Tunnel of Oppression- A True Inspiration

This year I had the pleasure of attending Otterbein's 'Tunnel of Oppression'. It was one of those events where no one really knew what to expect, and to a freshman that can be a little scary. All I had heard was that the tunnel was known for making an impression, whether that be positive or negative was up to you. A few of the girls from class and I went as a group and we were lead by a tour guide through the event. It was held in the basement of the Davis Annex. As we walked down the steps the wall was covered with red papers, each one with a different name, an insulting name. Each room in the basement had a different theme: sex trafficking, the bathroom problem, the glass ceiling, racial inequality, school inequality, and other quotes and facts posted down the hall. In each room you were read a passage about the current problem, and some rooms had recordings of true life stories. It was an emotional journey. While you are traveling with a group, some of the themes are problems you never would have thought were occuring. I had never heard of the bathroom problem until I walked the Tunnel of Oppression. The rooms were decorated with pictures, symbols, and objects that represented the facts, hurt, and reality of each theme. Although the walk was saddening it opened you up to the world unseen, the world of hurt. But rather than sulking about all the hurt in the world the tunnel gave me motivation to help. It served as a wake up call to count my blessings and help someone else. At the end of our journey was the wall of hope. This was the most beautiful part of the tunnel. After being exposed to the different themes your emotions were gathered up and centered toward making a difference. The wall of hope had golden stars pinned to a cloth, each one written by a traveler about their opinion of the tunnel. Stars were pinned with words of encouragement and motivation to make a difference. The Tunnel of Oppression was an amazing representation of the struggles we overlook today that are slowly affecting our country, it was a true inspiration to start making a difference.

Leading Life

After having our women in leadership class for over 2 months, I have absorbed an immense amount of knowledge and experience on leadership. From each panel I have gained a new perspective on everyday life. I have learned to follow my passion, whether I am supported by my peers or not; if I know my calling and have faith in myself I should start a career in doing what I love. Also, each woman on the panels has spoken about work, life, balance. We as a class have learned the importance of taking care of ourselves in order to become leaders. Leaders are not workaholics. Leaders are the people who do their best when they're at work, love their most when they're at home, and balance themselves everyday. I also learned that one of the most important aspects of being a leader is being yourself. Do not change yourself just because you think you will be labeled; as women in leadership, this is often a threat. We don't want to wear too much makeup because then we'd come off as a slut, we don't want to voice our opinion too loud because we may be called a bitch. Where is the line between aggressive and assertive? What piece of clothing differentiates a professional business woman and a successful young adult? As long as I am myself I won't have to worry about these things. We have also learned much about networking. While networking, you should be learning more about the person you're meeting, not their business. Business is not the first priority, at least not just yet. It is crucial to get to know your potential client and express that you care about their lives, just as you want them to care about yours. If there was one leadership tip that stood out to me the most it was from the panel we heard while at President Krendl's home. This panel spoke to me the most because each woman talked about being yourself. Of course we all are promoting women in power and each of us is a powerful woman leader. But this speech was different. Rather than waking up and saying to yourself, "I am strong and beautiful, I am a powerful woman" say this: "I am strong and beautiful, and I am Hannah." When I'm making a difference I don't want to be recognized as that woman who did this. I want to be recognized as Hannah, the woman that made a difference. And that's how I am living my life in leadership. I am not being generalized, I am making a name for myself, and I am promoting the one true me.

City of Refuge

This week Otterbein is hosting Tom Piazza, the author of our common book, City of Refuge. Yesterday I was able to attend his convocation in Cowan Hall and i just recently watched a production of a portrayal of the book put on by Otterbein theater students. Each event was remarkable. Tuesday, the day of convocation, Tom Piazza gave a great presentation. All of Cowan Hall was filled, and I was extremely excited just to say that I have met and heard a real author. Mr. Piazza talked about how he first came to write his book, although he was not in New Orleans at the time Katrina hit, he stated that his dislocation from the city was almost worse. He even related the feeling to that of a loved one being in harm and you being incapable of helping her in anyway. His presentation also put things into a different perspective for me. He said that Katrina was not only a physical disaster but a spiritual disaster. People were forced to begin a new life or recreate their old one. They had to take a risk, they had to believe. In today's theatre performance there were  three scenes, each with a different acting group. The production was heartwarming, I even got chills halfway through. Each scene reflected a different scenario that the students felt would have occurred during or after the disaster. It was the last scene that touched me the most. This one included a song entitled, "Dear Daddy". In the scene there were different relationships but each person had lost a loved one and was mourning the loss in a different way. Each person of the different relationship sang their own part of the song, but in the end everyone came together in harmony. Although each person was dealing with the tragedy in their own way, each was able to find comfort in that they were not alone.

In Order to Succeed You Have to Believe

Our last panel in Women in Leadership class consisted of women politicians. Politics are definitely not my field of interest, so I was a little hesitant about the session. However, I continue to say this, I always get something out of the session, regardless of the panel working in my career pathway. Because politics are very male based areas of study, each woman has had a powerful story to tell. Whether they were beaten down by words, looks, or lack of acknowledgement, each woman overcame the naysayer and succeeded in her beliefs. And although those political beliefs may have been different from my own, I still appreciate their confidence and strength.  During the panel, while talking about aspiring our dreams, a question came up - do we dream big enough?  Rather than sitting on the sidelines watching others succeed, we need to be risk takers.  Another topic that arose was women who accomplished balancing family and work - a very important skill that everyone should strive to learn.  Embrace your surroundings and be completely committed to who you are with, and where ever you are.  It is also important to make sure that you are always yourself when making first impressions.  Continue to participate volunteering in public service activities, living out your determinations, and always work your best.  And most of all, keep smiling :)

You're In Control

In last week's session we heard from three successful women. Carol Sally, and Mary spoke to us about their stories. Each of the women was in charge of their own success, they either began their own business or took control of a current one. Carol talked to us about the advantages of being a female leader. One advantage that interested me was that our style, as women, is not concrete. No one can anticipate what you're going to do, we are in charge of finding your own leadership style. Mary spoke to us about your impact on the business. It is not about what you're doing, but how you're doing it. You should be making a difference in your own way. Don't just stay within the lines, be creative. Mary was in the finance business and one key tip that she suggested was getting your personal life in order first. It is critical to make the decision that is right for you at the present time. Do not think about your past experience or what is anticipated in the future, think about how the financial decision you make will affect you right now. Lastly we heard from Sally. I think the reason Sally's story spoke to me the most is because she was living out her passion. Sally set out to be a professional singer but after realizing she had another calling for continuing a business she never stopped doing what she loved. It was good to hear this message because I want to be able to incorporate my passions into my everyday life and not have to choose between one passion or the other. I'm really enjoying being able to relate my thoughts and beliefs to the stories of these powerful, inspirational women. Their experiences are helping me shape my decisions. And despite this yucky weather, I hope we are all living out our passions as beautiful women!

Passion

At our last Women in Leadership class session we heard from non-profit women leaders. It was a very inspiring presentation because each woman was building her career around something she was passionate about. After attending the FYE session on "What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?" I learned that I cannot make a wrong mistake in my career pathway as long as I'm following my passion. Hearing the stories of these women served as a reassurance to do what I love, to help people. If they can make it work so can I. Non-profit organizations can sometimes be misconceived as organizations solely concerned on fundraising. However, this is not the case. Although raising money for your cause has a lot to do with the organization, it is centered on what you're passionate about. You must find whatever it is that you do best, and pursue that in a career, advocate for it. Sandra Smith was one member of the panel that I found related to my current situation. After going on a mission trip to Haiti this past summer I have more encouragement than ever of my passion. I want to help people. Waking up to the pictures of people children and the landscape of Haiti makes me wants to go back everyday. Sandra spoke about her trip to Africa. She had recently gone and she said it was an amazing experience. The trip made her realize who she was as a person, in the biological sense and physical. Hearing her story of helping others and feeling a call to do so has helped me. I realize that I can make  a living out of my passion. Out of the entire session I found this quote one of the most valuable, "love what you do, do what you love." Find your voice now.

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

This past Thursday I attended the FYE session presented by the Center for Career Planning. The session was about finding your pathway and giving you guidance about deciding what you want to be when you grow up. The main point in the message was that it's okay to be undecided in your career pathway. If you do have your entire college career already planned out that's great, but I gained reassurance in that my status of being undecided is perfectly fine. Ryan, the leader of the session, had planned out the college pathway year by year. Our first year in college should be spent discovering ourselves; exploring our interests and capabilities, as well as getting in touch with our talents. As a sophomore we should explore; cultivate career skills, develop a career network, and most importantly, be open to opportunity. Year 3 was labeled as the experience year, this will allow us to learn more about potential job opportunities. And finally, year 4, preparing and implementing; do not be afraid to say yes. As an undecided freshman I gained a lot from this session. I am now thinking about majors based on something I am passionate about, which is helping people. Sitting in on this session as well as attending last week's class has given me a comfort to my current status. The business women who spoke in last week's class we're all doing things they were passionate about. Each woman was working for her passion, whether it be autism, or enhancing confidence in beauty. Last week's sessions gave me a real boost to study what I am passionate about. I learned that there isn't one best occupation for any individual, I cannot make the wrong choice if I am taking the pathway of something I believe in. Now, I am confident that by sticking with my beliefs and my passion towards helping others through faith, leadership, and guidance I will make the right choice with whatever path I take.