BU Gender Studies Minor Blog

Today we are focusing on another amazing student in the GSM program! Megan Sumner is an active student here at Bloomsburg University. She offers her own unique insight from being in the STEM field and within the GSM. What are your preferred pronouns? My pronouns are she/her/hers. Where are you from? I am actually from Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. I've lived here my whole life. What is your major? Do you have any minors? I am a dual Computer Science and Digital Forensics major with a minor in Gender Studies. I decided to pick up the minor after having a friend speak highly about the courses in the program. Are you involved in any other clubs or organizations on campus? I’m involved in Phi Sigma Pi, a National Honor Fraternity, where I hold a position as Fundraising Chair. Pictured: Megan Sumner How has being a student in the GSM program benefited your academic and social experiences on campus? Have these classes changed, shaped, or broadened your perspect...

Have you ever wondered why the month of March is given the title of Women's History Month? Have you ever thought about why there is a whole month dedicated to women? Who made this happen? Why does this happen? Has Women's History Month always been a thing? There are a lot of answers to these questions! I cannot wait to share with our readers this history. Or should I say 'her-story'... :) Figure #1 - Women from Santa Rosa, California having a parade in honor of Women's History Month in 1979. It is true: the month of March is dedicated as Women's History Month. As February is dedicated as Black History Month, and September 15th to October 15th is dedicated as Hispanic Heritage Month, women deserve their own share of national recognition. However, who decided the month of March? The answer is really simple. Since 1975, International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8th. The month of March has its roots in celebrating women, so utilizing the rest of M...

Figure #1: Promotional poster of Kadida Kenner's to Bloomsburg University. On Monday, March 2nd, Kadida Kenner presents to BU students her "Women's Rights and Empowerment: Why Courts Matter." Kenner highlights information concerning the Trump Administration's deadly practices. Why are their practices deadly? Why are should we be concerned about it? It's clear: their practices are deadly to people who are othered in the United States. These people are the very fibers of USA history (but are not limited to): women, African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, the LGBTQA+ community, Native Americans, etc. This administration is electing federal judges that are extreme conservatives. In addition to their extreme political views, many of the elected judges are unqualified to be a legitimate federal judge. They do not have the legal experience, nor the education to effectively perform the duties of a federal judge. Kadida Kenner is simply conveying this information ...

Figure #1: The front side album artwork for Erotica . Allow me to introduce to you an album that is timeless in its conversations about Gender Studies:  Erotica . I was not born when this album was released back in 1992. Yet, I am densely aware of the Gender Studies discussion this album creates. Anybody who is interested in the subject of Gender Studies should be aware of this album; giving Erotica a listen from beginning to end will definitely showcase this subject-matter!  I am an avid consumer of music. My music taste is expansive and oddly selective at times. I recently discovered Madonna despite her remaining a mainstay in the music industry since her first debut album in 1983. Her wide 14-album discography vehemently speaks to her efforts in the industry. While I am overtly appreciative of all her works, one album of hers is truly unforgettable, especially when considering the time period it was released in. In 1992, nobody was discussing the issues of female se...

With the effervescent holiday of Valentine's Day approaching, I'd like to inform our readers of a few upcoming events relevant to our GSM! As the purpose of the GSM is to study the social, cultural, and historical constructions of gender and its intersections with other constructions such as race, class, nation, and sexuality, these events are critically relevant to our readers: Photo of Dr. Stacey Pearson-Wharton Dr. Stacey Pearson-Wharton: "Mental Health in the Black Community": In honor of Black History Month, Dr. Pearson-Wharton offers expertise and a positive approach for issues surrounding diversity, social justice, inclusion, and mental health to provide hope and healing in difficult times. This will be held on  Tuesday, February 11th, 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. in the Kehr Union Multicultural Center Room 230 . Please consider coming out to learn more about these crucial issues! Getting Juicy with Jake: This workshop series address...

Today we are going to be focusing on one of the amazing students in the GSM program! Olivia Minzola is an active student here at Bloomsburg University. She offers unique insight from within the GSM through her experiences and studies. What are your preferred pronouns? Truthfully, I have never specified what my pronouns are to anyone because I have never felt the need to. This is the first time I have ever been asked what my pronouns are. I am a woman and therefore ask to be called she/her. Pictured: Olivia Minzola Where are you from? I am from Drums, Pennsylvania. What is your major? Do you have any minors? Before coming to college, I decided to major in Mass Communications with a concentration in Journalism. During the fall semester of my freshman year, I took a class called Feminist Reading of Culture with Dr. Christina Francis and this ultimately led me to declaring a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies. Are you involved in any other clubs or organizations o...

As Lex's final post says, I am Jose Gamboa. I am the new blogger for the BU Gender Studies Minor for the spring 2020 term! I have been active within the minor since I declared it in spring of 2018. Pictured: Jose Gamboa You can expect to see consistent weekly (up to semiweekly) posts from me related to information about events pertaining to Gender & Women Studies on Bloomsburg University campus, and the surrounding Bloomsburg area; more Student Profiles to highlight what our students are accomplishing within the minor; interviews with alumni to see what they have done after completing the GSM program and what the program offered them for their futures; and much more! This post is very short and sweet. I want our readers to know what I hope to accomplish as the new GSM blogger. I refuse to let our readers down! I hope to see everyone here again next week. Always and forever, Jose Gamboa

This Friday we're focusing on an amazing student within the GSM program. Jose Gamboa is an active student here at Bloomsburg University and offers the GSM blog a unique perspective on his experiences, as a student in the minor.    Pictured: Jose Gamboa Your preferred pronouns? My pronouns are he/him/his. Where are you from? I am from Allentown, Pennsylvania. What’s your major? Do you have any minors?  I am a double English major in English: Creative Writing, and English: Literature. I am also a double minor in Gender Studies  (duh)  and Music. Are you involved in any other clubs or organizations on campus? I am heavily involved in many organizations on campus! I am the President of Sigma Tau Delta  (the International English Honor Society) . I am the Vice President of my social fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon. I am the Assistant Percussion Section Leader for the 2019 Drumline in the Maroon and Gold Husky Marching Band. I am als...

In light of recent events, Bloomsburg University's No Hate Week could not take place at a better time. Protestors posed at Carver Hall after protest Credit: Bazaan Saddal While tensions are high on campus, it's pivotal for our campus to remind each of its students of their individual value and uplift them. Just this week, BU held a peaceful protest in response to the hateful video gone viral. The overarching slogan that could be seen on posters or heard throughout the day was "We want D.I.S. ," a simple acronym promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Safety. If you want D.I.S. as well, I encourage you to participate in this year's No Hate Week . Every day for for the next week, our campus will be conducting events dedicated to uplifting and celebrating the diversity of BU. From November 11th to the 16th, BU's  “No Hate Week” Observance  will take place with the specific goal to increase overall awareness of the various cultures on campus. No H...

This past Tuesday I took the opportunity to meet on the first floor of Sutliff, to attend my first  Bloomsburg University Equality Alliance  (BUEA) meeting. Upon entering the classrom, I quickly learned that this was going to be fun. There was an undeniable energy that carried in the room. One that celebrated open conversations and a little chaos . The room was flooded with the conversations of members, before Lennie (BUEA's President) started the meeting with announcements. Enthusiastically, executive members for the group reminded their guests of upcoming events and answered any questions.  Retrieved from Facebook This Tuesday's workshop was titled "Working Out the Kinks". In it we explored what kinks are and how to go about them. While I won't get into a conversation about kinks or attach the diagram that shows you how to  effectively , and  safely , tie up your partner; I will share what I learned about this group and their approach to educating...