Lysistrata

    The play, Lysistrata is nothing that I expected it to be when I heard that we were reading a play, but I really enjoyed it. Its wit, humor, and raunchiness leaves a lot of room for interpretation, especially after Scott brought up that it could be read as making fun of women I began to rethink the play in different ways. However, one aspect of the play which intrigued me was the sexuality and the women's choice to have a sex ban. In the second half of the book when the Korus women are having a discussion Lysistrata says, “It’s not the same. When a soldier finally returns—his hair grown white—he can still take a young wife. But a woman has only one summer. When she grows old no one has anything to say to her” (50). I pondered this thought and realized that men have the advantage in sexual nature. It is inherent to sex; a man’s pleasure is how a baby is created. 

    This quote reminded me of this because older men dating younger women is considered normal, and in most relationships, the man is older than the woman. However, when a woman wants to date a man younger than her, she is deemed weird with the term “cougar.” I looked up what the meaning of the word “Lysistrata” is and I found it to mean, “disbander of armies.” While this book is ultimately about women ending war, it is also about the way that they are able to reclaim sexual power and therefore able to gain power in terms of money and politics. Despite its raunchiness and humor, Lysistrata silliness has very serious implications even today, on women and their ability to gain new power and also claim their sexuality in a new way that is not dependent on men, which I think are lessons that women should always be learning.

Tutoring has been going well so far, although, there haven’t been as many students so I haven’t been literally tutoring as much. I’ve been playing a lot of uno with the students and other tutors, which has been fun and engaging to the students. It’s a good reminder that these students do not just need to be tutored, but it is also important to develop relationships with these kids outside of the academic side of it because having a mentor and tutor that doubles as a friend helps develop a stronger bond which is ultimately what tutoring is all about. This concept reminded me of what I was trying to say in class once which is that Loyola encourages service to places like York Road but then discourages us from walking down the road because it is “unsafe.” I always ask the question of which is more important, serving these people or simply engaging with these people? In tutoring I realize there is a parallel question, which is more important, tutoring or developing a personal relationship? And I think during my experience at tutoring thus far in the semester as I get to go in person and tutor for the first time, I learn that it is both. That both aspects are necessary in order to correctly serve and engage with our community in an effective way. I feel like I have struck found that balance of helping students with math problems to serve as a tutor and then knowing when to put the homework down and just simply engage in some fun with a game of uno. 

    They are also doing a reading competition at Bridges for the first time, and the more students read the more they have a chance to win a raffle at the end of the year. I thought this was an amazing concept especially given the context of our course, “banned books,” and in light of all the discussions we’ve been having about how dangerous banning books is, and yet all the students at tutoring are vigorously reading gaining their knowledge and reality as their right through books, even if it is just to win a raffle, it is beautiful to see.