How school uniforms enhance rape culture - an overview

So, there are definitely upsides to having a uniform. This is universally recognised, and believe me, I see these upsides but personally, they just don't cancel out the detrimental side. I attended a very conservative school, where it was a bigger sin to wear socks that weren't black or white than to not attend lessons, where we were banned from wearing ankle boots despite the school being located on top of a hill which was deadly when icy, and finally, where we, the girls of the school, were told showing shoulders, legs or worse was "distracting to male staff". So is this the fault of the students? Definitely not. The fault is definitely with your archaic attitudes and your over-sexualisation of normal body parts.

I think it's important to say that I haven't attended said school for over a year now. Things have undoubtedly changed, however, that doesn't mean the past should be forgotten. The reinforcement of the uniform was ,to put it mildly, vigorous. It was a regular occurence for our lessons to be interrupted for random uniform checks, where boys were virtually ignored and girls taken outside the classroom to stand in a line and teachers, male and female, would walk up the line pointing out things that were right or wrong, and if wrong, you were taken to one side and told to remove said article of clothing/make up/piercing etc.

"You aren't going to a nightclub, you're going to school." which is fair enough, were any of us dressed appropriately for a night out, however a pleated skirt and pump shoes are hardly the hottest trend for such places, and if they were, they probably wouldn't be worn all in navy blue. Besides the point, however, in a bid to get girls to stop wearing make up to school, my school actually removed all the mirrors from the girls changing rooms and toilets. To prohibit girls wearing skirts "too short" they changed them THREE times in my school career of seven years. More than once, I was threatened to be sent home if I had bare shoulders or no tights with a skirt. Fundamentally, their reasoning? Because "it harms the school's reputation, and your own." So I ask you, dear reader, why does it harm the school's reputation, if a body part of mine that have existed in our biological existence for millions of years? And more importantly, why does it damage mine?  Because society says so. Who is society? Us. Who teaches society their values? Parents and teachers.

So we come to yet another problem. If  girls are constantly being told they aren't good enough, by the opposite sex, their own sex, peers, the media, and what's more, by their teachers, how can we expect girls to feel about themselves? Not only is it simply impractical to wear black tights in 26 degree heat, but also entirely unnecessary. If girls were made to feel comfortable with their own bodies, without the fear that someone might god forbid find them unnattractive or unpleasant to look at, or on the contrary, sexually appealing when they are simply warm, a lot of time would have been saved that could be used to teach a valuable lesson of self-worth. There are some lessons that aren't meant to be on a timetable. And self worth is one of them.

But it is not the girls hearing this that are the greatest problem. The bigger problem, is that the boys who hear this adopt this mindset, and the idea that if a girl is showing her skin or "dressing inappropriately", that it is her fault and therefore he may treat her as he may wish. It implies that it is the girls responsibility that men do not look at her or treat her in a sexual manner.


With that said, something needs to be made abundantly clear: It is not trashy to bare your arms. It is not unnaceptable that people know you have legs and see them. It is not embarrassing for the school you attend if you admit and show the world that you have shoulders, and there is nothing wrong with them being there. It is wrong to teach girls and boys that their bodies are to be hidden away, that they are in some way shameful, that showing your body ill lead to you being taken advantage of in some way. If my body makes your male staff uncomfortable, it is not the fault of my body for being here, but rather the morals of your male staff if they can't look at a 16 year old they are supposed to be teaching and choose to see legs or shoulders or arms for what they actually are. Body parts.

Some weird little phobias of mine

Okay, so arguably everyone has a "phobia", be it spiders, chewing gum or sharks, everyone has something that they  can admit makes them a little bit scared. Here are some thing that really really freak me out:

1. Tall grass.
So I realise this is a little strange, but I spent my summers as a child in the archipelligo of Sweden. And up until a few years ago, there were less than 20 people on my entire road, and we're surrounded by woodland. Tall grass = tics, mosquitoes or worst of all, snakes.

2. As previously mentioned, I have a bit of a food phobia. I have been known to research menus in advance just to make sure there will definitely be something I like at a restaurant and yes, I am the irritating person who asks for with or without this or that. But one of the main ones is smelly food. If it smells, get it away from me, otherwise I will go into major panic and start wretching. That is not a joke. Note: Cheese and cucumber are two major ones in this. I have got better as I've got older, however.

3. Stemming on from this, mould. Especially mould on food. Do not let me see this. I can't even bring myself to Google a picture of it, I hate it that much.

Lookbook

So today I was reminded of an old hobby I used to have. Now that I am officially training to be a journalist, I think it's just as well I share this on my blog.

 

I started Lookbook sometime in 2009. This was when I wanted to pursue a career in fashion journalism, and I thought starting a blog would get me out there. Some followers later, and I've slipped out of the habit. This is something I want to pick up again, now that deadlines are out of the way and I have time again, I really want to restart my passion for blogging before I had to do it for my degree.

Here is a video made by a Norwegian animator a couple of years ago now, named Lasse. I rediscovered this after watching it with my dad, and it just reminded me how much I liked it and I thought it would be a good idea to share it.

We hear so much about how romance has entirely disappeared, chivalry is dead etc,  but this is such an accurate reflection of how even though times will change, we're basically still the same, definitely still learning, and also that we can learn so much from those older than us.  Also that I think Norwegians sound adorable.

University implements “blanket fort” to combat exam and deadline stress

FXU, Student Union for Falmouth and Exeter University, have built a blanket fort to help students who are stressed the during exam and deadline month of May.

The fort was built on the 5th May in the main foyer of the library building on Penryn Campus. Approximately 3 metres by 3 metres in size, the fort contains mattresses, pillows and blankets.

 The fort provides students with a place to nap, take time out from study or just a place to get some quiet away from the library.

Inside the fort, a “Do not panic” guide has been issued for students who need help preparing for exams as well as do’s and don’ts in the exam season. Students also have the opportunity to collect a snack pack containing refreshments.

20 year old student, Jed Bullock, said: “We’re very fortunate. Working in a relaxed environment is easier to revise in.”

The main focus of the FXU this year has been targeting mental health issues in a bid to minimise stress and help students who suffer from mental illnesses. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1-in-4 people between the ages of 18 and 24 have a diagnosable mental illness, the most common being depression and anxiety.

Meet the blogger

Recently saw a post going a little viral in the blogging world, and if you aren't a friend or aquaintance of mine you must be fairly confused when I reference things, so I have decided I will do a meet the blogger. Feel free to entirely ignore if you are uninterested in the ramblings about myself.

To start with the glaringly obvious, my name is Anna-Karin. I was not named after Anna Karenina. Karenin (a) is her surname.
I am 19 years old, and I study Journalism at Falmouth University.
I like to read books and play Sims 3. I prefer to build houses than play with actual families.
I love Lego and Harry Potter.
 I am left handed.
 I am the only person in my whole family that I know of to have green eyes, accidental mutation of my parents genes - sorry mum and dad.
 I speak Swedish, German, Danish, Norwegian and I somehow secured a B at GCSE French.
 If I hadn't gone into Journalism I probably would have done languages instead, it's probably my greatest strength.
I like foreign film and love putting the subtitles on.
I prefer ice cream to sweets.
I am allergic to mosquito bites.
I can hula hoop for over an hour.

I do yoga every day for at least half an hour in the morning and sometimes evenings too.
I know all the words to over 10 movies.
I listen to everything from Beatles' B sides to Drake. I like everything and nothing when it comes to music.
I have never eaten unmelted cheese or eggs.
I have been known to not wear any shoes all summer.
It really upsets me when people misuse their there and your and you're.
I was nicknamed "gangbang girl" at school because in PSHE some kids in my class read that Swedish people have the most threesomes in the world.
I have a real obsession with cats. My cat is called Prof. Meowington. (Legit. That is her name. No hate.)
I am a tumblr addict - http://trueatfirstlight.tumblr.com/

So now you know a bit more about me.

Things I wish they told me about University before I got there

I saw some student ambassadors showing around some potential students today and I was thinking to myself what I would want to know as a potential student for the upcoming year. So I have compiled a little list for anybody who hasn't been to Uni yet and is wondering what it's like, or, for those who have been who may agree or disagree as you please.

1. Despite paying 9,000 a year, you will never be quite sure where that money is going. Especially when you want to study, and the IT suite is full, the library is full, the coffee shop is full, the canteen is full and you're wondering why on earth you pay so much to eat your lunch on some stairs by an ant's nest.

2. Uni can be a very lonely place at times. When you ask some people how uni is going, they will gush about it until the world ends and how awesome their new friends are and the weird new experiences they've had. But I think I'm right in saying that the vast majority of people at one time or another has felt alone or secluded for whatever reason. It's important to make good new friends.

3. You will meet some absolutely ridiculous people. From people who can't tell you enough about their crazy weekend to people who are simply too good to associate themselves with you aside from their drug taking, there is every kind of person at Uni. But if you want some advice, if all someone can tell you about is how high they got last night and how much they like alternative bands, unless you're also into that kind of thing just let them ramble and pay no attention.

4. Following on from that point, before I came to Uni I had never really been exposed to drug culture. I grew up in a small town on the edge of a big city, and STILL I never really came into contact with drugs. But it seems at Uni, that's what everyone is up to - and it will always smell pretty funky around campus. Don't be afraid to say no, either. It gives you a bit of an edge - weirdly.

5. Some people have too much money, and others have none. I have no idea how Student Finance work out who gets what, but I will tell you the system is so flawed in my opinion it may as well not exist. When you are having your third bowl of plain pasta that week (and it's only Wednesday) try not to feel bitter when someone tells you about how they've just done an ASOS shop and they're getting Dominos. Again.

6. If you've just left school, leave the "teachers don't have favourite students" mentality behind. It will be glaringly obvious that lecturers definitely do have favourites in some cases. And try not to be annoyed if that person isn't you.

7.You don't appreciate normal every day things until you come to Uni. For instance, my accomodation only has plug-in internet. TV lisences will magically be the bane of your life. Nobody is there to do your washing up for you. You can't remember the last time you weren't hungry. Your bed feels like it's made of nails, and you've got a bad back again. It's all part of the experience.

8. Don't expect to do well without putting the effort in. If you don't turn up to lectures, miss deadlines, prefer to rock up late or not at all - don't be surprised when your lecturer gets offended and gives you a bad grade.

9. If you genuinely believe that "first year doesn't count" you're fairly delusional. Anybody who says this is a.) lazy or b.) naive. Or both. If you want your lecturers to think you're lazy and incapable, go ahead and waste time and money. Worth baring in mind that the lecturers you have in first year are more often than not the lecturers you have in second year - it's probably worth showing them the best you can do rather than the best you can do hungover and twenty minutes before the deadline.

10. This one only applies to Falmouth University, but you will miss your car, your parents car, ANY car... everything in Falmouth is on a hill. With steps. Steep steps. And when it's raining (which it quite often is) you will probably feel a little like Jordanna Bevan in Submarine: