What E3 Day Is and What It Ought To Be
By sophie l. ‘21
30 minutes is not a lot of time. That was my major take away from this year's E3 day. It is important to note that I did not attend any workshops due to being in CAFE and was therefore exempt from any important conversations or revelations that could have occured. However I did lead a workshop, one of being Multiracial, and in doing that I discovered that 30 minutes flies by very quickly. While planning, my co-leader and I budgeted time for an icebreaker, a short activity, and then a discussion. We never ended up asking any of the discussion questions we had written. It felt as though we had just gotten warmed up and it was already time for the next workshop. I spent the next session trying to find dongles for workshops in need. The time crunk was immensely palpable as I jogged between buildings searching for teachers and the sought after technology. Having only a five minute walk time between the speaker and workshops only aided our time disparity. Everything felt short and rushed, and that was because it was.
Last year's E3 day, held on March 4th 2019, started at 10:30. There was a 45 minute speaker followed by lunch and two 50 minute workshop sessions. The day came to a close with a 35 minute class meeting and an all school activity. This year, we started at 1:20. This limited amount of time only allowed for a 40 minute presentation and two 30 minute workshops. The new schedule was a major factor for this drastic decrease in time. The alternative was to cancel the third period and hold workshops during this time. This was obviously not ideal, for it created some complications surrounding coordinated classes and CAFE’s proposal for extra time was denied. While time issues are very complicated and I am unsure of some of the nuances, I would like to discuss why I feel E3 day is important.
“There is the opportunity for discomfort and, as cliché as it sounds, to grow and think there must be discomfort.”
Even though different clubs and organizations host frequent conversations about different social and political issues, the whole student body is required to attend very few of these. As a result, most are attended by the same people and these attendees usually agree. These conversations are often informative, but not much growth occurs. E3 has the potential to be different given that it is an all upper school event. There is the opportunity for discomfort and, as cliché as it sounds, to grow and think there must be discomfort. Also, E3 day presents the opportunity for anyone to lead a workshop on any topic. I believe that issues of equity and politics are often written off as things that can only be discussed by people who are outspoken about them. Having ample opportunities for facilitating these conversations allows anybody with an interest to step into a leadership position. E3 day is not only important for students, but for the school as well. Bryn Mawr prides itself on having to have difficult conversations surrounding diversity and equality. So, we ought to have them. In a crude sense, if we talk the talk, we better walk the walk, and E3 day is a good opportunity for us to do so. Whether it is a 30 minute workshop or an all day event, E3 day is important and an event worth investing energy and time into.