"Immodesty"=pornography(!?)

Recently, there was a letter to the editor in the Daily Universe in which the author spoke of girls sunbathing in the quad of Helaman Halls. Innocent enough, but these girls were *gasp* wearing short shorts and tank tops.

What harlots! How dare they even own such clothing! Didn't their mothers teach them better!!

The author then accused these girls of being pornography, and that they were detracting from him preparing to serve a mission.

Obviously, I have a few things to say about this.

I was lucky that, through most of my years in the Young Women program, I had teachers who taught me to dress modestly out of respect for my body for God. I hadn't heard the whole "you're pornography if you don't" until I was 16.

The idea that girls should dress modestly simply so they aren't pornography (which, by the way, tank tops and short shorts showing shoulders and knees are pornography?) perpetuates the idea that women should make decisions and take actions only with how they will affect men in mind. This concept is part of the whole idea that women are only here to serve men.

As I'm sure the Daily Universe has received an overwhelming wave of letters responding to this particular letter, I'd like to respond to the author here.

Dear Sam Speer,
I was completely unaware that you aren't the gate keeper of your own sexuality. On behalf of my gender, I apologize for not being more responsible for your thoughts. You are absolutely right; girls have the ability to control your actions. We'll be more careful in the future. In fact, I'm in the process now of writing to the Honor Code Office asking for burkas to be mandatory for all female students.

3.5 weeks

Now is about the time of the semester when I begin making detailed to-do lists for everything.

I did realize, however, that I only have 3 actual finals. 2 of my classes have papers, and the other 2 just don't have finals.

So you know that feeling...

...when you're over your head with things you need to do, and you take a 2-day productivity marathon to try to get things done, and you do.

And so you end up with this free time and you don't know what to do with it.

I think this calls for some Ben and Jerry's and a movie.

Also, explaining logic to students is frustrating in two very different ways. 1) I don't understand how 205 students don't understand proofs. There are some premises, you alter those premises with some rules, and you get to a conclusion. Not difficult. 2) I never learned this 305 stuff when I took it. We never proved x=x; we were given an equality introduction rule that let us assume x=x. What's up with that.

But relearning things like Cantor's Theorem always excites me. Something greater than the infinite set of natural numbers? The universe is broken!!

Seriously

Shelley =/= a big fan of snow

however

sun + dry sidewalks + melting snow + 9:30 class being canceled + sleeping in = something Shelley is a fan of

BYU is much more lonely after today

I feel like I should blame someone. Not the philosophy department; they didn't do anything wrong. BYU Administration, maybe? Maybe I should write a letter. Maybe I should, out of principle, transfer to UVU.

Or maybe, and most likely, I won't do anything.

I'll just pass by that office like no one important was ever there.

In other news

Pita Pit + Coke = probably the best lunch ever

Also, I like to think I've grown up some over the last 3 years.

Not much else to do

I'm taking amazing classes. I have amazing professors. I have an amazing opportunity to go to an amazing school. I'm the president of an amazing club that has the potential to do amazing things. I have an amazing job. I work for an amazing professor in an amazing department. I go to amazing potlucks, meetings, mass bike rides, and book clubs.

But so much of me feels so unfulfilled because of my inability to connect with other people.

Being alone somehow far outweighs all of the amazing things.