Emmapemma Wenjun Xu

good documentary on a woman who always seeks freedom but feels puzzled in her 40’s about marriage.

      I watch the movie called  Stolen Childhoods during the break. It’s a documentary, filmed in seven countries: Brazil, India, USA, Mexico, Indonesia, Kenya and Nepal, on global child labor. The facts which were told in the documentary are shocking.  We accept the reality that everyone is not born equal in the world, since the society will never be absolutely  equal. However, can we allow those children losing their childhood at such an early age? Their childhood is stolen as well as their future and whole lives.

     I was just folding my cloth from laundry, 2 sport pants were made in Kenya; 3 tops made in India and 1 skirts was made in Indonesia. Was child labor used in the manufacturing process of these cloth? I don’t know. However, I feel guilty when I know the posibilities exist.

http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=d2ac92f32b31bd10a798d1338f13e831e6049d77

Last Saturday, I attended the 2007 Washington DC AIDS Walk along with SGAC members.According to the organization, which organized this event, there were about 6,000 people registered for the walk.  On the front of our AIDS walk T-shirts, it says that among every 20 adults in DC, there is one who has HIV.

      I felt astonished about this fact. In this capital city, HIV is threatening people’s lives step by step, while busy people always neglect this fact. Fortunately, some people decided to get together to raise awareness of AIDS, to support AIDS research, and to fight back. No one knew or cared who among us had HIV. People walked 5K for the same purpose and they moved each other. Our group finished that 5K in 1 h and 15 minutes.

Family weekend is going very well. You can see excited families around the campus. They enjoyed listening ghost stories, singing college songs, taking part in 4 miles cross country games, and attending auctions and the amazing Pumpkin Parade. Some of them are alumnae of this college. This is the most amazing thing of this college. Hearing students mention that their grandmother’s grandmother graduated from this college is not a strange thing here. History and students are the assets of this college, and they are the power that support the college survives till now. I can imagine how excited my families will be if they can come. They will fall in love with this fascinating college as me.

Last Wednesday, I attended a speech given by Dr. Sam Fuller, a plastic surgeon in
Lynchburg. Dr. Fuller has been a volunteer with Operation Smile, an organization made up of medical volunteers who go to locations around world to repair children’s cleft lips and cleft palates, since 1988.  

During the two-hour speech, Dr. Fuller showed us photos from his volunteering trips. I have seen some people who have cleft lips before, but they are far from being considered as serious, comparing to those photos. People who are born healthily will never understand how much those people are suffering. However, healthy people are trying to help those are suffering. Stories between those volunteering professional surgeons and patients are touching. As Dr. Fuller said, volunteering surgeons would no longer consider themselves, the only thing they think about is help as much as they can. They know, at this time, one more operation means one more child’s life is changed. Eventually, they realize that they are changing the future and that is the best reward they get. 

I was moved and decide to take action. Something I can do here in
Lynchburg to support Operation Smile, such as organizing a fundraising march to downtown. I will start planning as soon as possible.

Eventually, Pumpkin Parade is taking place. I cannot remember how many times I was told the traditions of this college were fascinating, for there were too many. For a month, I am excited to wait for these events to happen and to be a witness, not just listener.  

After attending the event, I think I now understand why Randy-Mac girls protested so hard last year. The strength of women can only be fully explored in an all women’s college. You can see that in their eyes, you can hear that in their voices, you can feel that in their spirits. I will change subject to “we” now, for I am one of them. We know we are not alone, for we have sisters. No matter if we know her, she is there, somewhere. Love each other and feel being loved. 

Don’t say a woman’s college is conservative or ideological. Don’t ask if these women can survive after being thrown into the cruel world. These women are enthusiastic, intelligent, competitive and strong enough to meet challenges. 

The tradition will not die out. No one will allow it to happen.

There are two good movies in the library ( I watched them during the weekend and was impressed)

Shanghai Ghetto– a movie about life of Jewish refugees in Shanghai during the World War 2. Most of the stories are told by the survivors who spent their childhood in the far eastern land.

PS. It is so interesting to know about this part of history of my hometown where I lived 18 years.

Inside Iraq–The Untold Stories—It’s a documentary on life of Iraqis. The filmmaker didn’t add a lot of comments. He uses native Iraqis, American soldiers and image to tell the stories, which are never told by mass media. We know that the mass media nowadays is restricted by many powers, such as governments and sponsor companies. It is so obvious that objectivity is myth.  The mass begin to seek their own answers by themselves. Mike Shiley, the filmmaker, is one of them. I am so impressed that he dare to develop stories in Iraq during the war when no one close to him agree with him. The movie is worth watching.

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