The Belfield Banter Vol. 1

SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2020

VOL. 1

BELFIELD BANTER The St. Anne's-Belfield School Student Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE

INTERNALIZED

Internalized Misogyny for The Smart Girl

MISOGYNY FOR THE

by Ellie Powell

SMART GIRL I have self-identified as a feminist ever since I learned what the term meant as an elementary school student.

TRYING TIDES, A POEM

The notion of equality between men and women feels

BY BREHANU BUGG

advocated for through political campaigns, as well as an

completely natural to me, and is something that I have internship with the Charlottesville chapter of the

VIRGO HOROSCOPE

Nation League of Women Voters. Despite having read feminist theory from the likes of Mary Daly and Gloria Steinem, I realized in my sophomore year of high

FACULTY FEATURE: MR. PHILLIPS OPENS UP

school that I had only truly enjoyed media that was broadly male-dominated for the past three years.

Indeed, entering into my sophomore year, my favorite movie was David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia, my favorite television event up to that point had been Band of Brothers, and my favorite book was Joseph Heller’s Catch 22. These are all wonderful pieces of media, with complex characters and superb plotlines at their centers. Liking media with male characters and

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producers is by no means a problem in and of itself--many texts that are considered central to a high quality liberal arts education have been written by men. Through the famous “Great Books” curriculum of St. John’s College, students are not required to read any books written by women during their first two years at the school. And while texts such as The Odyssey may feature some women, many of these texts don’t have any at all, or at least any that are explicitly named. In essence, if you find yourself reading more books written by men than by women, it’s not your fault. We seem to have given books without women a type of precedence as profoundly meaningful classic texts within our society that we simply have not given to books written by (or prominently featuring) women.

This notion of a Great Book presents an interesting challenge. Naturally, Euclid’s Elements deserves its place on a list of Great Books, but so does Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Additionally, this challenge extends far beyond books alone. Often, action movies with no real substance are lauded as wonderful ways to escape from the monotony of everyday life, while most romantic comedies marketed towards women are derided as silly “chick flicks.” The truth of the matter is that you must seek out media written by and about women on your own.

Books like Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya will likely not just fall into your hands, so please intentionally seek them out. This past year, I have gone through an Amy Sherman-Palladino renaissance, watching most of Bunheads, Gilmore Girls, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel through quarantine, and it has been massively restorative. Perhaps Bunheads does not offer the same commentary on corruptibility, nationalism, and the white savior that Lawrence of Arabia does, but let me ask you, does MacGyver?

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"trying tides"

by Brehanu Bugg these times are trying like the tides, my dear ever pulling, ever pushing but don’t let the tides rip you away, my dear for the flowers always bloom, the sun always rises, and the stars always twinkle so while it may seem like a lot, my dear and the world pulls you in every which way just know that i, like the moon, will always pull you back, my dear sincerely, bre

Virgo Horoscope

by Emily Gohn

A new school year often means new classes, notebooks and pencils, but most importantly it means it’s Virgo season! For all the Virgos out there, this is your time to shine. You’re an Earth sign, which means you're a very grounded, steady person - an essential trait for a hardworking student, especially this year. Between the pandemic and high school, you might be feeling very overwhelmed, but that just means you need to tap into the strengths you have as an Earth sign. Also, you know what else all the amazing virgos are doing this season? Wearing a mask. And during Scorpio season? They’ll be voting in the election if they’re over 18. (Wait, that actually goes for all astrological signs). Good luck to all Virgos this quarter!

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Faculty Feature: Mr. Phillips Opens Up

by Jack Dozier

Jack Dozier: Are you new to the Charlottesville area?

Mr. Phillips: No. Even though I had been working at a school in Alexandria, my wife and I have owned a house here for about five years. She's actually from the area (a STAB and UVa graduate), so Charlottesville is not new to us at all.

Jack: What made you want to work at STAB? Mr. Phillips: I wanted to be full-time in Charlottesville. I've known about STAB for a while. I like the mission of school, and have enjoyed meeting people associated with it.

Jack: What do you like to do for fun?

Mr. Phillips: I enjoy spending time with my family; we hike a bit. I play squash and have been involved in the SOCA league (and want to return to it when playing resumes). I'm a working artist, so when time allows, I like to get into the studio.

Frank Phillips is the new St. Anne's-Belfield School Visual Arts Department Chair of the Upper School in addition to being an upper school visual arts teacher as well as an advisor.

Co-Editor's Note: Jack Dozier Greetings from the Belfield Banter, STAB’s Upper School newspaper. In this year when our school community is spread across continents, campus and home, the Banter will dedicate our efforts to bringing us together and answering important questions. Want to know what to watch on Netflix? We’re here for you. How to register to vote? Check. Who are the new faculty members in our midst? We’re so glad you asked.