autumn 18: gaslight the system℠

My favorite part of LS has been the growing sense of empowerment and awakening I feel as a result of working through resources in a non-hierarchical community of fellow thirsty travelers who share a longing for imagining and creating realities that are juicy. No matter how “crazy” I have felt for most of my life, LS affirms and encourages me to believe in my own bones. I can hardly believe it.

I can’t remember how I originally described our meeting. Something like, ‘i’m meeting with a group of folks who went rogue from the University, including my favorite professor. We’re starting our own school of community education and it doesn’t cost $10,000 a semester. We meet weekly and discuss all sorts of things from political theory to pop culture to dismantling the patriarchy. We’re decolonizing ourselves. I feel held and affirmed and challenged in this group. My crazy is actually an asset here. – Grace Diehl

I started @ LS during the autumn season of 2018 with “GasLight The System.” That class in particular struck so many chords with me in my adult life. Liberation Spring is a real undertaking: there are no gods too mighty to remove from their pedestals for examination; there are no authorities beyond reproach; there are no issues/reflections too small to discuss. There are no grades but for one to ‘excel’ in LS all that is needed is an open mind, a willingness to learn, and a journal (writings within are considered gifts to one’s future self).

LS has encouraged me to take a hard look at how I was living my life compared to how I wanted to be living my life. I felt empowered with a vocabulary to name and tools to recognize many instances of oppression, propaganda, and gaslighting occurring right before my eyes. LS teaches these, and other, life skills that one can implement as soon as you start the class.

Anjali’s teaching style and the class setup ensures that all students feel safe enough to share deeply and intimately very early on. And by the end of the class, you will be good friends with many of your classmates.

― Zanda P.