Recently in Who We Are Category

Hey everybody! =] I am Hannah, a second year student here at the U! I am from Ham Lake, a small town near Blaine which is a half hour north of the twin cities. I am an architecture major but I wanted to take this class because it not only fulfills a lib ed, but I have also always been super duper passionate about women's rights and feminism. I have a fairly well-rounded background on the subject already since my mom would talk about her own beliefs and values ever since I can remember, and therefore I acquired many of the same opinions. Since we share such a strong passion for girl power, we volunteer together at the Alexandra House in Blaine every summer. It is a shelter for victims of domestic or sexual violence and I work in the childcare unit while the mothers take special classes or group therapy sessions. Even though I learned quite a bit about certain themes in feminism through my mom and the Alexandra House training, I am thrilled to learn even more while taking this class! Also, I miss my dog Mickey and cat Jack Jack more than anything else from home!

Hi everyone,
My name is Alyssa McCoy. I'm a freshman at the U. I'm majoring in Pre Med and hope to become a surgeon some day, but for now I'm just glad to be here, and I am so stoked to be in the big city. I come from a super small town of less than 3,000 people; Watertown, MN is this tiny "hick town." I definitely consider myself a city girl; I'm in love with Minneapolis. I've lived in Minnesota for approximately seven years, growing up I was an army brat. It wasn't until I moved to Watertown that I realized I was considered a minority. I'm half Filipino and half Caucasian, but I take after my mom in the looks department, and my filipino features outshine the rest. All throughout middle school and high school I was 1 out of 5 students of color; To say the least, I'm definitely excited about the diversity at the university.

This is my sister, my mini me. I love her more than anything. She means so much to me; she turns four in a few months, and I can't wait to show her this world. I want her to know she's special and beautiful no matter what people tell her. I'm glad I'll be able to teach her to be proud of who she is.

Hi everyone, my name is Megan Harris. I am a Freshman from Andover, Minnesota. I'm in CSE and hope to study Biomedical Engineering! I discovered my passion for biomedical engineering when I joined a group called the Medtronic Explore Post. In the post I was vice-president and helped with the meetings where we learned from employees from Medtronic. I found it super interesting because they would talk about their work in pacemakers, stents and defibrillators. Hopefully one day I will be able to join their work and help save lives :).

I also enjoy playing music! I used to play Alto Saxophone all through middle school and my freshman year of high school, but then I switched to Bassoon the middle of 9th grade. Our class did not have any bassoon players so a friend and I decided to try it out. I am very glad I switched to bassoon because it has been the most rewarding and fun experience. Bassoons are pretty rare and not many people know about them but this is what one looks like:

Hello, all!

I'm Laurie and I'm from Pasadena, California. I'm a transfer and returning student. I went to college for 3 years right after high school but didn't enjoy the school I was at, so I took 3 years off to fulfill a lifelong dream of traveling the world. During that time I really explored passions of mine that now mark my life in positive ways. I worked at a coffee shop and then moved to Boston for a year. I loved the weather and the bustle of living in the city. I came back home and really discovered the path I wanted for my life on a trip to visit a friend in Tanzania. She encouraged me to go back to school and is the main motivation for my return to academia. Two years of academic success while attending community college at home finally granted me the courage to transfer, so here I am!

During my years of self-exploration I found that I have a sensitivity for human rights and social justice. I am also very mindful of the political implications of activism and pacifism. As an African-American and African Studies major and GWSS minor I am seeking out many more opportunities to broaden my knowledge and perspective, hence my enrollment in this course. I am very much interested in the discussion and interpersonal communication that will arise throughout this semester.

This picture is from a moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life. It is the Indian Ocean from the northern coast of Zanzibar - a small island off the coast of Tanzania. My trip to Africa changed my life for the better and will always be near and dear to my heart. This is the final sunset on that epic trip and represents so much more to me than beauty. It presents itself as the marriage of my passions and self-fulfillment.

I very much look forward to getting to know you all better. Thank you, Professor Isoke for allowing us the freedom to present ourselves and encouraging community!

Hello, my name is Marisa Eigen.
I was adopted from Ascuncion, Paraguay in South America, but have lived in Alexandria, Minnesota since. I am the youngest of two children and own two dogs.
I decided to go to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities because I really love the campus and the opportunities a big university can offer an individual. I am majoring in psychology and considering taking on another major such as Anthropology or GWSS. I wanted to take this class, because I thought it would be interesting. I really believe in equality and respect, and thought it awesome how this class will take a look at both those things.
Other things I enjoy doing are listening to music, longboarding, playing soccer, exercising, dreaming, exploring, and thinking.
I'm very excited to get to know everyone in and throughout this class,
Marisa
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Hello everybody! My name is Stephanie and I am from Eagan, MN. The city is a suburb of St. Paul so I am somewhat familiar with the Twin Cities. I am a freshman at the U and majoring in political science. I am really excited about this class because I want to learn about what women have done in societies and form a personal connection with that. I am also interested in the political aspect of the social justice concerning women and I feel that this would help me with my major in the future. One of things that I am really passionate about is community, since a mission trip I took to New York in 2009. I love volunteering and have participated in Salvation Army, Feed My Starving Children, local food groups, and senior homes. I feel that volunteering is good because I get to connect with others and learn something new about myself each time. One of my main hobbies is dancing. I have been performing since 9 and love being on the stage. I like being able to express myself through movement and provide joy to the audience. Some other interests I have are running, watching movies, reading, cooking, and hanging out with friends.

I choose this picture because it shows that anybody can volunteer and it doesn't matter who you are. The picture also depicts that if everyone works together then we could make the word a better place.

Hi, my name is Simar. I am from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which really isn't as far as it seems but as cold as you might be thinking (our weather is similar, except colder in the winter). It's a great place and Minneapolis reminds me of it...just a whole lot bigger. I am an avid reader, volunteer, and enjoy fishing on my off time. My parents are from India so I have a strong cultural background and very involved in it. I am currently trying to work towards my FSoS major but found this class and it's description sounded very interesting. After doing our first reading, I can see we are going to be up for some great readings, some good discussions, and a lot to think about.

This is a picture of myself and my parents at a wedding. My parents are my life. They have made me who I am and I wouldn't be where I am today without them. It was a difficult choice to move away from them as our relationship is very tight knit. My mom and I are in our traditional Indian Clothes. Being an East Indian mixed in with Western culture is hard at times but I am very glad that my parents kept my siblings and I very involved.

Hi My name is Jenny Randall. I'm from Maple Grove, MN. It's about 25 minutes northwest from here. We have a windmill, an outdoor shopping mall and a terrible football team. I'm planning on becoming an English Major. I'm thinking about minoring in GWSS. I almost went to St. Catherine's based on their Women's studies program but ultimately decided on the U, and I'm thrilled with my choice.

Hi my name is Alison Berkas. I am from Roseville Minnesota just up the road from the U. I didn't really want to stay this close to home but I thought that the University of Minnesota was to good of an opportunity to pass up even though it was close, and so far I am extremely happy with my decision. I was born in the Middle East in a small country named Oman, located right below Saudi Arabia. I moved back to the States in the 4th grade but I still remember just about everything. I am so thankful my parents raised me over seas because it has truly made me the person I am today. I got to travel all around the world while living there and it taught me so much about culture. I have made a promise to myself that I will live abroad with my family one day.
I am in CLA and am undecided for my major at this time. I really have a strong interest in people and society so I am exploring different careers that I could be working with people rather than in an office all day. I worked all summer in a Day Care type program with elementary students and loved it.
I took this class because I wanted to explore different areas of study. I hope that this class, along with all my other classes this semester, will help guide me in the right direction towards a major.

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/39/b0/95/yitti-beach.jpg

Seriously, September 6th, our first day of classes, was also been my 19th birthday. It was interesting.

My name is Bessie Rose Browne. I'm a freshman. I've lived in Minneapolis my entire life. I'm probably going to be an English major, but I could change my mind. It might be History, or GWSS, or some other humanity. It will not involve math or science. Knowing that I'm a probable English major it probably isn't a surprise that I like to read, but I really like to read. I love science fiction and fantasy, especially things that could fall into the categories of New Wave or New Weird. I am sort of epically geeky. I was just called "an oral geek Wikipedia," and have decided that being described as a slightly unreliable source of geek knowledge is both accurate and complimentary.

The picture I chose is a drawing of two of my favorite X-People. (X-People is the uncommonly used gender neutral word for X-Men, plus they aren't actually X-Men, and I can't say mutants because, well, it's a long story. Comics are complicated.) They are Shatterstar (with the swords) Rictor (with the earthquakes). Both characters were created in the 90's and suffered through some really terrible art. Then Peter David rescued them in X-Factor, which is awesome, and one of the first comics I started reading. I love them for a lot of different reasons, but one that tangentially relates to the class is because I love queer characters in comic books because they're generally so macho, and also because it makes fanboys upset.

Hi!
My name is Natalie Miller and I am a transfer student from UW-Madison. I am from Northfield, MN and have lived in Minnesota my whole life! I am a global studies major and considering a minor in GWSS. I am passionate about social justice issues, especially those that relate to international development and poverty. I travel to Haiti about once a year and hope to spend more time there after I graduate. I look forward to taking this class and getting to know all of you better!
-Natalie

Hello, My name is Yeondoo Jung and I am an international transfer student at Fall 2011. I admitted as a sophomore and I am from South Korea. My major is Economics. My career objective is to become a Chief Management Officer, or CMO of a company. It will be necessary to obtain a wide range of knowledge in my major field as well as extensive and interactive relationships among people in the institution in which those opportunities are more likely to occur frequently. Especially, I would like to continue my study at a large college that provides a variety of curriculum in business and economics so that I can enhance my knowledge profoundly on both practical and academic ways.
I want to get involved in this class well.

Hello, everyone!

My name is Yesong Choe, a junior transfer student from Boston. My major is undeclared at this point, but I am thinking Mathematics or Business Management.
I am from South Korea, not North Korea! (many people asked me about North Korea. I might know about North Korea much more than any other countries' people, but I have never been there!)
I have studied in the U.S. since 2008. I came to the U.S. right after I graduated from my high school. I studied art for 3 years (during my high school), as I graduated from one of art high schools in South Korea. At that period, I enjoyed drawing, painting and creating my own style of pictures. I drew and painted pictures with my all passions and enthusiasms. I also got lots of awards and many my art instructors said to me i have some special talent in art, so I thought art is my life. I could never imagine doing other things in my future. However, one day I thought I am only good at drawing and painting. Only art, but nothing else. It made me disappointed in myself. I also failed to enter the best art college in my country. Despite of my art skills, my Korean SAT grades was too bad to enter the college. For those reasons, I decided to challenge to change my life and also to learn various things, so I came to the U.S. to study, where there is a mutlicutural country.
I started with studying in a ESL (English as a Second Language) program in Boston. It was hard for me to be a fully matriculated student in U.S. college because of my English ability. But, I succeeded though my english is not very good still. I hope I will be fluent like a native speaker, which is my goal too. (Maybe you've already found some grammarical errors already)
I still like art (fine art).I love the impressionists, especially Vincent Van Gogh. My favorite paint is "Café Terrace, Place du Forum, Arles," which is very famous. The reason because I like the picture is that he used the complementary colors, yellow and blue, which is his favorite colors the same as mine. And no matter how many times I see the picture, I never get bored of the picture, but make me comfortable and ease.

To sum up, I am an international transfer student from South Korea, who still tries to learn english, and am very willing to adapt and adjust various things.

I think thats about it.
Thanks for reading my post.

This is my wall painting, which is in my high school. I painted this about 5 years ago.

Hi everyone, my name is Hannah Reichenbach. I am from Greendale, which is a suburb near Milwaukee Wisconsin and I came to the U for a few reasons..I wanted to go somewhat away from home yet not too far, so Minnesota was the perfect location! I plan on majoring in French, and am in CLA for the moment. I am in this class because my mom has always stressed the importance of being a woman and standing up for what is right so I decided to take this class to see for myself and to form an opinion of my own on issues of gender inequality in the world.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/We_Can_Do_It!.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:We_Can_Do_It!.jpg&h=1294&w=1000&sz=2101&tbnid=Vr3Nx-79N-VDYM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=70&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dwe%2Bcan%2Bdo%2Bit%2Bwoman%2Bpicture%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=we+can+do+it+woman+picture&docid=GQBRRPs4meQrmM&sa=X&ei=NwloTqmWNOnJsQKjoNWTDg&ved=0CBoQ9QEwAA&dur=265

Hey everyone! I'm Kelly from Glenview, Il, which is a suburb just north of Chicago. I don't really like it there, but I absolutely love going downtown. I decided to come to Minnesota for quite a few different reasons, but mainly because the first time I visited I completely fell in love with the campus and the cities. Growing up, I was constantly playing sports, but the only one that really stuck was soccer. I played for thirteen years, and for about the past five years I have been a full time goalie. Social justice has always been something I find very interesting, but I was so busy in high school that I never had the opportunity to get involved to the extent I wanted, and I hope this class will really provide me with a unique lens with which I can view issues we currently face. I am really excited for this class and to get to know everyone better. :)

Tag (German for hello, not a game)! My name is Ashley but I also go by Eike (which is my German name) because I don't generally respond to Ashley since there are so many people named Ashley and there are at least three of them in one given place at the same time! I am from Saint Paul Park (SPP, not SP) which is a small suburb between Cottage Grove and Newport; all of which are just off of highway 61, on your way to Hastings. I am a freshman, however I did PSEO while I was in high school so I have enough credits to be a sophomore, or something like that. I chose this class because I still have a few lib ed credits to fulfill for my major and this is one of the few possibilities that actually sounded interesting... which means it won't be a mental struggle to complete. (: My intended major is Computer Engineering, which is different from Computer Science. I also intend to minor in German, which I have been told is very difficult, however I feel it will be enjoyable. I chose the U because out of all the colleges I applied to, it was the only one we were able to afford. In all honesty, I really wanted to go to Purdue but their tuition is about 40k and with the scholarship they offered me it would have been about 30k, which is still much more than the U. I am not complaining, however, I think I will learn to love it here! I enjoy video games, movies, reading, and other "strange" things. As you may (or may not) remember, I am abstract so I am generally the person no one is comfortable approaching or talking to. I don't mind though, I'm not the largest people person. I need to be surrounded by intelligent people; it bothers me when people can barely tell you what 2+2 is or need to know how to spell "orange". Really, I can't tell you who I am or describe myself to you. Any attempt to do so would be an absolute waste of time. If you want that information, you will have to get to know me. :3

This is a photograph I took on my trip to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. I think it is beautiful and I love Germany (probably even more than the U.S.) so it is rather good at describing me.

Hello! My name is Cassara Harmelink and I am a Freshman here at the U. I was raised in Rogers, Minnesota but spent the last seven years in Phoenix, Arizona. I decided to return home because of the lovely people, the cold weather, and all of the incredible opportunities the U of M has to offer.

I'm currently majoring in biology but that could easily change to microbiology. I hope to eventually be a physician's assistant to be the patient's advocate at a clinic; I take a particular interest in women's health and how they are treated in healthcare. I also dream of returning to Africa to educate women on sexual health, healthy relationships, and to stop the abuses of women.

This is in South Africa at the Monte Casino Bird Gardens.

Hey everyone,
I am McKenzie Purtell and I am from Oshkosh Wisconsin. I came to Minnesota because of the gorgeous campus and all the opportunities Minnesota has to offer. I took this class in order to fulfill credits and because it was the most interesting one I could find. I do not have a decided major currently although I am very interested in Psychology. I am really excited to take this class so that I can expand my knowledge and hopefully get a better view on some of the injustice in the World!

Hello! My name is Nicole and I am currently in my last year at the University of Minnesota (hopefully). I am majoring in Gender, Women, and Sexaulity Studies and have really enjoyed the learning process. I was born and raised in New York, about 20 min outside Manhattan. I moved to Minneapolis when I was 15 and have also lived in Colorado. For my senior thesis project, I produced a short documentary on gender roles and the societal norms of gendering.

Hey everybody!
My name is Brenda Sokup, I'm from a very small town called Arcadia, Wisconsin that has a population of about 2,800 people. I am double majoring in Physiology and Spanish and with that combination I want to go to medical school and work with an under served Hispanic population.

An interesting fact about me is that I like to run, and am running the twin cities marathon in October! Come join me!!

I am excited to take this class because I have been wanting to take a political science class and a women's study class, but with not much time in my schedule I couldn't take both. Luckily, this class seems like perfect for the combination of both!

This is a picture of Toledo, Spain. I studied abroad here for a semester in 2009 and I miss it tons. If I have one word of advice for anyone during college it is to study abroad. If anyone ever wants to get together to speak Spanish or find some tapas, let me know :).

Hi my name is Jessica Sieg! I'm a freshman here at the U. I'm originally from Ladysmith, Wisconsin. I am currently undecided about my major. Possibly looking into double-majoring in political science and business with the hope of going to Law school. I come from a very old fashioned small town where women are seen not heard. I think that everyone should have a voice and be treated as equals. My best friend is gay and people look at him differently. He's still my best friend and I don't think it's right how he gets treated. I am thrilled to be in this class so I can help make a difference and help give everyone a voice.

Hello, all. I'm Alex Moore. My majors are economics and Chinese literature. I just recently finished four years in everyone's favourite military, which is about 20% women. This immersion in such an off-balance gender realm has me quite ready for some feminism. I'm also looking forward to checking out justice from a different angle.

Hi guys. My name is Ellen Ferencek. I'm a freshman in CLA and thus far my major is undeclared. I'm considering political science and potentially a double or a minor in Theater. But at this point who knows...
I'm from Madison, Wisconsin and my views have been shaped recently by our governor's budget bill and the protests against it. Here's a picture:

My classmates and I, as well as the majority of our teachers, spent days at our capitol protesting the governors uncompromising bill and its attack on the working people of Wisconsin.
My idea as represented by this picture relates less to the events of February and March, but more to my objections to Scott Walker's attitude towards cooperation. I don't believe any side's ideological truth can be the full and honest truth and I think when one side pushes their truth onto another side without regard for the counter view-point and with no room for compromise nothing good can happen.

Hey Everyone! I'm Aly from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I'm a freshman at the U and very excited for this class. I'm currently majoring in child psychology but I'm considering becoming a psychology and GWSS major. I really became interested in Women's Studies after Rachel Simmons came to speak at my high school this spring. I'm incredibly excited about finding volunteer opportunities at the Women's Center and with the Aurora Center. I'm passionate about women's justice topics and working to end violence against women. However, I'm also very interested in race and gender relations. And that's why I chose Milwaukee as my image.

Milwaukee is known for being a highly segregated city and tension has unfortunately increased over the last few months. My mom has lived in Milwaukee her whole life, so I've had the benefit of always being aware of this segregation and the beauty that's hidden because of it. This awareness has sparked an interest in me. I want to see the intense separations between citizens cease. I actually live in a suburb of Milwaukee. Most of my neighbors rarely venture into the city, but I've always enjoyed experiencing the varying cultures of downtown. But when I'm not in the city, I love horseback riding and taking my dog for walks. I have a horse named Tanner who I share with my aunt. I used to show competitively but over the last few years I've just been way too busy over the summer (and saving money for college...). One of the hardest parts of this transition and being 5 hours away from home is leaving my family and my dog, Maizy, behind. I'm excited about getting to know all of you this semester!

My name is Sammi Alisankus and I am from Evansville, Wisconsin. I am a vegetarian and loose vegan and I am very interested in ethics of all kinds; animals and humans. I am a political guru and I spent much of my time this past winter/spring at the the protests at the Madison capital. I enjoy spending my time running and biking as well as horseback riding. My family owns a rescue ranch where we rescue 1-2 horse each year, rehabilitate them and find them new homes in the summer. I am very dedicated to my studies and look forward to exploring a class in which I have limited knowledge of the subject matter. Although I intend to major in nutrition, I would really like to go on to law school. I would love to have classes such as this as a supplement to my law education as I believe that justice spans far beyond the legal definition. I consider myself to be a highly empathetic person I would like to find ways to connect and understand people of all types.

Hi there! My name is An An Hua. I'm from Lahaina, Hawaii. For those of you who don't know, Lahaina is located on Maui, a small island of about 140,000 people. I don't surf, I don't dance hula/tahitian, and I rarely ever went to the beach. I'm not your stereotypical island girl, sorry! But I did love to go free-diving. Anyway, I'm a Freshman and I am planning on majoring in geology which is why I chose the photo below.

I love being outdoors and mountains, the sea, natural disasters fascinate me. And as odd as it is, I can't imagine doing anything else with my life, but then again, I'm only a Freshman, what do I know?

Oh and I'm really excited for the winter!

Hello!

My name is Connor Wright and I am a freshman at the U of MN-Twin Cities. I'm orignially from a small town in North Dakota called Valley City and then moved to West Fargo at the start of 8th grade. Fascinating stuff, right? I'm undeclared at this point, but I'll probably end up studying Political Science or GWSS and with a LGBT minor. I hope to one day end up as an advocate for a national organization that works to further equality by policy changes and other forms of activism. Basically, I have little more than a vague dream, but if it works for Disney, then I can only hope it works for me!

I've just skimmed the surface of feminist theory, but I'm eager to learn more about gender, race, class, sexual identity, and other factors I may not even know about, and how they all intersect.

Unfortunately, aside from an undying love for animation and various tidbits about films, I don't have a ton of skills that sound interesting on paper. I may not even have skills that sound interesting in person, but I'm hoping self-deprecation swings a few votes my way.

And this image probably sums up the vast majority of my beliefs and interests:

I'm a big fan of frank and open discussion in order to have greater understanding and acceptance of ourselves and others.

Hello All,

My name is Aria Weatherspoon. I am a Sophomore transfer student. I was a student at Howard University my Freshman year, yet I quickly realized that scholastically Howard was not the place for me. I chose Engaging Justice because one, it was one of the only GWSS classes that was still open, and two I am very passionate about Gender Studies and Human Sexuality, thus the class interested me. I am no feminist, yet I have my beliefs and stances on many injustices that have plagued the female community for years. I am a Sociology major and I am hoping to double major in Human Sexuality, but we shall see how that all works out (*crosses fingers). By nature I am an opinionated and forthright young woman but I find pleasure in forcing myself to listen to others and hear as many viewpoints and different opinions as possible. It is challenging most times but nonetheless rewarding. I am looking forward to this semester with you all very much. :)))

This is a photo of my sister and I. Her name is Benell Weatherspoon. She is a Nursing student at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. And she is the love of my life. There have been times when all we had was each other and we both are making it. We both are going down our own respective paths to success, and we still have one another. She is my ace.

HI! My name is Rebecca Mahoney, but most people call me Reba. I am from Green Bay, and I just transferred to the University of Minnesota from the University of Wisconsin Madison. I am a junior and my major is genetics cell biology and development. I plan on going to medical school to become a genetic doctor. I really enjoy doing scientific research, and I hope to involve it in my career. This is a mostly male dominated field, which is one of the reasons that I am interested in the dynamics of this course. My absolute favorite activity is dancing. I have been dancing and competing my entire life and through it I have been able to find myself and make all of my close friends. I also love to travel; my favorite place that I have visited is Paris, which is why I choose to add a picture of the Eiffel Tower.

Hi! I'm Anna Pereira and I am from a Northwest suburb of Chicago called Lake Zurich. I am now a freshman here at the U. I have 2 sisters and a brother; my sisters are 20 years old and 11 years old and my brother is 13 years old. I love dogs and have three back at home. I played lacrosse in high school and have danced my whole life. I plan on majoring in genetics and would like to continue to Physician Assistant school to become a neonatal Physician Assistant.
The image I attached is of me dancing. It is my favorite thing to do and helps me relieve stress and be happy :) I have danced since I was 2 and hope to continue dancing in the future. I was on a competitive team until eighth grade then joined a company that performed for nursing homes and charity events as well as my school dance team.

Hi my name is Abby Schanfield, I am from Minneapolis and I am a political science major & a double minor in GWSS and Social Justice. Currently, I am in my Junior year here at the University of Minnesota.

The image that I attached is of an olive tree. Olive trees take generations to grow and bear fruit. However, they can be destroyed or heavily damaged and still regenerate as long as their intricate root system is kept in tact. I also especially like how these trees have twisted trunks.
I have a special connection to olive trees as they are very important to Jewish and Muslim biblical and cultural backgrounds. My family and community instilled in me a desire for social change and social justice. The olive tree reflects the inter connectivity of issues of justice as well as identities, people and communities. No social justice issue or person is an island unto itself. To deal with one issue, one has to recognize and try to understand others despite the appearance of being unrelated. We are all impacted by the choices or suffering of others.

My name is Gabe Hilden-Reid and I am a GWSS major and I am a junior. I'm interested in the intersections between race, gender, and sexual orientation and the way that gender is performed and dictated by different minority groups. I was born in Minneapolis and I am an aerialist with Circus Juventas in St. Paul.

My picture is a literal representation of me while performing this summer in my show. This picture also represents my desire to break gender barriers in a very traditional profession. The act that I am performing is historically an all female act that I was originally denied access to because of my maleness. I eventually was able to start training the act and pushed the very strict gender boundaries that the extremely heternormative circus held in place.

I was thrilled to see that we were reading Peggy McIntosh's article on White Privilege because it is one of my favorites! While reading the article, I really responded to the idea that white (and male) privilege is something that we are conditioned not to notice or acknowledge, but I kept asking myself why this was. McIntosh answered my question in the end of the article when she says that it is in order to uphold the "myth of meritocracy," that everyone has an equal chance and people succeed as much as they do based on their own accord.