“Life is short. Have an affair.”
“Have you ever found yourself on a really bad blind date? Now imagine that date lasting the rest of your life. Isn’t it time for AshleyMadison.com?” That’s the dialogue from a commercial for Ashley Madison a dating website, much like Eharmony or match.com, but dedicated to facilitating extramarital affairs. A website for cheating (or is it kindred?) hearts to link up for some no-strings-attached affairs sounds like a seedy, morally vacuous service, right? Believe me, I’m sure there are PTC moms and parishioners everywhere that are at odds with the service, but perhaps we should all take a deeper look.
When asked if Ashley Madison promotes adultery, Noel Biderman, the founder and CEO of the company responds with a solid “No”. He explains his position: “Ashley Madison does not encourage anyone to stray … Providing a service like ours does not make someone more likely to stray any more than increasing the availability of glassware contributes to alcoholism.”
Biderman’s position brings us back to the good old-fashioned debate of providing condoms in school; is it better to promote safe sex because teenage sex is inevitable, or is it better to promote abstinence? Clearly, adultery has been around as long as marriage has, and it’s not going anywhere. To offer a “safe alternative” to office romances, or linking up with people that a prospective cheater’s family may know, Ashley Madison isn’t convincing happily married men and women to stray, but rather is creating a better way to engage in an age old practice that and unhappily wed person would do regardless.
According to the National Science Foundation, one in 10 married men and women have sex with someone who is not their spouse in any given year. Over the long haul, estimates from various sources say that anywhere from 15 to 40 percent of married adults will have affairs, ranging from one-night stands to long-term relationships that coexist with marriages. Men are still more likely to have sex outside of marriage than are women, but newer data suggest that women are closing the infidelity gap in every age group.
One in 10. Those odds certainly don’t create optimists out of vulnerable men and women. Something it does create, however, is a market. Ashley Madison is simply following the Great American Business Model: find a need, fill it, and make lots of money. The company itself is just that—a company. It doesn’t rip apart families or break doting wives hearts, the cheating spouse does. To bring in yet another analogy: guns don’t kill people, people with guns do. Taking it a bit further, Biderman states that many site members are trapped in sexless marriages, feel that they are being neglected, or some even be questioning their sexuality, but don't actually want to leave their spouses and families. Thus, he suggests that the company "preserves more marriages than we break up."
A final practical note: in these trying economic times, many married couples are foregoing or delaying divorce, because of the costly court and attorney fees. Ashley Madison offers a less expensive way to seek some “carnal comfort” and an escape from a doomed marriage.
So, it may seem sleazy and wrong at first glance, but Ashley Madison isn’t just harmless, it may be just the site to save America’s dismal 50% divorce rate.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
OP-ED Ashley Madison
"Life is short. Have an affair."
“Have you ever found yourself on a really bad blind date? Now imagine that date lasting the rest of your life. Isn’t it time for AshleyMadison.com?” That’s the dialogue from a commercial for Ashley Madison a dating website, much like Eharmony or match.com, but dedicated to facilitating extramarital affairs. A website for cheating (or is it kindred?) hearts to link up for some no-strings-attached affairs sounds like a seedy, morally vacuous service, right? Believe me, I’m sure there are PTC moms and parishioners everywhere that are at odds with the service, but perhaps we should all take a deeper look.
When asked if Ashley Madison promotes adultery, Noel Biderman, the founder and CEO of the company responds with a solid “No”. He explains his position: “Ashley Madison does not encourage anyone to stray … Providing a service like ours does not make someone more likely to stray any more than increasing the availability of glassware contributes to alcoholism.”
Biderman’s position brings us back to the good old-fashioned debate of providing condoms in school; is it better to promote safe sex because teenage sex is inevitable, or is it better to promote abstinence? Biderman’s take on this argument is clear—adultery has been around as long as marriage has, and it’s not going anywhere. By offering a “safe alternative” to office romances, or linking up with people that a prospective cheater’s family may know, Ashley Madison’s discretion may serve as a way to save unnecessary heartbreak.
With trying economic times, many married couples are forgoing or delaying divorce, because of the costly court and attorney fees. Ashley Madison offers a less expensive way to seek some “carnal comfort” and an escape from a doomed marriage.
Biderman states that many site members are trapped in sexless marriages, feel that they are being neglected, or some even be questioning their sexuality, but don't actually want to leave their spouses. Thus, he suggests that the company "preserves more marriages than we break up."
Again, it seems sleazy and wrong, but Ashley Madison may be just the site to save America’s dismal 50% divorce rate.
“Have you ever found yourself on a really bad blind date? Now imagine that date lasting the rest of your life. Isn’t it time for AshleyMadison.com?” That’s the dialogue from a commercial for Ashley Madison a dating website, much like Eharmony or match.com, but dedicated to facilitating extramarital affairs. A website for cheating (or is it kindred?) hearts to link up for some no-strings-attached affairs sounds like a seedy, morally vacuous service, right? Believe me, I’m sure there are PTC moms and parishioners everywhere that are at odds with the service, but perhaps we should all take a deeper look.
When asked if Ashley Madison promotes adultery, Noel Biderman, the founder and CEO of the company responds with a solid “No”. He explains his position: “Ashley Madison does not encourage anyone to stray … Providing a service like ours does not make someone more likely to stray any more than increasing the availability of glassware contributes to alcoholism.”
Biderman’s position brings us back to the good old-fashioned debate of providing condoms in school; is it better to promote safe sex because teenage sex is inevitable, or is it better to promote abstinence? Biderman’s take on this argument is clear—adultery has been around as long as marriage has, and it’s not going anywhere. By offering a “safe alternative” to office romances, or linking up with people that a prospective cheater’s family may know, Ashley Madison’s discretion may serve as a way to save unnecessary heartbreak.
With trying economic times, many married couples are forgoing or delaying divorce, because of the costly court and attorney fees. Ashley Madison offers a less expensive way to seek some “carnal comfort” and an escape from a doomed marriage.
Biderman states that many site members are trapped in sexless marriages, feel that they are being neglected, or some even be questioning their sexuality, but don't actually want to leave their spouses. Thus, he suggests that the company "preserves more marriages than we break up."
Again, it seems sleazy and wrong, but Ashley Madison may be just the site to save America’s dismal 50% divorce rate.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Workshop Piece 2 Revised
I have decided to become infamous, because TBH, it’s easier to become infamous than legit famous these days. I was valuably using my time (read: perusing Perezhilton.com) yesterday, and noticed that most of my daily obsessions are totes not even real celebs, but rather some subset of famousness.
I could tell you who Tiger Woods’ number one ho is (Rachel Uchitel), what size breasts Heidi Montag has (cup size F), the approximate current location of Katie Holmes (under lock and key in the Cruise estate), and, most impressively, give an extremely accurate estimate of the cocaine to alcohol ratio that Lindsay Lohan currently has in her bloodstream. This impeccable knowledge of high-profile hot messes combined with my own natural talent for nosing out bad situations (and a remarkable tolerance for alcohol) could really open doors for future notoriety. Facing this realization, I popped an Adderall, poured a glass of cheap pinot grigio, and got down to business. My roadmap to infamy is as follows.
The decision on just how shameless I’m going to get is an easy one: go big or go home. Considering the fact that I will (hopefully) be graduating in May, I’ll need a job and quite frankly, I could totally get paid for this shiz. I’m not disgracing my family for peanuts, people. That’s not to say that I won’t try to hold down a crappy job or two every few months, just 'til I get my stiletto heels on the ground. There’s probably a few career paths I could take, but I’m thinking the quickest way to work my way up the shaky ladder of infamy is to move out to Jersey Shore, maybe be a boardwalk bitch for a while. I could learn a thing or two from those people. During this research phase, I will be constantly networking with fellow boardwalk bitches to see who has the closest ties to Snooki, because I have complete faith in the fact that if we met, we would be instant friends, and I could subsequently get my face on MTV.
After I learn from the best and get a little time in the limelight, I will def move to somewhere even more urban and edgy, like New York or LA. This is a strategic move, friends, because it’s like the “new kid” phenomenon. I’m interesting because not only am I another hot mess with a back-story and a bump-it, but I am a NEW one. Novelty, while short lived, is a necessary component to being infamous. But for realz, I recognize that it will be challenging at first to suddenly find myself as a shot of Popov in a land of liters of Ketel One, but it will definitely build (more) character.
Now that I’ll be in closer proximity to notorious bad-boys and girls of the tabloids, I’ll make sure that I’m rubbing elbows (and other body parts) with them in the clubs. I figure the mixture of alcohol and musky smell of desperation will lead to some raunchy behavior with somebody’s boyfriend. Or one better: if I could land an affair with a married Z-lister (Dean McDermott, I'm waiting!), it would automatically catapult me to the next rung of the ladder of infamy. Basically what I’m saying is, A leads to B, which leads to C, and before you know it, I’m best buddies with Lindsay Lohan and Kristen Cavallari. I plan to learn all that I can from them, make it into the tabloids and be "seen," which will give me time to build my reputation some more. Meanwhile, I will be silently channeling my inner Trojan Horse to prepare for a hostile takeover of my mentor's turf, which will occur only when I’ve become infamous enough to outdo them.
Hopefully I will have accrued a few “frienemies” by this point, and the tabloids will have both my platonic and romantic relationships to gossip about. As soon as I’m googled as much as Kate Gosselin, I’ll most likely land a reality show. It obvi won’t be about any one thing in particular, but it will be highly entertaining and full of drama (duh). The show, while fun, will become a major snooze to me after a while, and I’ll decide to go the train wreck route. I know, I know, who actually wants to be a train wreck? Well I know it sounds crazy, but think about this from a depraved reality star’s perspective: it totally sets you up for a recovery (read: a shot at being on Celebrity Rehab), and plus, who doesn’t love an underdog? Yes, I’m brilliant, I’m aware.
But seriously, peeps, this isn’t just some get-rich-quick scheme for me. Becoming infamous requires dedication and hard work just like any other pursuit in life. I’m going to have to stick to it and follow my amoral guidelines; I’ll have to avoid doing the right thing at all times, even if it seems like a good idea at the time. Don’t get me wrong, being infamous doesn’t mean being a role model, but also it doesn't mean being a villain. I still want people to like me, it's just a matter of making the "wrong" people like me and the good people hate me (they're just jeal anyways).
I could tell you who Tiger Woods’ number one ho is (Rachel Uchitel), what size breasts Heidi Montag has (cup size F), the approximate current location of Katie Holmes (under lock and key in the Cruise estate), and, most impressively, give an extremely accurate estimate of the cocaine to alcohol ratio that Lindsay Lohan currently has in her bloodstream. This impeccable knowledge of high-profile hot messes combined with my own natural talent for nosing out bad situations (and a remarkable tolerance for alcohol) could really open doors for future notoriety. Facing this realization, I popped an Adderall, poured a glass of cheap pinot grigio, and got down to business. My roadmap to infamy is as follows.
The decision on just how shameless I’m going to get is an easy one: go big or go home. Considering the fact that I will (hopefully) be graduating in May, I’ll need a job and quite frankly, I could totally get paid for this shiz. I’m not disgracing my family for peanuts, people. That’s not to say that I won’t try to hold down a crappy job or two every few months, just 'til I get my stiletto heels on the ground. There’s probably a few career paths I could take, but I’m thinking the quickest way to work my way up the shaky ladder of infamy is to move out to Jersey Shore, maybe be a boardwalk bitch for a while. I could learn a thing or two from those people. During this research phase, I will be constantly networking with fellow boardwalk bitches to see who has the closest ties to Snooki, because I have complete faith in the fact that if we met, we would be instant friends, and I could subsequently get my face on MTV.
After I learn from the best and get a little time in the limelight, I will def move to somewhere even more urban and edgy, like New York or LA. This is a strategic move, friends, because it’s like the “new kid” phenomenon. I’m interesting because not only am I another hot mess with a back-story and a bump-it, but I am a NEW one. Novelty, while short lived, is a necessary component to being infamous. But for realz, I recognize that it will be challenging at first to suddenly find myself as a shot of Popov in a land of liters of Ketel One, but it will definitely build (more) character.
Now that I’ll be in closer proximity to notorious bad-boys and girls of the tabloids, I’ll make sure that I’m rubbing elbows (and other body parts) with them in the clubs. I figure the mixture of alcohol and musky smell of desperation will lead to some raunchy behavior with somebody’s boyfriend. Or one better: if I could land an affair with a married Z-lister (Dean McDermott, I'm waiting!), it would automatically catapult me to the next rung of the ladder of infamy. Basically what I’m saying is, A leads to B, which leads to C, and before you know it, I’m best buddies with Lindsay Lohan and Kristen Cavallari. I plan to learn all that I can from them, make it into the tabloids and be "seen," which will give me time to build my reputation some more. Meanwhile, I will be silently channeling my inner Trojan Horse to prepare for a hostile takeover of my mentor's turf, which will occur only when I’ve become infamous enough to outdo them.
Hopefully I will have accrued a few “frienemies” by this point, and the tabloids will have both my platonic and romantic relationships to gossip about. As soon as I’m googled as much as Kate Gosselin, I’ll most likely land a reality show. It obvi won’t be about any one thing in particular, but it will be highly entertaining and full of drama (duh). The show, while fun, will become a major snooze to me after a while, and I’ll decide to go the train wreck route. I know, I know, who actually wants to be a train wreck? Well I know it sounds crazy, but think about this from a depraved reality star’s perspective: it totally sets you up for a recovery (read: a shot at being on Celebrity Rehab), and plus, who doesn’t love an underdog? Yes, I’m brilliant, I’m aware.
But seriously, peeps, this isn’t just some get-rich-quick scheme for me. Becoming infamous requires dedication and hard work just like any other pursuit in life. I’m going to have to stick to it and follow my amoral guidelines; I’ll have to avoid doing the right thing at all times, even if it seems like a good idea at the time. Don’t get me wrong, being infamous doesn’t mean being a role model, but also it doesn't mean being a villain. I still want people to like me, it's just a matter of making the "wrong" people like me and the good people hate me (they're just jeal anyways).
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Workshop Piece 2
Column
I Want My 15 Minutes!
I have decided to become infamous. Why? Well, I really wanted to be like the MTV character Daria, but I realized that I get way too excited about stuff like Mario Kart to be a complete deadpan all the time. No but really, TBH, it’s easier to become infamous than legit famous these days. I was valuably using my time (read: perusing Perezhilton.com) yesterday, and noticed that most of my daily obsessions are totes not even real celebs, but rather some subset of famousness.
I could tell you who Tiger Woods’ number one ho is (Rachel Uchitel), what size breasts Heidi Montag has (cup size F), the approximate current location of Katie Holmes (under lock and key in the Cruise estate), and, most impressively, give an extremely accurate estimate of the cocaine to alcohol ratio that Lindsay Lohan currently has in her bloodstream. This impeccable knowledge of high-profile hot messes combined with my own natural talent for nosing out bad situations (and a remarkable tolerance) could really open doors for future notoriety. Facing this realization, I popped an Adderall, poured a glass of cheap pinot grigio, and got down to business. My road map to infamy is as follows.
The decision on just how shameless I’m going to get is an easy one: go big or go home. Considering the fact that I will (hopefully) be graduating in May, I’ll need a job and quite frankly, I could totally get paid for this shiz. I’m not disgracing my family for peanuts, people. That’s not to say that I won’t try to hold down a crappy job or two every few months, just 'til I get my stiletto heels on the ground. There’s probably a few career paths I could take, but I’m thinking the quickest way to work my way up the shaky ladder of infamy is to move out to Jersey Shore, maybe be a boardwalk bitch for a while. I could learn a thing or two from those people. During this research phase, I will be constantly networking with fellow boardwalk bitches to see who has the closest ties to Snooki, because I have complete faith in the fact that if we met, we would be instant friends, and I could subsequently get my face on MTV.
After I learn from the best and get a little time in the limelight, I will def move to somewhere even more urban and edgy, like New York or LA. This is a strategic move, friends, because it’s like the “new kid” phenomenon. I’m interesting because not only am I another hot mess with a back-story and a bump-it, but I am a NEW one. Novelty, while short lived, is a necessary component to being infamous. But for realz, I recognize that it will be challenging at first to suddenly find myself as a shot of Popov in a land of liters of Ketel One, but it will definitely build (more) character.
Now that I’ll be in closer proximity to notorious bad-boys and girls of the tabloids, I’ll make sure that I’m rubbing elbows (and other body parts) with them in the clubs. I figure if I can land an affair with a married Z-lister, it will automatically catapult me to the next rung of the ladder of infamy. A leads to B, which leads to C, and before you know it, I’m best buddies with Lindsay Lohan and Kristen Cavallari. I plan to learn all that I can from them, make it into the tabloids and be "seen," which will give me time to build my reputation some more. Meanwhile, I will be silently channeling my inner Trojan Horse to prepare for a hostile takeover of my mentor's turf, which will occur only when I’ve become infamous enough to outdo them.
Hopefully I will have accrued a few “frienemies” by this point, and the tabloids will have both my platonic and romantic relationships to gossip about. As soon as I’m googled as much as Kate Gosselin, I’ll most likely land a reality show. It obvi won’t be about any one thing in particular, but it will be highly entertaining and full of drama (duh). The show, while fun, will become a major snooze to me after a while, and I’ll decide to go the train wreck route. I know, I know, who actually wants to be a train wreck? Well I know it sounds crazy, but think about this from a depraved reality star’s perspective: it totally sets you up for a recovery (read: a shot at being on Celebrity Rehab), and plus, who doesn’t love an underdog? Yes, I’m brilliant, I’m aware.
But seriously, peeps, this isn’t just some get-rich-quick scheme for me. Becoming infamous requires dedication and hard work just like any other pursuit in life. I’m going to have to stick to it and follow my amoral guidelines; I’ll have to avoid doing the right thing at all times, even if it seems like a good idea at the time. Don’t get me wrong, being infamous doesn’t mean being a role model, but also it doesn't mean being a villain. I still want people to like me, it's just a matter of making the "wrong" people like me and the good people hate me (they're just jeal anyways).
I Want My 15 Minutes!
I have decided to become infamous. Why? Well, I really wanted to be like the MTV character Daria, but I realized that I get way too excited about stuff like Mario Kart to be a complete deadpan all the time. No but really, TBH, it’s easier to become infamous than legit famous these days. I was valuably using my time (read: perusing Perezhilton.com) yesterday, and noticed that most of my daily obsessions are totes not even real celebs, but rather some subset of famousness.
I could tell you who Tiger Woods’ number one ho is (Rachel Uchitel), what size breasts Heidi Montag has (cup size F), the approximate current location of Katie Holmes (under lock and key in the Cruise estate), and, most impressively, give an extremely accurate estimate of the cocaine to alcohol ratio that Lindsay Lohan currently has in her bloodstream. This impeccable knowledge of high-profile hot messes combined with my own natural talent for nosing out bad situations (and a remarkable tolerance) could really open doors for future notoriety. Facing this realization, I popped an Adderall, poured a glass of cheap pinot grigio, and got down to business. My road map to infamy is as follows.
The decision on just how shameless I’m going to get is an easy one: go big or go home. Considering the fact that I will (hopefully) be graduating in May, I’ll need a job and quite frankly, I could totally get paid for this shiz. I’m not disgracing my family for peanuts, people. That’s not to say that I won’t try to hold down a crappy job or two every few months, just 'til I get my stiletto heels on the ground. There’s probably a few career paths I could take, but I’m thinking the quickest way to work my way up the shaky ladder of infamy is to move out to Jersey Shore, maybe be a boardwalk bitch for a while. I could learn a thing or two from those people. During this research phase, I will be constantly networking with fellow boardwalk bitches to see who has the closest ties to Snooki, because I have complete faith in the fact that if we met, we would be instant friends, and I could subsequently get my face on MTV.
After I learn from the best and get a little time in the limelight, I will def move to somewhere even more urban and edgy, like New York or LA. This is a strategic move, friends, because it’s like the “new kid” phenomenon. I’m interesting because not only am I another hot mess with a back-story and a bump-it, but I am a NEW one. Novelty, while short lived, is a necessary component to being infamous. But for realz, I recognize that it will be challenging at first to suddenly find myself as a shot of Popov in a land of liters of Ketel One, but it will definitely build (more) character.
Now that I’ll be in closer proximity to notorious bad-boys and girls of the tabloids, I’ll make sure that I’m rubbing elbows (and other body parts) with them in the clubs. I figure if I can land an affair with a married Z-lister, it will automatically catapult me to the next rung of the ladder of infamy. A leads to B, which leads to C, and before you know it, I’m best buddies with Lindsay Lohan and Kristen Cavallari. I plan to learn all that I can from them, make it into the tabloids and be "seen," which will give me time to build my reputation some more. Meanwhile, I will be silently channeling my inner Trojan Horse to prepare for a hostile takeover of my mentor's turf, which will occur only when I’ve become infamous enough to outdo them.
Hopefully I will have accrued a few “frienemies” by this point, and the tabloids will have both my platonic and romantic relationships to gossip about. As soon as I’m googled as much as Kate Gosselin, I’ll most likely land a reality show. It obvi won’t be about any one thing in particular, but it will be highly entertaining and full of drama (duh). The show, while fun, will become a major snooze to me after a while, and I’ll decide to go the train wreck route. I know, I know, who actually wants to be a train wreck? Well I know it sounds crazy, but think about this from a depraved reality star’s perspective: it totally sets you up for a recovery (read: a shot at being on Celebrity Rehab), and plus, who doesn’t love an underdog? Yes, I’m brilliant, I’m aware.
But seriously, peeps, this isn’t just some get-rich-quick scheme for me. Becoming infamous requires dedication and hard work just like any other pursuit in life. I’m going to have to stick to it and follow my amoral guidelines; I’ll have to avoid doing the right thing at all times, even if it seems like a good idea at the time. Don’t get me wrong, being infamous doesn’t mean being a role model, but also it doesn't mean being a villain. I still want people to like me, it's just a matter of making the "wrong" people like me and the good people hate me (they're just jeal anyways).
Workshop Piece 1
Feature
Bonnie Kestner
Bonnie Kestner swims only in the Boathouse Lake. If you are one of the many that enjoy sunny days on the dock, you may see her in the warmer months, cutting swiftly through the water or maybe languidly backstroking down by the dam. An avid and accomplished swimmer and coach, Bonnie continues to practice her favorite sport—but refuses to do so in Sweet Briar’s pool. To understand Bonnie’s personal boycott of pools, we must first understand Bonnie herself.
Bonnie is the former Head Coach, current Lead Assistant Swim Coach, and she also teaches classes in nutrition at Sweet Briar College. She swam for Yale’s swim team in college and then briefly coached there, before accepting the position at Sweet Briar, where she has now been part of the faculty for 33 years.
Why will Bonnie not swim in the pool? She answers, “If anyone asks, that’s why I’m not swimming personally now. It does take a huge toll on the skin, hair, and actually, surprisingly, on the thyroid.” To go along with this, Bonnie would like to substitute chlorine in our pool for a saline system, because it is much less caustic on the human body. As there are no alternative pools nearby, Bonnie has decided to refrain from swimming at all when she cannot use the lake, and has noticed the difference: “I haven’t been swimming for the last few months and I already feel the difference in my hair and skin. I’ve also been doing new things nutritionally, so I can’t isolate it and say that it’s 100% from the lack of chlorine, but I believe in my heart that it has got to be having positive effects.”
Bonnie’s desire to live as healthfully as possible comes from her interest in holistic medicine. “[Holistic wellness] looks at all dimensions of a person”, she explains, while drinking from her eco-friendly water bottle. It is essentially a practice or lifestyle in which one believes that the body, mind, and spirit must all work together as one. Bonnie became interested in a natural and holistic lifestyle when a friend’s son was struggling with many health issues, including diabetes, and conventional medicine wasn’t helping. Bonnie then began researching the disease, and stumbled upon books on alternative healing. Her interest in helping a friend sparked a flame that spread into a wildfire of research, which in turn translated into a lifestyle. She maintains, “you have to take responsibility for your health and really do the research for yourself.”
Through my own research, I found that “holistic” is defined by Webster as “emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts”. This is the approach that Bonnie takes to her health, and explains why she believes that something as simple as chlorine can take an impressive toll on the body. Not only does it affect the skin and hair directly, but those problems also have the capability of leading into others. “I’m convinced that my thyroid could be functioning better. It’s something that doesn’t show up on the doctor’s tests, but I’ve read literature that says chlorine can affect the thyroid.” Trivial as these things may seem, Bonnie continues on to say, “It’s just my desire to do the best things I can for my body.” This is the true heart of Bonnie’s desires… not to simply have an alternative pool, but to have healthful opportunities for herself and for the community as a whole.
As a champion of health and wellness, Bonnie’s dreams for Sweet Briar reach much farther than an alternative pool. Our conversations morphed from the possibility of a new pool system, to a holistic nutrition and exercise class, to hiring a holistic health professional, to a wellness resource center, and finally to her ultimate plan. “My overall biggest idea would be … for the college to have a certificate program in sustainable living… It would encompass multiple disciplines; environmental science, economic aspects of it, certainly the health, wellness, fitness aspects. And it could have so many career opportunities because this is the wave of the future.”
Natural and holistic health certainly is becoming an interest and a priority to many people. The emergence and saturation of organic and whole foods, green initiatives, and homeopathic medicine in the everyday mainstream market has grown exponentially in the past few years. Bonnie sees this growing interest as an opportunity for Sweet Briar: “At Sweet Briar, since we’re looking for innovative things, this field is the wave of the future. The more people go into it, they’ll want to help other people and to help themselves.” While Sweet Briar may not be big enough to support a major field of study for something of this nature, a certificate program may help garner interest and also help retain students. Bonnie recognizes this as well, “One of my students from last year, she transferred, because she was looking for a program at another school where she can go into this kind of study. If we could develop something similar and have the personnel here to facilitate something like that, we’d really be on top of it.”
Bonnie takes a real interest in the people around her, as evidenced by her foray into alternative medicine for her friend’s son. A former swimmer, Laura Wolf ’11 also notes this characteristic of Bonnie: “Not only is she an excellent swim coach, but she’s an amazing mentor. You may not see her very much, but she always makes herself available.” When asked to describe her as a coach, Laura said, “She is encouraging in so many aspects… she’s supportive, and inspiring. She has endurance not only in the pool, but also on the side when everyone’s cheering you on… she will cheer you on through a whole race. All the way at the end of the pool. She’ll stick with you and track your growth from start to finish.”
The way that Laura describes Bonnie as a coach translates seamlessly to the way that a past student, Jodie Stevenson ’12 described her as a professor. In her class, Nutritional Challenges of the 21st Century, Jodie said that Bonnie “was committed to get us to realize the challenges we face, in terms of how we can change our nutritional path, or lifestyle.” It is obvious that Bonnie cares about other people, but she also cares very much about the Sweet Briar community in general. She believes so strongly in the natural and holistic wellness, that she is willing to work hard for these resources to be available to the community.
The holistic lifestyle looks much different than that of the average college student. Little sleep, cafeteria food, Sheetz runs, and excessive alcohol can throw a student’s body out of its natural rhythm, thereby limiting its functions. This is certainly not conducive to being a productive student, and surely isn’t in line with the ideals of a Liberal Arts education (cultivating a sound mind and sound body). Bonnie believes that, with the addition of wellness resources, students will begin to understand the importance of a holistic lifestyle and in turn, will adopt it. Thankfully, She has just been approved to teach a course next year on Holistic Wellness.
This dedicated, encouraging woman may be just the person to push Sweet Briar forward into the ever-growing and exceedingly popular beliefs of holistic wellness. I believe that if she gets the word out, the Sweet Briar community should finally return the favor, and cheer on Bonnie.
Bonnie Kestner
Bonnie Kestner swims only in the Boathouse Lake. If you are one of the many that enjoy sunny days on the dock, you may see her in the warmer months, cutting swiftly through the water or maybe languidly backstroking down by the dam. An avid and accomplished swimmer and coach, Bonnie continues to practice her favorite sport—but refuses to do so in Sweet Briar’s pool. To understand Bonnie’s personal boycott of pools, we must first understand Bonnie herself.
Bonnie is the former Head Coach, current Lead Assistant Swim Coach, and she also teaches classes in nutrition at Sweet Briar College. She swam for Yale’s swim team in college and then briefly coached there, before accepting the position at Sweet Briar, where she has now been part of the faculty for 33 years.
Why will Bonnie not swim in the pool? She answers, “If anyone asks, that’s why I’m not swimming personally now. It does take a huge toll on the skin, hair, and actually, surprisingly, on the thyroid.” To go along with this, Bonnie would like to substitute chlorine in our pool for a saline system, because it is much less caustic on the human body. As there are no alternative pools nearby, Bonnie has decided to refrain from swimming at all when she cannot use the lake, and has noticed the difference: “I haven’t been swimming for the last few months and I already feel the difference in my hair and skin. I’ve also been doing new things nutritionally, so I can’t isolate it and say that it’s 100% from the lack of chlorine, but I believe in my heart that it has got to be having positive effects.”
Bonnie’s desire to live as healthfully as possible comes from her interest in holistic medicine. “[Holistic wellness] looks at all dimensions of a person”, she explains, while drinking from her eco-friendly water bottle. It is essentially a practice or lifestyle in which one believes that the body, mind, and spirit must all work together as one. Bonnie became interested in a natural and holistic lifestyle when a friend’s son was struggling with many health issues, including diabetes, and conventional medicine wasn’t helping. Bonnie then began researching the disease, and stumbled upon books on alternative healing. Her interest in helping a friend sparked a flame that spread into a wildfire of research, which in turn translated into a lifestyle. She maintains, “you have to take responsibility for your health and really do the research for yourself.”
Through my own research, I found that “holistic” is defined by Webster as “emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts”. This is the approach that Bonnie takes to her health, and explains why she believes that something as simple as chlorine can take an impressive toll on the body. Not only does it affect the skin and hair directly, but those problems also have the capability of leading into others. “I’m convinced that my thyroid could be functioning better. It’s something that doesn’t show up on the doctor’s tests, but I’ve read literature that says chlorine can affect the thyroid.” Trivial as these things may seem, Bonnie continues on to say, “It’s just my desire to do the best things I can for my body.” This is the true heart of Bonnie’s desires… not to simply have an alternative pool, but to have healthful opportunities for herself and for the community as a whole.
As a champion of health and wellness, Bonnie’s dreams for Sweet Briar reach much farther than an alternative pool. Our conversations morphed from the possibility of a new pool system, to a holistic nutrition and exercise class, to hiring a holistic health professional, to a wellness resource center, and finally to her ultimate plan. “My overall biggest idea would be … for the college to have a certificate program in sustainable living… It would encompass multiple disciplines; environmental science, economic aspects of it, certainly the health, wellness, fitness aspects. And it could have so many career opportunities because this is the wave of the future.”
Natural and holistic health certainly is becoming an interest and a priority to many people. The emergence and saturation of organic and whole foods, green initiatives, and homeopathic medicine in the everyday mainstream market has grown exponentially in the past few years. Bonnie sees this growing interest as an opportunity for Sweet Briar: “At Sweet Briar, since we’re looking for innovative things, this field is the wave of the future. The more people go into it, they’ll want to help other people and to help themselves.” While Sweet Briar may not be big enough to support a major field of study for something of this nature, a certificate program may help garner interest and also help retain students. Bonnie recognizes this as well, “One of my students from last year, she transferred, because she was looking for a program at another school where she can go into this kind of study. If we could develop something similar and have the personnel here to facilitate something like that, we’d really be on top of it.”
Bonnie takes a real interest in the people around her, as evidenced by her foray into alternative medicine for her friend’s son. A former swimmer, Laura Wolf ’11 also notes this characteristic of Bonnie: “Not only is she an excellent swim coach, but she’s an amazing mentor. You may not see her very much, but she always makes herself available.” When asked to describe her as a coach, Laura said, “She is encouraging in so many aspects… she’s supportive, and inspiring. She has endurance not only in the pool, but also on the side when everyone’s cheering you on… she will cheer you on through a whole race. All the way at the end of the pool. She’ll stick with you and track your growth from start to finish.”
The way that Laura describes Bonnie as a coach translates seamlessly to the way that a past student, Jodie Stevenson ’12 described her as a professor. In her class, Nutritional Challenges of the 21st Century, Jodie said that Bonnie “was committed to get us to realize the challenges we face, in terms of how we can change our nutritional path, or lifestyle.” It is obvious that Bonnie cares about other people, but she also cares very much about the Sweet Briar community in general. She believes so strongly in the natural and holistic wellness, that she is willing to work hard for these resources to be available to the community.
The holistic lifestyle looks much different than that of the average college student. Little sleep, cafeteria food, Sheetz runs, and excessive alcohol can throw a student’s body out of its natural rhythm, thereby limiting its functions. This is certainly not conducive to being a productive student, and surely isn’t in line with the ideals of a Liberal Arts education (cultivating a sound mind and sound body). Bonnie believes that, with the addition of wellness resources, students will begin to understand the importance of a holistic lifestyle and in turn, will adopt it. Thankfully, She has just been approved to teach a course next year on Holistic Wellness.
This dedicated, encouraging woman may be just the person to push Sweet Briar forward into the ever-growing and exceedingly popular beliefs of holistic wellness. I believe that if she gets the word out, the Sweet Briar community should finally return the favor, and cheer on Bonnie.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Review
The Find Blog is a really cool blog that reviews the newest gadgets, clothes, baby products, and green products. The writing isn't always particularly amazing, but I do like to see what they've got recently.
http://blog.thefind.com/category/green/
http://blog.thefind.com/category/green/
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