Not Here To Be Liked

YA fiction 

     Eliza, protagonist of Michelle Quach's Not Here To Be Liked, isn't out to win any popularity contests.  She dispenses with the social amenities that are important to most of her peers.  She ignores her mother and sister's admonitions to dress more femininely.  Her oversized sweater "the exact gray of parking-lot asphalt" is her "uniform" that can free her mind of wardrobe decisions to focus on her main goal...

     ...becoming editor-in-chief of her school paper, the Willoughby Bugle.  The staff is about to vote.  She's sure that her colleagues will consider her the "most sensible option."  She's been on the staff since her freshman year.  She's published prolifically, a significant percentage of her work making the front page.  She's won journalism awards.  She's developed plans to improve the paper.  And she's running unopposed...

     ...until she isn't.  Len, a new staff member, has decided to give her some competition.  When he and Eliza give speeches he can't match her accomplishments or experience.  His talk is rather rambling.  But he's a cute guy with more than charisma working for him.

     Guess who wins the election.

     Willoughby has had far too few girls in two top leadership positions--school paper editor and school president--in its entire history.  People start supporting Eliza by wearing "I am a feminist" pins and planning a protest walk which is shut down very quickly by administration.  

     The issue seems pretty clear: feminists vs patriarchy.  But Eliza and Len get assigned to work together on the same stories in order to improve their professional relationship...

     ...and for Eliza things start getting a lot more complicated.

On a purrrsonal note, I'm sitting in Foster Center for Innovation in their huge room that has a solid wall of windows.  Today the windows are decorated by nearly one hundred colorful paper hearts.  There is really good instrumental music on and cookies, chips, and drinks.

     This is a vision of mine come to fruition.  I get frustrated by how commercialized Valentines Day has become.  I know a lot of people aren't fans for this reason.  What else could we celebrate on campus?  How about student volunteering?  How about Black Bears Have Heart?

     Each heart is inscribed with an instance of volunteering or community service done by a UMaine student or student group.  There is a lot of enthusiasm for this initiative.  That's a good thing.  I plan to make it a tradition.

     I have ideas how to improve the event next year.  But today I'm going to chill and soak in the ambiance.  Because when an idea in your head turns into a concrete manifestation that brings joy and inspires people...

     ...it feels pretty darn amazing. (Jules)

Very very cool!  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to Emma, my very enthusiast planning partner without whom this event could not have been such a success.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

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