, the transaction went sour, or the expectation were not met. This would lead to careful reevaluation of the transaction: if the receiver will take the product, if the person tried to cheat, or if something else should be substituted. If the person takes the item, that is when the low five will emerge as a sign of disapproval.  This is only to be used when the product is not suitable for use.

To high five is to express feeling towards a gift. It is to create a giving community with giving expectations, not taking expectations. There are examples of societies running like this, but they are small. Small communities can run without currency, but to regress would require a lot of cooperation.  The economic classes of sweet briar would not be based on how much they had sitting in their bank accounts; it would be based on how much they gave and traded.  The wealthy would actually be the most giving, and the stingy would not be able to survive.   I believe this would strengthen the Sweet Briar community because we would be more communicative, collaboration oriented, and closer. 

The new marketing of Sweet Briar

I feel this marketing strategy of the happy Sweet Briar student is not entirely representative of the community. I personally think the school should depict student collaboration, team building, and group happiness. Showing only one face in promotional media emphasizes the individual happiness and success which I believe is not obtainable without the group's progress in mind.

The Sweet Briar Farm Barn

This is the Sweet Briar Barn which holds hay and the thrashers for the school. I dont know when the writing was put on the roof, but the font that is used looks about mid 60s or so. I really enjoyed this image the first time coming onto campus.