Meet Martina, a sophomore and resident of Rockefeller. She’s a warm face to all! I met her getting lost in Rock and saw her again in my statistics class. She’s also a Customs person to her floor. She’s a great listener, well-spoken and a great guide on the arduous path to Brecon.
Photo courtesy of Martina Junod
Pronouns: She/her/they/them
Major: English
Minor: Education
Class: 2020
What’s something people should know about you?
I’m trying to improve my posture, and it’s difficult to try to remember that every few minutes.
What’s something people should know about you? -answered by a friend
That I’m a scorpio :*
Why did you choose Bryn Mawr, and why did you choose to stay?
Honestly, I didn’t know about women’s colleges until I asked my childhood friend, who graduated from BMC last year, how her experience here was. I toured during my junior year of high school and was SUPER idealistic about it so that pumped me to apply. Once I got here, I realized that a school is a school, and it’s what you make of it. There were a few times I wondered if moving 10 hours away from home was right for me, but I stayed because I recognize I’ve learned a lot from the strong womxn around me here. If I went back home, I don’t know if I would be as supported by peers as I am here. When I speak to my friends attending co-ed schools, I notice the campus-culture differences and am grateful I get to attend a historically womxn’s college.
What’s your favorite memory from your time at Bryn Mawr?
My first semester during Parade Night, I was about to go to bed but heard music in the distance of my hall getting closer. Three upperclassmen were having a impromptu dance party while running through the halls of the dorm. It’s easy sometimes to feel isolated even when you live around 20 people on a hallway. I felt anxious about being a first-year and not knowing them but wanting to dance, but once they invited me to join them I felt welcome. My first semester here felt like a blur. I remember feeling like my thoughts were going a million miles a minute most days, and that dance break with random welcoming peers was a perfect moment to reassure myself that I would be okay here.
What’s your favorite way to relax? / What’s your favorite method of self-care?
Dancing: we have three dance studios on campus, whenever I find one free, I improv dance. I don’t have a full body mirror in my dorm room, so it’s a very “Lacanian” (LOL I just learned that term) experience to observe my full reflection moving. Seeing myself dance is a reminder that I’m really here, breathing and having a presence. I feel like it’s easy to get lost in thought about homework, stress, etc. and forget that at the end of the day, I’m an actual person.
What are your favorite spots in Bryn Mawr or Philly?
I like rooftops, and there’s a rooftop on campus I’ve had picnics on. It feels like a secret place, yet it’s outside and elevated, so it feels a bit distanced from everything going on the ground, like a pause in time–I really like that. In Philly, there’s a rooftop with grass to sit on while looking at the skyline. It’s called Cira Green and on 30th Street, pretty close to the train station.
What are some things you’re up to, and how can we support you?
I go to two clubs, BiCo AntiCapitilists and Migrant Rights Coalition, that I really enjoy and feel are important to deepening knowledge and action regarding the systems we live in. I think the US needs a LOT of restructuring and has many fundamental problems that need to be worked away from. Ways to support those groups is to like them on Facebook, donate time or money or put us in touch with other similar groups and organizations.
Thank you for your time Martina!
Keep up with Martina on Twitter!