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.