GSEX Revolution

GSEX Rev luti n

by Cassie Mulheron

At the beginning of the semester, Women’s Studies officially changed its name to Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies.

Shannon Le Corre, an alum to Women’s Studies, holds a welcoming opinion to the change: “I think it’s necessary to have changed the name because my degree covered so much more than just women’s struggles. I wish that my diploma had shown the new name because the work we do is not just about women, it’s about people and its about how gender and sexuality shapes society.”

Le Corre makes sense of the name change, stating, “It definitely lends itself to a wider demographic and sort of takes the focus away from having gender equality just being a woman’s struggle and makes it more open to a wider audience of people who care about these issues but might not feel that it was their place to study women.”

But what is Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies? Half of the problem before the name change was that people were not exactly sure what the degree entailed. It is an interdisciplinary degree that allows people to put different types of theory into practice. It really gets to the core of “who” we are with a curriculum that is interdisciplinary and intersectional, dealing with more than just women’s issues. Students often describe it as learning about what was left out of traditional, patriarchal (male centered) textbooks and public school systems.

Most people thought it was just for women, specifically feminists. While many of us are feminists, it is not a pre-requisite. We are inclusive as it gets, accepting people regardless of their sex, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, economic status, geographic location…and the list goes on.

Many of the students major, minor, double major or even receive a dual degree in GSEX. Some of the common combinations are with English, Fine Arts, Social Work, Psychology and Sociology. I am graduating this semester with a dual degree: B.F.A. in Photography & Film, B.A. in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, as well as a minor in Psychology. After graduating, I hope to teach English in South Korea for a year to explore a bit. I really enjoy working with people, especially children, and feel that with my GSEX degree and my psychology minor that I am more prepared for that. I want to pursue an M.F.A. in Art Therapy or even possibly get a master’s in teaching. You learn so much about tolerance in Gender Studies. There are so many different types of people and I want to be able to help people, regardless of their sex, gender, race, nationality, “ability”, etc.

“I consider all the learning in my GSEX classes to be fundamental critical thinking tools for understanding the world around me,” says Fatima Sissoko, a senior in Biology and GSEX. She reminisced about being lost her first year and, “trying to form an identity for myself with all these irreconcilable ideas about my body, my sexuality, my ambitions and my own potential that were elucidated through the fine eyes of a remarkable faculty I, personally, admire, respect and love as if they were [and they are] family.”

Students in this department feel a sense of welcoming and being part of something bigger than themselves. Sissoko contines, “You take what you learn about life, its ecosystems and relations, and can watch yourself grow into a more intelligible, intuitive, enlightened individual; you can see that money you or your parents are spending put to good use.”

So what are the GSEXers up to now? This summer, Liz Canfield and Dr. Archana Pathak are leading a group of students to study abroad in Canada for Women’s Worlds 2011

“Students in this department feel a sense of welcoming and being part of something bigger than themselves.”

in Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec. The course description states, “The purpose of the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies study abroad program is to provide students with an international experience that focuses on global feminism and the lives of women around the world.” This year the conference hopes to break social constructs and limits with the theme, “Inclusions, exclusions, and seclusions: Living in a globalized World”. The students will get a chance to earn 3-6 credits, meet women from numerous nations and attend cultural events in Canada, such as the Ottawa Jazz Festival.

If you haven’t already fulfilled your diversity credit, check out the intro class. If anything, it will open your eyes and broaden your beliefs.

Questions? Stop by the Starke House, 915 West Franklin Street 1st Floor and pickup an informative student crafted zine about the department. Or pop in and speak to Undergraduate Advisor Liz Canfield or the department Chair Dr. Janet Hutchinson. They are more than happy to chat with you!