3B

your pockets

always filled

with star stuff

wrapped in paper

thin skin

rolled tighter than a chrysalis

then lit

inhale

stardust

your eyes shine

brighter

than the fluorescence 

reflected

off my sweat stained

stomach

diamond rings

between my teeth

clouded eyes

we’re all smiles we’re

all smiles

unsteady smiles

honey filled

syringes

tie me off

with your tongue

be sure

to close the door

behind you

Bet Your Mind

B Y K ATA R I N A M E R L I N I

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 / The Statement 

W

hen I was a senior in high school, I participat-
ed in a young women’s leadership workshop 
run by the large consulting firm McKinsey & 

Company. At our first event, we were told to introduce 
ourselves and share something we exceptional at. There 
was a catch though: we weren’t allowed to attribute our 
successes to anyone but ourselves.

It seemed like a simple task at first, but after just two 

or three introductions, I realized the icebreaker would 
take longer than I had imagined. Many girls subcon-
sciously modified their accomplishments with phrases 
like “people tell me I’m good at” or “I guess I’m okay at” 
and, upon each sign of hesitation, the facilitator would 
instruct them to start over. It was as if each girl was 
embarrassed to take ownership over her own varsity let-
ters, Model U.N. awards or artistic achievements. I was 
no exception.

Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook 

and author of Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to 
Lead, has identified the tendency of women to underes-
timate their own abilities as a key factor in the presence 
and persistence of the modern-day glass ceiling.

A September 2015 report by Mckinsey and LeanIn.Org 

surveyed 118 companies with roughly 30,000 employees 
each in an effort to research the current state of women 
in corporate America. The study found that women are 
underrepresented at every corporate level, with the 
greatest disparity at senior leadership levels. A 2003 
Carnegie Mellon University study found that, of young 
adults entering the workforce out of college, 57 percent 
of males negotiated their starting salaries compared 
to just 7 percent of women. In short: women are doing 
amazing things, but they won’t demand credit for it.

For some reason, women think their work and their 

accomplishments are somehow less deserving of recog-
nition than that of their male counterparts. Tradition-
ally, I’ve attributed corporate America’s gender gap to a 
history of sexism and social barriers both in the office 
and at home. But what if women aren’t achieving their 
goals largely because of themselves? 

What bothers me the most about this observation 

is that it seems uncomfortably accurate. I constantly 
remind myself and anyone who disagrees that I get good 
grades because I study for hours on end– not because 

I’m smart. I’m good at writing because I revise each 
sentence, word and comma placement countless times 
before hitting “print;” not because I’m a good writer. And 
no matter how prepared I am for an exam, I continue to 
tell the guy in my class who asks me how I feel about it 
directly afterward that “I’m not sure.” What gets to me is 
that I really am not sure, and apparently so are my peers.

Sitting in that office building, I was surrounded by 

impressive girls from all over New Jersey– each intense-
ly driven and bound for elite colleges and universities. 
But when prompted to take ownership over our own 
achievements, many of us automatically attributed them 
to other people.

I don’t know why women are more likely than men 

to tell themselves they aren’t good enough, they don’t 
deserve a promotion and that their successes are only 
a product of the help they receive from those around 
them. Looking around the room, I remember thinking to 
myself how each girl was undoubtedly bound for a suc-
cessful career in business, government, medicine etc. 
But what if our own reluctance to identify and demand 
recognition for our strengths is the thickest glass stand-
ing in the way of our professional goals?

Zooming In: Women and Intimidation

B Y L A R A M O E H L M A N

“Shut the fuck up and 
enjoy the greatness.”

— Rapper KANYE WEST on his 
new album, “The Life of Pablo,” 
which was released earlier this 
week exclusively on the streaming 
service Tidal.

“The system is designed 
for colored people to 
fail and one of our only 
voices is music.”

—WEST on the music industry and 
avenues of expression.

on the record: kanye west on twitter

“Yes I am personally rich and I can buy furs and 
houses for my family but I need access to more 
money in order to bring more beautiful ideas to the 
world. If I spent my money on my ideas I could not 
afford to take care of my family. I am in a place that 
so many artist end up.”

—WEST on his balance of family support and creative endeavors.

“I made Dark Fantasy and Watch the Throne in one 
year and wasn’t nominated for either ... I will have 
over 100 Grammys before I die. I am the Jordan and 
Steph Curry of music, meaning I’m the best of 2 
generations.

—WEST on his perceived lack of critical recognition and his place in music 
history.

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILIE FARRUGIA