By Nicole • 14 years ago

Emancipating Empathy! Your Voice Counts!

Hey Feministers! Your voice is so essential in the following project:

For our Women and Gender Studies Capstone Project at Grand Valley State University, we are in the process of developing a creative, activist project and want to get individuals who experience marginalization to give us a deeper understanding of the emotions associated with oppression (sizeism, ableism, racism, sexism, heterosexism, etc.)

Our main goal is to incorporate your voices to shape the production of our artwork, and then gather inspiration from the art as a medium to ultimately inspire empathy within our community. To accomplish this goal, we were hoping that you could do us the honor of sharing your personal story.

Oh, and don’t worry – it will be anonymous and confidential! However, if you wish, you can allow us to give you personal credit by signing a waiver form. It’s up to you, of course. Your words will be then be expressed in a social activist project involving art, poetry, personal quotes and accounts, and other creative outlets.

If you are interested, please either set up a time with one of us to do a personal interview, or if it would be more convenient, we’d be more than happy to e-mail you the interview questions.

There is also the option of sending creative submissions (poetry, photography, paintings, etc). Your voice is extremely critical in the furthering of this project, and if could help refer us to others who would be interested in helping out, that would be greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to contact either of us! Below is our contact information.

Thank you so much for your time and we hope that you can join us in the pursuit of social justice!

Nicole and Joi

Nicole: hollebrn@mail.gvsu.edu

Joi : duplerj@gmail.com

“ All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume.” -Noam Chomsky

NOTE: Wow! It has been such a long long time since I have been physically and mentally able to post. Chronic Fibromyalgia is one literal pain in the ass, but fibro brain fog is worse…. especially when you’re in college and trying to graduate! I will surely be speaking about this in the above project :)

Hello Everyone! My name is Nicole and I am a senior at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan double majoring in Psychology and Women and Gender Studies. My main areas of interest and activism revolve around issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, youth empowerment, women’s mental health, feminist volunteerism, and equal access to education. Aside from being a full-time student, I am a feminist activist involved in a variety of groups on my campus and in my community. My true passion in life has always been working with and learning from those in need. Some of the organizations I am or have been involved in include: - Triota, Women and Gender Studies National Honors Society - Grand Valley State University's Women's Center - Phi Sigma Sigma Women's Fraternity - GVSU Greek Allies and Advocates - YWCA West Central Michigan - Girls Incorporated - Children's Advocacy Center of Ottawa County - Girl Scouts of America - Mystic Lake YMCA Camp - Big Brothers, Big Sisters - I am also employed part-time Safe Haven Ministries, which "offers confidential emergency shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence; support groups, individual counseling, and advocacy for women and children who do not require shelter; and prevention and outreach programs for the entire community." - safehavenministries.org. I have to add that I absolutely LOVE my job… it doesn’t even seem like work! I am so lucky to have the chance to regularly interact with our residents. Its invaluable experience! I am so excited to have the opportunity to be a part of Feministing Campus! It is essential for us young feminists to connect and network with one another and this is honestly the perfect place for us to bring about awareness and learn from one another! With that being said, please feel free to comment on my posts or ask questions at anytime. I am always open to ideas and suggestions! Take care and enjoy!

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