(no subject)
Finally, I'm getting around to making this big informative update I keep promising. Gen and I got back from our various activities awhile ago, and we're going to watch a "Firefly" episode a bit later, but she has some work she needs to finish first. So I have some time to kill, and what do I do? Post on lj. ;)
The main excitement of last week, as I'm sure you noticed, was the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSX) Colloquium. I went to four of the five events (OK, 3.5), and it was a really intellectually stimulating experience. I love the Colloquium every year because it gives me a chance to just immerse myself in the women's studies and gender studies fields, which I can never get enough of.
The first talk I was able to attend (I had to be at choir during Joe Lucchesi's opening talk on queer theory) was Gayatri Reddy's presentation on a subset of the Indian social structure called the hijra, or third sex. Primarily this refers to men who dress as women, but even in this classification there are further subsets. There's the hijra who are higher status folks and ritual leaders, going around to people's houses and blessing their marriages and newborn children. But there's also the opposite side of the spectrum, the hijra who live as squatters under a water tank in one of the cities and sell their bodies for sex. Both consider their lifestyles valid and in keeping with the "true" hijra spirit. It was interesting to hear about the different ways in which Indian society perceives these people, especially since I had been studying India (in the sense of Hinduism, which of course is a pervasive influence in the country's culture) for some time this past year. Kind of appealed to both my interests at once. :)
Later that night was a session with Kate Bornstein, a transgender performance artist, activist, and writer. A lot of you seemed really interested in hearing how her presentation was, and I'm here to tell you it was amazing. She really gets your attention! I liked the way she told her stories. It was ballsy, sure, but also honest and wise and heartfelt and even kind. She came off as somewhat blunt and definitely controversial, but never abrasive, which I really appreciated. I think that's what an activist should be like. Too many people push the envelope to the point where others feel not just uncomfortable (which is sometimes necessary for change to occur), but majorly offended or put off. Kate simply recounted things that had happened to her and how they shaped her views, and the way she told it made you feel like you could identify with her. I felt like my mind was opened by her performance. And I got to talk with her momentarily afterwards (and again for a bit longer at the post-Colloquium reception), so I can tell you from one-on-one experience that she is very receptive and nice.
Thursday afternoon there was a talk by researcher Milton Diamond on "Male and Female Doesn't Just Mean Men and Women," which I had to leave early from to attend a group meeting for one of my education classes. I can't say much about his presentation, since he started out talking about transgender and intersex individuals and what those terms mean- which was a review from my gender studies class over a year ago. That night was a roundtable discussion between all four of the speakers of the week- Lucchesi, Reddy (who actually wasn't able to attend), Bornstein, and Diamond- where we got to ask them questions. They gave some neat answers, and it was a truly enlightening panel. I then went and hung out at the reception for a long period of time, chatting with people (and being reunited briefly with getmehomefortea, who I totally wasn't expecting to see!).
So, the long and short of it is that I love the Colloquium. And last Sunday I got the sweetest thank-you email from Katie Gantz, a professor who was on the Colloquium Committee, thanking me for the work that I did as STARS VP in promoting the event, and a workshop that Kate Bornstein gave, to the club. I was surprised at the acknowledgment, because I really didn't do that much, but it was nice and heartwarming to know that she thought of me afterwards and sent along the note. :)
So, on to other fun stuff! While we're on the subject of STARS, looks like I'll be entering into my third year as an exec board member this coming fall. A part of me really didn't want to be, and was hoping that enough people would volunteer so that I wouldn't have to run again. But we were a couple short, so Gina and I stepped up to the plate for one more go. I'll be returning to my 06-07 position, as secretary, and our new president and VP seem like reliable and dedicated people, so hopefully everything will go off without a hitch. My hesitation about taking this on again has faded in the past week or so, and now I'm much happier to be doing it.
This week has been entirely consumed with dance show. I think this is the best dance show I've ever been in, hands-down. The dance I'm in, a modern piece once again choreographed by the lovely Steph, is so cool: it's to Calypso's theme from "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", and it looks awesome. I've gotten through it with very few mistakes all week, which is a blessing in and of itself! :) All the dances, in fact, are really cool and original. Normally the dance show is 85% hip hop and 15% other, but this time the selection is really diverse, and people are doing these really interesting things we've never seen before. I'm pleased overall. The audiences have been good too!
I registered for classes, and went with JCB's Victorian Lit class but not Lucchesi's photography class. So I'll have only classes on Tuesday/Thursdays: an 8 a.m. with JCB, a 10 a.m. (Adolescence), a break for lunch, and a 2 p.m. (Exceptionality). Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays will be for work at the Admissions office, placements in the schools, and lots of homework. It'll be a challenge, but I think it'll work out.
I can't think if there was anything else I wanted to talk about. So I'll end with something special (under a cut, because only one person will probably want to read it). Awhile back I posted a meme where I asked you to tell me something I don't normally blog about, and I'd write an entry on it. trippypeas asked me to do the following: "TELLMEOF YOUR UNDYING LOVE FOR ME!! and how you'd totally make out with me if we were roommates!"
Oh, trippypeas. Where do I begin? I started browsing a certain writing community almost a year ago (has it been that long?) and came upon your cracktastic fics. Let's just say I was first attracted to that aspect of your weirdness, and it just continued from there. ;) I think that's where this "undying love" you speak of comes from- an inner desire to connect with a fellow weird person. We do have to band together, after all!
Recently, though, our relationship has taken a slightly more...romantic turn. Apparently we'd be up to some very naughty things if we were roommates. (Gen would be shocked.) If you were here instead of in Georgia, I'm sure we would totally be making out. My only concern about our love coinciding with our being roommates is what would happen if one of your many other loves came one day and stole your heart back from me to claim you for their own. That'd just be awkward. ;)
Have a good night, folks. :D
Sarah
The main excitement of last week, as I'm sure you noticed, was the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSX) Colloquium. I went to four of the five events (OK, 3.5), and it was a really intellectually stimulating experience. I love the Colloquium every year because it gives me a chance to just immerse myself in the women's studies and gender studies fields, which I can never get enough of.
The first talk I was able to attend (I had to be at choir during Joe Lucchesi's opening talk on queer theory) was Gayatri Reddy's presentation on a subset of the Indian social structure called the hijra, or third sex. Primarily this refers to men who dress as women, but even in this classification there are further subsets. There's the hijra who are higher status folks and ritual leaders, going around to people's houses and blessing their marriages and newborn children. But there's also the opposite side of the spectrum, the hijra who live as squatters under a water tank in one of the cities and sell their bodies for sex. Both consider their lifestyles valid and in keeping with the "true" hijra spirit. It was interesting to hear about the different ways in which Indian society perceives these people, especially since I had been studying India (in the sense of Hinduism, which of course is a pervasive influence in the country's culture) for some time this past year. Kind of appealed to both my interests at once. :)
Later that night was a session with Kate Bornstein, a transgender performance artist, activist, and writer. A lot of you seemed really interested in hearing how her presentation was, and I'm here to tell you it was amazing. She really gets your attention! I liked the way she told her stories. It was ballsy, sure, but also honest and wise and heartfelt and even kind. She came off as somewhat blunt and definitely controversial, but never abrasive, which I really appreciated. I think that's what an activist should be like. Too many people push the envelope to the point where others feel not just uncomfortable (which is sometimes necessary for change to occur), but majorly offended or put off. Kate simply recounted things that had happened to her and how they shaped her views, and the way she told it made you feel like you could identify with her. I felt like my mind was opened by her performance. And I got to talk with her momentarily afterwards (and again for a bit longer at the post-Colloquium reception), so I can tell you from one-on-one experience that she is very receptive and nice.
Thursday afternoon there was a talk by researcher Milton Diamond on "Male and Female Doesn't Just Mean Men and Women," which I had to leave early from to attend a group meeting for one of my education classes. I can't say much about his presentation, since he started out talking about transgender and intersex individuals and what those terms mean- which was a review from my gender studies class over a year ago. That night was a roundtable discussion between all four of the speakers of the week- Lucchesi, Reddy (who actually wasn't able to attend), Bornstein, and Diamond- where we got to ask them questions. They gave some neat answers, and it was a truly enlightening panel. I then went and hung out at the reception for a long period of time, chatting with people (and being reunited briefly with getmehomefortea, who I totally wasn't expecting to see!).
So, the long and short of it is that I love the Colloquium. And last Sunday I got the sweetest thank-you email from Katie Gantz, a professor who was on the Colloquium Committee, thanking me for the work that I did as STARS VP in promoting the event, and a workshop that Kate Bornstein gave, to the club. I was surprised at the acknowledgment, because I really didn't do that much, but it was nice and heartwarming to know that she thought of me afterwards and sent along the note. :)
So, on to other fun stuff! While we're on the subject of STARS, looks like I'll be entering into my third year as an exec board member this coming fall. A part of me really didn't want to be, and was hoping that enough people would volunteer so that I wouldn't have to run again. But we were a couple short, so Gina and I stepped up to the plate for one more go. I'll be returning to my 06-07 position, as secretary, and our new president and VP seem like reliable and dedicated people, so hopefully everything will go off without a hitch. My hesitation about taking this on again has faded in the past week or so, and now I'm much happier to be doing it.
This week has been entirely consumed with dance show. I think this is the best dance show I've ever been in, hands-down. The dance I'm in, a modern piece once again choreographed by the lovely Steph, is so cool: it's to Calypso's theme from "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", and it looks awesome. I've gotten through it with very few mistakes all week, which is a blessing in and of itself! :) All the dances, in fact, are really cool and original. Normally the dance show is 85% hip hop and 15% other, but this time the selection is really diverse, and people are doing these really interesting things we've never seen before. I'm pleased overall. The audiences have been good too!
I registered for classes, and went with JCB's Victorian Lit class but not Lucchesi's photography class. So I'll have only classes on Tuesday/Thursdays: an 8 a.m. with JCB, a 10 a.m. (Adolescence), a break for lunch, and a 2 p.m. (Exceptionality). Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays will be for work at the Admissions office, placements in the schools, and lots of homework. It'll be a challenge, but I think it'll work out.
I can't think if there was anything else I wanted to talk about. So I'll end with something special (under a cut, because only one person will probably want to read it). Awhile back I posted a meme where I asked you to tell me something I don't normally blog about, and I'd write an entry on it. trippypeas asked me to do the following: "TELLMEOF YOUR UNDYING LOVE FOR ME!! and how you'd totally make out with me if we were roommates!"
Oh, trippypeas. Where do I begin? I started browsing a certain writing community almost a year ago (has it been that long?) and came upon your cracktastic fics. Let's just say I was first attracted to that aspect of your weirdness, and it just continued from there. ;) I think that's where this "undying love" you speak of comes from- an inner desire to connect with a fellow weird person. We do have to band together, after all!
Recently, though, our relationship has taken a slightly more...romantic turn. Apparently we'd be up to some very naughty things if we were roommates. (Gen would be shocked.) If you were here instead of in Georgia, I'm sure we would totally be making out. My only concern about our love coinciding with our being roommates is what would happen if one of your many other loves came one day and stole your heart back from me to claim you for their own. That'd just be awkward. ;)
Have a good night, folks. :D
Sarah