Feminist Activism Expands on Campus between Class and Clubs

Written By: Megan Wilkes ‘17

Published in December 2014

Recently, the College has been buzzing with discussions on feminism-related topics. As an important issue on campuses across the nation, it is necessary to respond to feminism in an appropriate, constructive, and thought-provoking way.

Dr. Jennifer Gauthier, an associate professor of Communication Studies and also an advocate for feminism, will be teaching a class this coming spring semester called “COMM/GST 388 Gender and News Media.”

“This is a new class that will focus on creating a student-run consciousness-raising blog,” Gauthier said.  “It was inspired by the Feminist Blogging workshop we hosted a few weeks ago with Dr. Alison Bodkin from JMU, where she oversees a feminist blog on campus. The course will offer students practical skills in blogging as well as instigating public discourse about important issues. Using social media as a tool for making positive change in the world is very important.” Gauthier is looking forward to sparking productive conversations about gender and other important issues on our campus and in the larger community.

In addition, Gauthier, along with one communications and four sociology students, took a trip to Puerto Rico in November to attend the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) Conference. The annual conference for the NWSA unites academics and others interested in women’s studies for four sets of panels, round tables and workshops. At the workshop, the group got to hear the keynote address by writer, scholar and activist bell hooks. “I was very moved by bell hooks’ presentation,” said Abigail Smith ‘15, a participant in the trip. “[bell hooks] said that to choose love is to counter hegemony and to be revolutionary; when we choose love, we choose to end domination. In addition, she talked about the unspoken violence that women do to each other and to those around [them], especially children. This made me reconsider violence as we often think of it as male to female. It can be within the feminine circle as well.”

Furthermore, Smith explained, “The conference was focused on feminist transgressions. There was a particular session on the Caribbean and, being from the Caribbean myself, I was particularly interested in how I can help solve social issues in the Caribbean with a feminist approach.”

The students attended panels and workshops, meeting faculty and graduate students in women’s studies programs across the world. With the increasing number of gender studies courses that Randolph provides and the collaboration of students and professors on topics that are important to the upkeep of Randolph’s communal values, productive changes are possible. Nevertheless, in order for these changes to work, it is essential that the community come together and take advantage of these learning opportunities.

The Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA) celebrates this sentiment outside of the classroom by hosting events that benefit and empower feminists. Recently, FMLA organized a Mattress Carry Day where members of the community, survivors and allies alike, carried mattresses and pillows around campus to stand in solidarity against sexual assault. “Most of our big events are going to occur after winter break,” said Emily Fields ’17, co-president of FMLA. “We want to do a bra box where people can donate their bras or give money for us to go buy bras that we will then donate. We also want to decorate the trolleys and hold events for Women’s History Month in March and Sexual Assault Awareness and Activism Month in April.” You can stay up to date on FMLA activism on campus or voice your opinion by joining them on Facebook.