Separation, groups, cliques, and whatever else the Thesaurus says.
The outsiders feel excluded and the insiders don't recognize an issue.
Would you recognize a social issue if you felt included?
Probably not, but that's okay. I'm not trying to judge you.
The nondenominational Christian side of me is conflicted.
I have been taught to understand that there are always two sides of a story.
I have been taught to listen to them and then assess it from a
Godly point of view. Why is this issue such a difficult one?
If the Menno Wall is actually a grouping of Christians,
then shouldn't I, as a Christian, be happy?
I don't see a religious group as a bad thing, but when does it cross a line?
When is a group for Jesus so VIP that God would frown?
I have looked at the Menno Wall with different perspectives.
I've looked at it through the eyes of the outsider
and I've looked through the eyes of a group member.
Both sides have defenses and things to say, so here is some of them.
Outsider:
Why don't you include me? What makes me different?
Is it because I'm not white or didn't go to your high school?
I'm sitting here alone and your group is so big that it takes up two tables.
Couldn't a few of you drift to these empty seats?
Group Member:
Why don't you come over here? We don't bite.
Perhaps you want to be alone and meditate or something.
It's easy to pull up a chair for you and for you to squeeze in.
Why are you so intimidated by us? We don't bite.
Outsider:
Menno Wall? The term seems fitting.
What's on the other side of it? Secret family recipes?
A certain taste in music? Camp stories?
Would one glimpse satisfy me? No.
Group Member:
Menno Wall? That's not what it is. (Is it?)
What groups us together is some common denominator
that we don't even know. What's so bad about having
a group of friends? Is it bad? No.
Why is this issue so important and how does
someone belong on one side of the Menno Wall?
Is it the ability to play the name game or is
it the fact that they are a part of a genetic web?
Why don't we pick apart and criticize the international group?
What about the nursing majors or the sports teams?
Why is the group with a religious common denominator the one on trial?
Does it belong there? Is it the biggest grouping problem?
Olivia: I like the way that you shift voices in your poem from an “outsider” to a “group member.” Looking at your poem as a Mennonite, I can see how it would be frustrating to come into a college where many of us are united by a common faith/background. Although I am not from the Goshen area, or the Midwest even, for that matter, I am connected to many students through faith, whether or not we actively live out our faith. It is also a common question, or at least it seems like a common question due to the topic in our course at the moment, what defines being a Mennonite?
ReplyDeleteThis is a really thought provoking poem, Olivia. I really like how you take the positions of both the outsider and the insider. When I think of the Menno Wall, I don't usually think about the fact that it's a religious thing. As you pointed out by talking about the shared experiences and everything of Mennonites, it's a cultural and religious wall. It's interesting to think about why the Menno Wall has become the most talked about group. There are walls confining every group here on campus and in the world - I just hope that these walls can be torn down eventually.
ReplyDeleteI love this poem and the relevance it offers to the class. I liked that you wrote this from your own perspective of being on both sides of the "wall." I can see where you are coming from, as can many other students who do not fit totally on one side or another. This poem also points out that the Menno Wall is much more complex than one border dividing two groups of people. If anything, the Menno wall is just one of many divides within the student body. Good job at not condemning one side or the other, but sharing more than one perspective.
ReplyDeleteI know we need to spread out our comments, but I really feel like I need to comment here! I just have to say that I think your poem is excellent. The topic of the Menno Wall has been one that I find frustrating at times, because of many of the issues that you mention here. I think that at times it has been over-dramatized to the point where people see all Mennonites as white people who sit in an exclusive group in the corner with no shoes on and crochet while eating food from the farmer's market. (I wonder if people know how many types of Mennonites there are?) That being said, I think there are definitely issues that need to be addressed and I have experienced a lot of cliques on campus. I just really think that there needs to be effort on both sides of the issue. I also appreciate the fact that you included some of the other groups on campus and questioned why they are not also being contested. Your poem did a great job of bringing things into perspective, and for a topic that I feel very strongly about, I think you represented both sides perfectly!
ReplyDeleteI love how you developed this poem in a thought-provoking way, using dialogue scenarios to raise questions that show multiple points of view. I'd say there are at least two sides to a story--probably more. The only thing I'd add here is some sort of brief clarification of what the Menno wall is. Wonderful job of writing a thought-provoking poem that really engaged your audience.
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