March 2020
This month, we asked our writers to think about the importance of literacy, especially in women, to acknowledge “Women’s History Month,”
and “Read Across America Day."
Written in stone
Emmy Jansen
Class of 2023
Women’s history month comes around every year and I never know how to celebrate it. What would be the correct way to honor those that have come before me to get me to the place I am today? Often, we settle for merely partaking in the rights they fought to get us. We vote because of the women who campaigned for us to be able to. We get an education
because our ancestors, male and female, couldn’t. We were told that "We can do it," so we do.
There are so many admirable women in modern and past society that we try to model ourselves after. Symbols of American womanhood, like Betsy Ross and various First Ladies, help us to discern what it means to be an American woman, as a beacon of freedom and hope. Freedom fighters such as Malala Yousufzai and Jane Addams show us how to stand up for what
we believe in, for us and for others. There are so many female saints, warriors, and mothers who inspire us every day. Mother Mary instantly comes to mind, her resilience and strength through pain that seems unimaginable. Womanhood, motherhood, and sisterhood make up the female experience and I learn more about it every day. Our inspirations don’t have to be written in
history books or magazines. We’re effected by every person we encounter. When I think of strong women, I think of Joan of Arc and Queen Elizabeth II. But I also think of my mom, my grandmother, and the girls in my dorm. We’re inundated by examples of womanhood. March merely provides a context for our introspection.
Though we look to the past to see all the women who have come before us, I’d rather look to the future. Who will I be and how will I play a role in what’s to come? Regardless of gender, how will the people generations from now look back at us?
One way ancestors pass down knowledge and culture is through literature. The two core classes I’m currently taking at the Mount both focus on ancient texts. I often leave class wondering why we spend so much time looking back on the past, specifically from Ancient Greece, even though there’s so many other cultures and civilizations I know nothing
about. Obviously, all these texts have value. Excerpts from the Iliad, Oedipus, and any dialogue from Plato unpack another aspect of humanity. However, our human thirst for knowledge isn’t quenched by this one subsection in the global timeline. Books, new and old, tell us so much about the world around us. It’s unfortunate that in our busy, modern lives we don’t have time to
enjoy the mass of knowledge that was left for us. In a world of cultivated understanding and human discovery, we should never remain ignorant. As I sit here writing this in a library, I’m in tune to the books surrounding me that I have never read or touched. Many of the pages here have never been turned since they were put on the shelves. They’re merely taking up space, full
of insight that only exists in the author’s mind. I want to read as many books in this library as I possibly can. I’ll let you know in three years how far I’ve gotten.
It might shock you to know that there are people in the United States who don’t know how to read. It might shock you to know that they may never learn. What should shock you most of all is that there isn’t much being done to amend this. This Women’s History Month, as we reflect on the rights and respect gained over generations, let’s remember the most
basic one: the ability to read. If we’re going to celebrate newer freedoms like voting and military service, we should also celebrate the most mundane. Celebrate Women’s History by reading. Use the skill you have that generations ago, your ancestors might not have, both males and females.
Another part of reading is writing. Someone has to be around to write the books that pass down essential wisdom to our great grandchildren and beyond. I find myself scouring bookstores for specific topics only to come up empty. If the book I want to find doesn’t exist, it’s for me to write. Writing has been a staple of my life for as long as I can
remember, and college has helped me expand my hobby. I’m constantly reminded of the importance of reading and writing, together and separately. They are significant on their own, as skills necessary in life. They also go hand in hand; Reading makes you a better writer and writing makes you a better reader.
It’s my firm belief that everyone has a story to tell. That’s why I am leaning towards journalism as a career, to tell the stories I’ve always wanted to hear. But you don’t need someone to ask the questions just for you to answer them. If you’ve been wrestling the idea of telling your story or any story, this is your sign. No one knows what you have to
say except for you. There will never be a shortage of stories to tell or people to listen to them but there is a shortage of people willing to tell them. If you won’t do it for yourself or the people around you, think about those yet to come. Our ancestors never thought we’d be sitting here centuries later with the ability to read and write openly. We have no idea what our
descendants will be capable of, but we should supply them with all the wisdom and knowledge we can. Humanity has only existed for 200,000 years. We are still at the brink of the human experience. I envy my great grandchildren and the awareness they will have about the world around them. I wish I could be around for it. But the most I can do is bolster their understanding.
This Women’s History Month, I will be reading books by female authors, known and unknown, to celebrate both my ability to read and their ability to write. We have come a long way in 200,000 years. I can’t wait to see where we go.
Read other articles by Emmy Jansen
Lead to truth
Harry Scherer
Class of 2022
Education is often spoken of as a sort of liberation. The word itself comes from the Latin ‘ducere’ meaning ‘to lead’ with the prefix ‘e’ meaning ‘out of’. The purpose of educators is to lead their students out of the slavery of ignorance into a more enlightened understanding of the world. This is, at least, the intention. The purpose of reading seems
to be largely the same. The reader has a vested interest in his or her development and reads certain materials in light of that interest. This is, at least, the intention.
I contend that the importance of education and literacy and the importance of the content of this education share equal footing. This is to say that an educated person needs to be taught certain things in order to consider himself educated or well-read. The ignorance from which our educators have led us is a burdensome and recurring reality that will
stifle our ability to know and understand. The significance of knowing and understanding, however, pales in comparison to the significance of loving.
In my primary, secondary and current undergraduate study, it becomes clearer to me every day that knowledge of the material world and the propensity to love share no relationship. In fact, it seems that an overvaluation of the accumulation of material knowledge can possibly hinder the ability to love; this is a claim that would require many more words
to prove, let alone an ability to cogently prove it, which I do not possess. The burden of leading someone from the darkness of ignorance to the light of truth is an arduous task. It is one that demands patience and uniformity with the will of God, two necessary virtues that seem to be required in the task of education, an occupation which almost guarantees failure.
For the sake of clarity, I think of truth as an unchangeable reality that exists in a certain manner in every time and place and of ignorance as a privation of this truth. Therefore, one can find himself in the camp of truth or ignorance with regard to a certain idea. It becomes clearer, then, that the purpose of education is to recognize those ideas
which are rooted in truth and those which stray from that foundation and lead the student to that place of greater enlightenment. With this in mind, it should be considered whether attending a place of education or reading are goods in themselves. It seems that the good arises when the place of education or act of reading fulfill their purpose. One implication of this thought
is that one is better off learning and reading a small number of true things than a large number of ignorant things. To me, this claim seems to be largely self-evident.
The subsequent question for our contemporary context is whether the act of education is abused. Is it misunderstood to be merely a political right? I do not have the answers to these questions, but they seem to be fair inquiries for our current leaders.
One person who would have warned against such an abuse of education is Frederick Douglass. The powerful abolitionist found his personal liberation when he learned how to read and write. Douglass, however, did not just read and write anything. He learned fundamental truths about the dignity of each human person and the evil of slavery and used his
natural talent and proven rhetorical brilliance to write about these perennial problems in an effective manner.
How does the story of Frederick Douglass affect how we think about literacy and how we should present the issue to our descendants? It is for certain that our children will be curious and will demand an account of their history so that they may better understand where they will go. Because our time is limited here on earth and we should be able to give
an account of every second that we spend here, choices must be made with regard to what and how often we read. I am not claiming in any sense that I could successfully give an account of every second of my life with satisfaction; I dare anyone to do this. As an ideal, however, we should still question whether the words that we actively allow to affect our lives are worth this
privilege. As persons made in the image of God, we have a responsibility to filter that which we consume for our own good and out of reverence for the gift of life which we have been unworthily granted. Especially today, we know that many products of the human imagination are not worth our time. Douglass devoted time to his reading and writing because he knew that it held
existential import; he read to survive, and he wrote to help others do the same.
Our children should think of reading as a necessity for survival. Imagine our cultural leaders thinking of their writing as a tool to lead their followers out of ignorance; a paradigm shift for this small population would yield unimaginable results. Imagine this same population reconsidering the permanence of the written word. This permanent nature
presents a hindrance to extemporaneous writing. From another perspective, this permanence is a gift. Without it, there is very little that humans could do preserve their history outside of the uncertainty of oral tradition.
The burden that our generation must undertake, then, is not just perpetuating the positive trend of widespread national literacy. We must teach the next generation to read the most formative texts in the West. If our offspring do not understand their rich ancestral history, then they have very little on which to base their passion for creative human
action. It is surely a benefit to learn and read; if we are not learning and reading the way to virtue and the joys and sorrows of men of old, however, then we are neglecting the fundamental human journey of being led out of ignorance to the Light of Eternal Life.
Read other articles by Harry Scherer
Thank you, Harper Lee
Angela Guiao
Class of 2021
I can still remember the day when I walked into my 8th grade classroom and my English teacher said, "Today we are going to begin reading my favorite book." Little did I know that the book she held in her hand would become my favorite book also and eventually serve as a foundation for my ideas about equality and human rights.
Harper Lee wrote two books in her entire career: Go Set a Watchman, and To Kill A Mockingbird. My favorite book is the latter. To Kill A Mockingbird is told through the eyes of two young children: Jem and Scout Finch. The book has two main overlapping plots. In one, we follow Jem and Scout, occasionally accompanied by Dill Harris (the boy who visits
every summer) as they navigate life in their small town. In between their adventures, they become engrossed in the mystery that is their neighbor Boo Radley. Radley, a recluse who had become the small town’s favorite gossip subject, is not seen until the very end of the book.
The second plot revolves around Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus, who is also a lawyer. He decided to defend a black man named Tom Robinson against the Ewell family, who were white. It was a big deal because it was the beginning of the 1930’s a racism was still a very prevalent and accepted act.
Harper Lee wrote To Kill A Mockingbird, loosely basing it off her real life. Her father, who served as inspiration for Atticus Finch, was also a lawyer in real life named A.C. Lee. A.C. has a history of taking on controversial cases, once choosing to defend two black men who were being accused of killing a white storekeeper. It is said that Harper used
this and the infamous Scottsboro Boys case as a basis for the Robinson case.
Harper Lee officially published To Kill A Mockingbird in the 1960’s, just as racial tensions soared high and the Civil Rights Movement was reaching its peak. Although she originally thought it would be hated by reviewers, she was pleasantly surprised to find out it was actually widely popular, leading to her eventual win of the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and
a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Ever since that 8th grade class, the fundamental morals I learned from To Kill A Mockingbird has influenced so many different aspects of my life. It amazes me that during a time when racism was at an all-time high and the country was literally at a divide, Harper Lee had the courage to speak out against discrimination and unfair practices based solely
on a person’s skin color.
This month, as we celebrate the women around us, I hope we appreciate women who have the courage to speak up. Women have long since evolved from being thought of as lesser, as weak. I hope women continue to let themselves be heard; let their presence be known; let their strength be felt.
Ever since I was young, I wanted to be a writer. I loved creating stories. When I was younger, my mother always encouraged me to write stories, always pushing me to get more and more creative. But as I grew older, I realized that stories didn’t have to be all about adventures and fun. They could also convey a message. They can incite a feeling to do
good, to do better. They can motivate change, inspire innovation, influence lives.
But as I grew older, I also realized that not everyone was like my mother. Not everyone agreed with what I had to say, liked how I felt. Sometimes it was easier to be silent. Sometimes, it was easier to not have controversial opinions, or if I did, it was better to not say anything at all. It was much easier to write things people want to hear, or at
least things people wouldn’t react to.
And when I realized this, I learned to appreciate Harper Lee even more. As a Southern woman from Alabama, she released a book questioning the actions of white people against black people at the same time the bus boycotts in Montgomery were going on, the same time the injustices in Birmingham were happening.
It is because of her that I realized that sometimes it is okay to speak out. Sometimes it is our duty to say something when something is wrong. It is our responsibility to stand up for people who are having trouble speaking out for themselves. As much as I’d like to wander through life with the childlike innocence of Scout and Jem, sometimes there are
instances where life is as real as Tom Robinson’s.
This Women’s Empowerment Month, let us appreciate women. Let us appreciate the women in history who have made an impact on our culture, our way of life, our literature, and our future. Let us look to our wives, our daughters, our mothers, our grandmothers, and appreciate the strength and the love and the courage it takes to be a woman!
For me, growing up with divorced parents, there’s only ever been one real-life hero in my life. That’s my mother. So, to her, I’d like to say thank you.
But also, I’d like to thank all the women role models in history I’ve had in my life, the ones that influenced me, motivated me, and shaped my understanding of the world and all that comes with it.
So, thank you, Rosa Parks, J.K. Rowling, Mother Teresa, Cleopatra, Amelia Earhart, Maya Angelou, Malala Yousafzai, Ellen, Coco Chanel, and so many more. You have all made an impact on who I have become, how I think about the issues of our society, and my understanding of acceptance and change. I hope you all continue to influence the minds of young
people in the world today, tomorrow, and for years to come. Because of you all I am proud to be a woman.
And of course, thank you Harper Lee.
Read other articles by Angela Guiao
The gateway to discovery
Morgan Rooney
Class of 2020
It is hard to imagine myself in an alternate universe where I do not have the ability to write. I know I spend the first five or six years of my life with very limited reading and writing skills, but that was so long ago and I knew nothing else.
It’s difficult for me to believe that just a few centuries ago, that was the reality for a reasonable size of the population. It is even harder to believe that in some places in the world, it is not uncommon for people to be illiterate. Illiteracy comes hand in hand with poverty. Many people who live in places with extreme poverty do not have the
opportunity to go to school or get any education other than what their families can teach them. The sad thing is that almost two thirds of the illiterate world are women.
The authors I read when I was in school to improve my reading skills were very common among my age range, especially for girls. These are women like Barbara Park, Judy Blume and Anne Mazer. I loved to read about other girls who were around the same age as I was. From first to fifth grade, I really enjoyed their series’ and was encouraged to write as I
was growing up.
I remember when I was in middle school, I would write creative stories for my English class. They weren’t particularly good, but I will commend myself by saying that they were creative. I wrote a story about an alien who came to Earth for the first time and could communicate to jellyfish. It definitely sounds silly now, but when I was 11, this was a
whole new world that I had created with solely my imagination and a few other influences. Without the inspiration of female authors who had created characters and stories of their own, I can’t say I would be a writer today. One of my greatest hopes is that one day I’ll be able to inspire another young girl to write her own story.
When I got to high school, I was assigned a number of different readings. These included authors like Mary Shelley, Harper Lee and Agatha Christie. These women wrote some of the most memorable works I have ever read and I’m grateful they could share their talents with the rest of the world, including me.
I first started writing ever since I can remember. When I was a child, I would look at a blank piece of paper as a blank canvas ready for me to draw out my craziest and silliest thoughts with crayons to make a colorful masterpiece. As I got older and could write legibly, I felt the same way about a blank piece of lined paper. I could write anything
without any limitations. Was my spelling great? No way, but I could sound out words enough where my parents and teachers could understand what I was trying to write.
As am adult, I spend my time doing what many others do, regardless if they have a college education or not. I drive while being able to follow directions and signs. I love experimenting with new restaurants and choosing new, interesting items from the menu. I travel to different places when I am given the opportunity. I take up a share of my personal
time on social media. I write messages to friends and family to keep in touch with them. I can’t imagine a world where I am unable to partake in those things.
Having the ability to read and write is so much more than just getting around discovering things. Literacy is a gateway to knowledge and learning. Once one has the ability to read, no matter the language, a world of knowledge and discovery is opened up to them. Millions of books in the world are full of ideas, stories and history. Some of the most
knowledgeable people I know are the ones who spend their free time reading and learning.
With the ability to write comes the ability to share your idea with others. Whether you’re sharing your opinion, a creative short story, a novel, research or history, you’re putting your ideas out in the world so others can hear them and learn from them. As I write this, I am sharing my thoughts and ideas with whoever chooses to read it. I am grateful
for the opportunity to do so and I hope to continue to learn from others while also sharing my own ideas back to whoever wants to hear them.
I feel like literacy is something many of us take for granted, as we live in a developed part of the world where it is uncommon for us to think otherwise. For myself, I know literacy is something I overlook often. Going through school, I always complained how I didn’t want to go. I would get frustrated when I was five years old, sitting next to my dad
as he helped me sound out words because they were long and challenging. Even now, with the opportunity I have to attend college, I still have my moments where all I can think is, "I want to go home." It’s important to remember what we have instead of focusing on the things we don’t.
Although I don’t have much time to read for pleasure now, it is something that I hope I continue as I graduate and go through adulthood. Most of all, however, I want to continue writing. Wherever my career takes me, which is unknown to me at this point, I have a goal to keep writing. I have always wanted to be an author and that hasn’t changed. Even
though it may never be my full time career, it is something I want to pursue because I enjoy it and it is the best way to share what I have to say with the rest of the world.
Read other articles by Morgan Rooney
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