The theme of the day started off with the Col. Halstead luncheon. There are very few occasions where I can't find someone I wouldn't mind talking to, even if it's a stranger, and this was one of those few. Walking into the room I was reminded of a song in My Fair Lady when Professor Higgins is singing about what happens when you let a woman into your house and starts playing this record which sounds like Chip and Dale on fast forward (this high pitched chittering noise). So I walk into the room and I'm greeted by the high pitched chittering noise of a room full of girls and I think to myself, "Where can I sit? There is no one in this room I have anything to say to or who doesn't hate me." Col. Halstead was a 5'1", plain woman, with a boycut. The story I took away from her lecture was about her experience with her first platoon sergeant. He was a tall black guy who disliked West Point grads. One day she had a talk with him and said something along the lines of "I know you didn't want to have to deal with another West Point grad, and I know you didn't want to have to take care of another second lieutenant, and I really know you didn't want to have to work with someone who is five-one." I liked the fact that she purposely didn't say female and bring out the sex distinction. Sometimes I think it's focused on too much in the wrong way, and too little in the right. Though I'm not sure what's right and wrong.

Next, in social theory we had day 2 of Feminist Theories. We watched a video on a lecture called Killing Me Softly. It was about the themes and impacts of advertising on how women are perceived and how women perceive themselves. It also touched a little on how it affects men and how it varies with race. I'll admit a little of it felt exaggerated, but given it was a speech, all of her data couldn't be presented, only the most shocking examples. The purpose is also to cause change. The way one starts a revolution is to take an extreme, disseminate information, and then challenge the higher levels, forcing them to react, giving legitimacy to your cause. She made sense and had systematic research to back her up, so I give her credit and will try to notice things little things like advertisement more.

I ended the day by reading the book I am writing a book report on. It's about a study done on junior enlisted wives. There were three interviews conducted in addition to the data, one was 20, another 17, and the last was 33. It was an eye opener to the poor conditions they live in; far from home, isolated socially, little money, and few jobs outside of fast food and pornography available in military towns, and it goes on. It was the first time these women were given a face; they were always referred to with disdain or mockery, "Joe's 16 year old wife," etc.