The Women's College Difference

Last semester, I took a basic survey class at Barnard that covered American history up until the Civil War. This is the kind of class that tends  to focus primarily on the experience of white males, so I went in with fairly low expectations of inclusivity. 

But the class ended up surprising me. Professor Sloan, one of Barnard’s wonderful history professors, went out of his way to mention the contributions of women, people of color and other generally marginalized groups. At one point, he even said, “This class has been fairly heteronormative so far, and I apologize for that,” which is not something I ever thought I would hear in a basic survey class that covers the beginnings of American history.

(Side note, coming to Barnard means that you too will soon be able to use the word heteronormative in casual conversation!)

Barnard, by virtue of being a women’s college, is more sensitive to issues of privilege and marginalization. Time and time again, I have realized that professors at Barnard (and I speak only from personal experience here) are more likely to focus on “the other” and, for me, that makes a stronger class. Between the priorities of Barnard professors and the incredible intelligence and passion of every student here, I have learned more at Barnard  than I think I would have learned at another school.

Recently, a prospective Barnard student messaged me on Facebook with some questions about the school. At the end of her message, she apologized for asking so many questions in her message. My first thought was to tell her never to apologize for her questions again. And it was then that I realized what a special place Barnard was. With the recent news about the confidence gap, the continued news about the wage gap, and the media’s annoying focus on the thigh gap, Barnard is a place for young women to learn that their stories are valid and that their voices must be heard. In my time at Barnard, I have become more outspoken, more confident in my ideas, and more convinced of my ability to change the world. And I guarantee you Barnard will do the same for you.

Bella

Reacting to the Past

My class as a work of art.

In my first year, I created a suit of armor out of cardboard and tinfoil and wore it to class. In my sophomore year, I spent two hours one Saturday photoshopping the heads of people in one of my classes onto a famous painting. I made speeches advocating for the overthrow of democracy, the fight for women’s suffrage, and the need for reserved seats in India’s Parliament. In other words, I have taken Reacting to the Past. Twice.

My suit of "armor"

Reacting to the Past is one of Barnard’s most interesting classes. Each class focuses on two or three events from history, and in each one, students are assigned roles, either of real people from history, or composite characters. Students spend the next several weeks making speeches and scheming, trying to accomplish the goals their character was given in the beginning of the game. Each game is created around a turning point in history, like 1947 in India, or 1787 in America. Usually, the games follow what happened in history, but if someone is an especially good speaker, or does a lot of shady tricks behind the scenes, the course of history can change.

After winning the Paris Salon (but before my execution!)

Because I love history, arguing, and acting, Reacting is the perfect class for me, but you don’t have to love all those things to enjoy the class. Some people take it because they love history, some because they love to debate, and some because they really want to pretend to be Louis XVI for six weeks.

But my favorite thing about Reacting to the Past is the work people put into it. Like many classes at Barnard, Reacting inspires people to go above and beyond what is required. The class also fosters a spirit of community. I have become great friends with many people in my Reacting classes, even the girl who got me exiled from Athens! The lively discussions and small class size means that students have to get to know their classmates and the material, because you never know what question someone is going to throw at you. This community and intellectual challenge is part of the reason I came to Barnard, and I’m so lucky to have found a perfect class that reflects it.

Bella

Language Struggles (and How Barnard Helps Prevent Them)

Barnard has a policy that students must complete two years of study in a language before they go abroad. While the policy has some exceptions (you can take only a year of a language, if you promise to do a homestay, for example), the general idea is that after two years of a language, you will be prepared to understand classes, and have positive social interactions when you study abroad in the country of your choosing.

This is a good policy. It’s a policy that makes a lot of sense. It’s a policy that is slightly less helpful when you travel to Morocco.

Capitalism is the same in every language.

I took Arabic for a year and half at Barnard, and felt pretty prepared when I landed in Morocco. I thought I knew enough Arabic to order food, get directions and make casual conversation with my host family. And I do know enough Modern Standard Arabic to do those things. However, in Morocco, most people speak a dialect of Arabic that they call Darija, which is very different from Standard Arabic. To put this in perspective, it would be like if you learned Shakespearean English for a year and half, and then moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. You would be speaking English, but no one would understand what you were saying, and while all the sounds of English would be familiar, you wouldn’t really understand what people were saying to you.

Thankfully, I chose a study abroad program where classes would be taught in English, as even with 2 years in Arabic, I would not be able to keep up in college-level classes. And my work in Arabic has helped me a lot in the Arabic classes I have taken in Morocco.

In addition, all of the news is in Modern Standard Arabic, and my host father speaks a little as well. This combination has led to many awkward conversations about the news. My first night in my homestay, my host father asked me what the youth of America though about the situation in Syria. I responded, “some people think America yes in Syria. Some people think America no in Syria.” In my host family, I speak like an Al-Jazeera reporter with a head wound.

I realize this might sound discouraging, but part of the beauty of Morocco is that everyone is so kind and patient with me when I try to speak Arabic. In the touristy places, people are especially excited by my Arabic, and I am always excited to tell them I am from the U.S. I’m very thankful that Barnard does have the language policy it does, because without it, I would not have been as committed to Arabic, and would not have had the incredible experience I am having!

Bella

Studying Abroad in Morocco

Map courtesy of www.infoplease.com

People, both in the U.S. and in Morocco, always ask me why I am studying Arabic. As one woman on a train from Casablanca to Rabat said, “I can use English for work. What are you going to do with Arabic?” Honestly, I don’t have a great answer for them. When I got to college, I thought I would take Arabic, since it was different from any other language I had learned, and it looked beautiful. Very soon after I started studying it, I decided I was going to study abroad in an Arabic-speaking country.


Soon after I made that decision, I decided I wanted to go to Africa, and I felt myself drawn to Morocco. Maybe it was how close it was to Europe. Maybe it was the only country in North Africa my father was really comfortable sending me. Maybe it was the fact that I went to the study abroad fair my sophomore year and found a program in Morocco called “Human Rights and Multiculturalism.” Actually, it was most likely that last one.

A tile floor at the center where I take my classes.
I think it dates back to the 1600s.

The program allowed me to live with a host family, which I think is the best way to learn the language, but still had classes in English. I could study abroad in Africa, a continent I had always wanted to visit, but I could be close enough to travel in Europe in the summer. I could learn about Human Rights, which was my major, but in a completely different context from Barnard.


So that’s how I found myself in Rabat’s old medina, learning Arabic in the morning and hearing about human rights in Morocco in the afternoon, all while eating copious amounts of almond cookies (I’m literally eating them as I write this).

The best part is, I’m getting credit for everything I’m doing in Morocco. This includes my Arabic class, my human rights classes, and the month of individual study I will be starting in a week. This also includes the experiential learning part of the program, which has allowed me to visit NGOs across Rabat, speak to people around the city about women’s rights, and even ride a camel!



Street art in the gorgeous Oudaya neighborhood of Rabat

In addition, I am paying the same amount to study abroad as I would if I were at Barnard. Barnard handles all the tuition for whatever program you choose to do, and if you qualify for grant aid, it is applied even if you study abroad. Since I get a fair amount to help to cover my tuition, I didn’t have to pay extra for the program I am doing. Some people have scholarships that also cover their room and board, but even if you don’t, the Office of Financial Aid can help you figure out how to afford a semester abroad.
 

One of my favorite things about Barnard is the help they give to every student so that study abroad is open to the largest number of people possible, and the school certainly helped me!

Bella



The Hassan II mosque in Casablanca, the biggest mosque
in the country

Paying for Barnard

Name: Bella Pori 

Year: 2015 (Junior)

Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Major: American History and Human Rights

Clubs/Organizations/Jobs: Tour Guide for the Admissions Office, Office Assistant for the Office of Financial Aid, Tutor with the African-American Male Initiative, The Philolexian Society, Whitewater Kayaking Club and WBAR Radio Station

Hello prospective students! I am your resident abroad Blogger, writing to you from beautiful Rabat, Morocco. I'm so thankful that I chose to come to a college that not only has a Human Rights concentration, but also allows you to fill classes for that concentration while abroad.

I love being a Human Rights major, but I'll be honest, it wasn't the reason I chose to attend Barnard. I came to Barnard for three reasons. One, the discounted Broadway tickets. Two, the statistic on the tour that 25% of female Congresswomen graduated from women's colleges. And three, Barnard offered me the biggest financial aid award.

The last one was actually the deciding factor in my decision to attend, and I imagine it will be the deciding factor for some of you as well. Through a combination of grants, loans and an excellent work study program (all three of my jobs either started as work study jobs, or are currently work study jobs) Barnard does an excellent job of making its education affordable. And if you ever have problems, the people in the Office of Financial Aid are always more than happy to help.

I know that for me, the biggest stress of college was not where I would get in, but where I could afford to go. I hope throughout your decision process, many of you have the same positive experiences with financial aid, and with Barnard in general, that I did!