Dear Ishani,
If you had seen the Illinois Archives Research Center you would have been just as as fascinated as I was. I remember being anxious to go on this field trip because it was only the second week of school and I did not know how to work the bus system yet. I pulled out my phone and entered the address in google maps, we were already way over our data limit because of me, so I took screen shots of the directions. I walked through the little Urbana neighborhoods all alone and I fell in love with the tiny brick roads and cute homes. We were experiencing a heat wave that week, so I came into the research center drenched in sweat. I looked through all the archives on the table and decided on the The Woman’s League Rules. I was intrigued by the formality and rules that women had to adhere to as young women entering college. I put myself in their situation and I could not imagine being restricted like that. I also recognized the benefits of such a system. These days, I hear about girls getting sexually abused at parties almost every weekend. These rules helped prevent that. But, you know how I’m all about equality; if women have to follow rules then so do men. During this field trip, I left with more than inspiration for my analysis paper. This trip was also when I became friends with Shade and Hailey and I looked more forward to coming to class.
Click here for my paper.