three stories up and crunched into a desk made for preschoolers, i stare out the long sliver of a window next to me. three inches wide, this pane of glass runs from the floor to the ceiling and is the classroom's only source of natural light. one window. only one window. one window that has a metal shutter so all possible streams of light can be barred from entering the tiny white prison on the third floor of bunche hall. for some slightly psychotic reason, this enrages me. please, enlighten me, oh architects: what is the point of this arrowslit? do you fear that, between discussions of the irrationality of politics, some disturbed student would try and force herself out of the classroom by way of the sky and tumble to her demise? really, if that is their fear, should these topics be taught? after all, it is quite harrowing to think that this country's two mainstream parties are pro-death. one claims to support life (not abortion) but quickly sentences many to death row, and the other aims to abolish the death penalty while supporting the choice of mothers not to give birth to conceived children. sad, yes. disturbing, yes. suicide-provoking? well, not in my mind. the existence of this window, on the other hand, makes me want to prove its worthlessness and toss -not myself- but the snoring student in the back row through the gap.
kidding, of course.
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