Janea Mark's Interview

"Breaking the Bubble"

I spoke with a 21 year old junior who lives in Bennet about what it means to go “Beyond the Goucher Bubble”.  We spoke on a lot of different topics, all relating to how Goucher students stand in relation to the community and issues at hand. Upon speaking with the interviewee, she shared that she thought that in some cases Goucher’s approach to help students reach beyond the ‘bubble’, was spot on, and in others Goucher needs some work.  We talked about how she defines the ‘Bubble’ and what it means to go beyond the bubble. We also touched on her personal actions in and around Goucher and how she is working to break the ‘bubble’.  We talked about her study abroad experience and why she thinks it is beneficial. We finished with some things that the respondent thought could help break the Goucher bubble.

She laughed when I asked her if she knew what the ‘Goucher Bubble’ was: “Yeah, the Goucher bubble has been defined by many students. "I would say it’s the safety bubble that seems to encompass Goucher. It doesn’t always feel like a permeable membrane, though. People, for the most part, usually stay within Goucher, they don’t reach out and go into the community as much. It can feel a little claustrophobic at times."  She noted that there isn’t much interaction with other schools and the area around Goucher with the exception of sports. She told me the only time she had every visited another school in Baltimore was when she was singing, for Reverend’s Rebels, at a show.

The interviewee stressed multiple times that she thinks it is important to get off campus: “Goucher can be a very limited example of the broad spectrum of humanity and it is important to go into the city and interact with other people."  I learned that she goes off campus every two weeks or so.  She mainly goes into Baltimore for music and food.  During the discussion it became evident that she wants to explore Baltimore on a deeper level than just social aspects. The respondent thinks that Baltimore probably has way more to offer than she, or the greater Goucher community, are aware about.  She views Baltimore and Towson at two ends of a spectrum. She views Baltimore as more of a social venue, whereas Towson has things students need like a bookstore, food, groceries etc.

She was most passionate when talking about her study abroad experience, even though it didn’t count towards study abroad credits.  She did a sailing program that split half the time in a humanities program in Woods Hole, Massachusetts and the other half sailing a tall ship in the Caribbean.  I asked her if there was one thing she brought back from her study abroad: “It was life altering. It completely changed my perceptions on what was important in my life and how much I can do." That was probably the biggest thing I brought back. There were countless points in time during my study abroad experience where I thought it was too much work and I was emotionally and mentally unable to pull through. I didn’t think I would be able to finish it. That is how my crewmates felt as well. Being able to pull through, finish and actually succeed at doing a good job gave me such a sense of accomplishment. I gained a newfound confidence and perspective on what I can do and accomplish."

I asked her about how she thought study abroad affected her interactions with Goucher’s community and she shared how her perceptions changed. Before she left for study abroad she felt that Goucher was very connected to the community but afterwards she saw how Goucher wasn’t connected with the community: "Abroad, I felt very connected with my crewmates. We all had accomplishments together… Everything you did on the ship was for the greater good of the whole ship. Goucher can be a very individualistic community, both amongst ourselves and how we interact with the larger community”.

            Although, she acknowledged some distance between the Goucher community and Baltimore/Towson, she noticed some things Goucher was doing well. The interviewee remarked on Goucher’s speakers, ‘I really like the speakers they bring in, because they help to expand Goucher’s community both academically and socially." Also, despite struggling with the transition from  studying abroad to coming back to Goucher she really appreciates Goucher’s study abroad program: “Study abroad is the most important experience you’ll ever have in college. More colleges would benefit from making a semester long study-abroad a requirement. It expands your perceptions of the world, your life, and your values. I think that it allows you to take that abstract notion of ‘how does what I’m learning now, in school, apply to… the world”

 Overall She thought Goucher had a “medium connectedness” to local and global issues and just the community in general.  She mentioned some changes that she thought might help Goucher break beyond the ‘bubble’: “I would like more community outreach programs, and maybe more involvement with other schools and their clubs. I’ve never had a reason to go to another school, and creating ties with other schools would be nice”

            Overall my interview  went well. I learned a lot about views about what it means to go ‘Beyond the Goucher Bubble’.  I had only ever heard the ‘bubble’ used in a playful context, and the respondent helped to show me how it impacts her life, and the overall impact it has on the Goucher community and the larger Baltimore area as well.  I walked away from the interview with a newfound understanding of how we can as Goucher students ‘break the bubble’.