Last week was a hard week for a lot of Wellesley students. The election results and the events after made a lot of students feel unsafe, disappointed and scared. The thing I love about Wellesley and, something I have seen in the last couple of days, is how strong the community is. Everyone was concerned with putting self-care above everything else and making sure everyone on campus felt/feels safe and welcomed. The community rallied together to comfort one another and find ways to fight.
I have spent a lot of time at Harambee House in light of recent events and have found the community support helpful. The alums have been really kind as well. They’ve sent the house flowers, brownies, and even pizza. We also had a peace walk with President Johnson on Friday to stand up together as a community against fear and hate.
This election has shown me how much I want to advocate for people and help make this country a better place for everyone. It has really renewed my passion for human rights. I’m gearing up for a long and hard fight.
Before that starts to happen, I needed something a little light for the week. That is when I remembered I bought tickets to go see one of my favorite comedians, Hasan Minhaj. (I bought my tickets in July so I didn’t really forget.) The show was at the Wilbur in Boston. A lot of Wellesley students came out for the show. I followed them to make sure I wouldn’t get lost.
The show was amazing. I mean, what did you expect me to say? If you have seen any of his content on the Daily Show or videos shared on Social Media then you know what I am talking about. By the way, if you don’t know who he is, go and find out, you will thank me later.
It was relatable, funny, and insightful. After the show, we hung around to see if we could get a chance to meet him. We waited for about an hour when a man approached and told us that he was the director of the show. His name was Greg Walloch. He took a picture of us so that he could send it to him.
The show was definitely a great way to cap off a pretty tough week. Reminding me that finding ways to laugh when life seems tough can help keep you sane.
(if you get a chance to see him live, DO IT, the show was great).
I also saw a cultural show here at Wellesley put on by WASAC (Wellesley College Association for South Asian Cultures). The show called Shruti Laya showcased a dance, songs, poem, etc from South Asian culture. It was a great show. It was especially great to see people celebrating their culture and where they come from in a time where people seemed to be attacked for being who they are.
Next week is THANKSGIVING, and I’m going home. Get excited!
-Laïssa