Newsletter

Feature Articles

Saying Goodbye: Seniors Reflect Upon Their WGS Experiences

My three years in the WGS department proved to be challenging and enriching. Through the interests that I developed in these courses, I've started a full-time job at a non-profit organization called Teen PEP in Princeton, where the focus is sexuality education; they were very impressed by my knowledge and passion. Because of my experiences in WGS, I am well-prepared and socialized to work in a place where the focus isn't just on pregnancy and HIV prevention like many pro-grams, but covers a range of issues from sexual and domestic violence to homo-phobia reduction. I use the skills everyday that I gained from a background in gen-der research and a senior internship with the Office of Anti-Violence Initiatives, and I don't know where I would be without those experiences. The dynamic WGS department has motivated me and inspired me to truly make a difference in the areas that mean the most to me.
–Kait Boyle, Sociology/WGS

My involvement in the WILL program and being a WGS major has not only impacted my college experience but, more importantly, my life. I now see the world with conscious eyes and a bigger, more compassionate heart. Had it not been for WILL and my WGS education, I would have never had amazing experiences like traveling to El Salvador or making friendships that I know will last a life-time. The WGS program has not only raised my consciousness of the sexism throughout our society but has simultaneously given me the confidence to challenge and change the stereotypes. I will now be going into teaching as a com-mitted feminist who will enlighten and forever impact every student she meets.
–Brittany DeNitzio, Special Education/WGS/WILL

Being a WGS major has given me a new perspective on life. I see and hear things differently now… I express myself and speak up more often when I see or hear things that are not okay with me. I feel this confidence has developed in me as a direct result of the education and support I received from the WGS department. I will use what I have learned from being a WGS major in every aspect of my life because it has helped to mold the person I am today. Although I am going into the education field, the knowledge I have gained from being a WGS major will be constantly practiced. I will only take a job where I feel I will be given the respect I deserve, meaning equal pay and equal opportunities for men and women.
- Bryana Fogarty, Special Education/Psychology/WGS/WILL

As a WGS major, for the first time in my life, I was excited about learning history and reading about the lives of women. Though classes were challenging, I pushed myself harder academically than I had ever thought I could. Through interesting and challenging courses such as Women in America with Dr. Ann Marie Nicolosi, I learned how to become a researcher. Pouring over primary and secondary sources, I read about the lives of women and how through their tireless efforts, changed history. The small class size and family-like atmosphere were conducive not only to learning, but also to the build-ing of solidarity and friendship. Almost every class required group projects, or study groups, where students could ex-change ideas and learn from each other. It was throughout these classroom experiences that urged me to apply and join the Women in Learning and Leadership Program (WILL), which has been a life-changing experience. I have had the amazing opportunity to connect and become friends with wonderfully strong women who support each other and work towards creating change in the world.
–Jennifer Hatrak, Elementary Education/WGS/WILL

The leadership training that I have learned through Women in Learning and Leadership will help me to attain my goals because I have developed more confidence in my abilities…I have learned to stand up for what I believe. I have the mindset that I can accomplish anything I desire. As a leader, I have the ability to change the world one step at a time. I know that I can make a difference in the lives of others. I know that some inequalities in the world will persist, but I have the ability to cause change. I hope to have an equal relationship with my husband when I marry. I would want to share the responsibility of housework and childcare and not have one person in the marriage work both inside and outside the home. I believe women should continue to strive for equal pay for equal work as men.
–Christina Nicole Pescatore, English/Professional Writing/WILL

My education in the WGS department provided me with an understanding of how to turn theory into practice, and how to lead without necessarily being in the majority or at the head. Outside of the classroom, the faculty taught me the value of listening, empathizing, and laughing, all of which are essential for a leader and for being a holistic person. In my future, the lessons I learned in the WGS department will always serve as the lens through which I view the world. Whether I am teaching, working for a nonprofit or continuing with my studies, I know WGS will be the driving force behind my deci-sions and how I execute change in each of the journeys I partake from here on after.
–Ashley Reichelmann, WGS/English Teaching/WILL

It would be impossible for me to NOT use WGS after graduation. My ways of thinking and looking at the world have been permanently altered. I feel like my eyes will be wide open as I enter the next phase of my life. For me, WGS wasn't just about an education, it was about developing a new awareness that I believe has prepared me for the anything the world has to offer. –Emily Stark, Sociology/WILL

The WILL program hands down made my college experience, empowering, enlightening and amazing. I have matured as a woman, an intellectual and an artist and feel prepared to enter and change the 'real world.' I will love and miss the WILL and WGS scholars and faculty with all my heart.
–Jennifer Braverman, Art Education Major/WILL

W.A.R. Women Accurately Represented: A WGS Activism Project

Each year, Women's and Gender Studies majors take a capstone course to complete the WGS major at TCNJ. The WGS program offers two courses of study from which to choose: a thesis course and an activism course. In the last issue, readers learned about the thesis course. In this issue we focus on the activism course, WGS 496: Women's Leadership and Social Change, in which we create an activism project that will make an impact. This year's project: W.A.R. Women Accurately Represented focuses on the women who serve in the United States military.

Women make up 17% of the United States Armed Forces. They are serving in wars and combat zones, yet women are not only unrepresented in number but also left out of legislation that would protect them as mem-bers of the armed forces. They are also often stereo-typed and misrepresented.

Ashley Reichelmann, Lindsay Korwin, Brigitte McNamara, Kristen Daskilewicz, Cpt. Sonya Bruce, MAJ. Devon Blake Bryana Fogarty, Jen Braverman, Ariel Donohue, and Lauren Zitwer at The United States Military Academy at West Point.

We realized that when we mention the word “soldier,” an image of a man in a military uniform almost always comes to mind. We wanted to combat that stereotype. Our project took the form of an on-campus activism pro-ject as well as a photo book entitled; W.A. R.: Women Accurately Represented that contains photographs and stories of various service women. Our on-campus project focused on getting awareness about women in the military to the campus community. We spent three days in the Brower Student Center to gain signatures for two petitions to the national govern-ment for legislation aimed at helping service women. One piece of legislation, the Compassionate Care for Service Women Act argues the need for emergency contraception at all military medical centers, where it is now not always avail-able or made available if necessary. We also focused on The Military Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Act which seeks to reduce the occurrence of sexual assault and domestic violence among members of the Armed Forces and their family members. The legislation petitions for the creation of strong programs for prevention and victim services and stricter conditions for the prosecution of assailants. In addition, we held a panel discussion with women who are or have been in the military and marched through campus carrying placards with facts about women in the military. In the end, we wanted to show support for the women who serve our country and prove there is more to them than meets the eye.

We went to several military bases to interview women about their experiences in the US Armed Forces. Out of these in-terviews we are creating a photo book consisting of quotes, stories, and pictures. Our hope is that the book will portray the women as they are in their everyday lives: soldiers, mothers, daughters, friends, and much, much more.
In the grand scheme of our project, we also wanted to challenge ourselves. As feminists, supporting the war can be looked down upon. However, what happens to the support of the soldiers? We wanted to create a project that made us question our ideas about identity politics and our own misconceptions and judgments of others. As feminists, we wanted to support women in all their choices in life, including their choice to join the military. During the interviews, we realized how much we have in common. The project has led us to question ourselves, our choices in life and the ways in which we view others as individuals and members of a community. In the end, we hope our project will provoke others to similarly reevaluate how they view others and question the decisions they make about the members of the world around them.

—Ashley Reichelmann and Gillian M. Smith on behalf of the women of W.A.R