Feminist = Men-haters? Yes, according to these women

Scrolling through Buzzfeed again, and I came across this article and I thought about us. This class. I kinda wish we could have a class discussion about it. Since that’s not possible, I’ll post it here and see what happens.

Feminism is a slur, but it shouldn’t be. If I followed this logic, I might say that those who fought for abolition were white-haters. I might say that those who fight for gay rights are straight-haters. Nope, that’s faulty logic. So why is this idea so closely tied to feminism?

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/i-do-not-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means?bffb

What Next?

As the semester draws to a close, I’m left feeling a little bit empty. This class, along with my other classes and my job, have kept me from thinking too long and hard about life after UCF. Of course I’m being dramatic and sensitive, but the truth is that I’ve enjoyed this part of my education so much more than I thought I would. It’s taken so much longer and yet somehow gone so much faster than I ever anticipated. Sometimes I picture myself falling into the daily grind of work and losing focus with what really matters: the people around me.

Grabill’s talk, and other un-boring things

Last Monday we had the opportunity to hear Jeffrey Grabill talk about his book and his other work in class. I don’t know about everyone else, but I was excited to hear more from Grabill, especially in a virtual face-to-face conversation. I think something all of us recognized immediately is how laid back and (to be “hip”) “chill” he was as a person. The way he related to us made me reconsider the different rhetorical situations surrounding all types of writing.

Writing that works

For our service learning project with Project Bithlo, one of the tasks that Anna Eskamani suggested was for our group to read posts on the blog, projectbithlo.org, and think of other topics ideas for posts. She explained that she would like to see something new. I’ll confess that I was a bit worried about this task in particular, because I was afraid that either a) we wouldn’t come up with anything worthwhile, or b) what we did suggest would be dismissed as inappropriate for the forum. The group considered a couple of options, such as success stories, but we landed on volunteer profiles. When I suggested this to Anna, she told me she loved the idea.

Inspiring. . . who?

Came across this Facebook post, and, although I thought the beginning part was insulting, I found myself accepting the second part. However, when I did a little bit more research, I was abashed as I read the response. . .

Perhaps it’s important to more carefully consider who you might hurt when you carelessly attempt to inspire.

Revisiting the commuter map

I’m beginning to genuinely like Grabill’s book–something I never expected to happen. However, as I began reading the fourth chapter, I couldn’t help thinking about the commuter map the Rhetoric and Civic Engagement class I was in worked on. The infrastructure, however problematic, that Grabill discusses helps me to completely rethink the work I did last in the fall of 2012.

Drawing for social change?

CNN tour in Atlanta

For work this past weekend, I went on a trip with Lighthouse Central Florida, an organization that provides support and training for people with low vision or total blindness. I work specifically with the Transition group, which is teens in the program. This weekend we took the kids on our spring break trip to Atlanta, where we toured the CNN and Coca-Cola headquarters and also went to Six Flags.

Girl on the bus

As I was riding the bus this evening, I had the opportunity to speak to an alumnus who had been attending a networking event at Lake Claire. Vanessa has graduated with a B.A. in something like Radio Communication (I can’t remember the exact name for the degree), and she’s been job hunting ever since. She’s currently enrolled in a few graduate classes as a non-degree seeking student.

Vanessa has a contagious charisma. She began talking to me almost as soon as I got on the bus, and I couldn’t help but talking back. She’s a bit discouraged about how long it’s taken her to find a job, but she’s not giving up. She told me she has all the experience and the right degree to get the job she wants. And yet, employers are still holding back. Vanessa was at first hesitant to say it. However, she ended up telling me that she’s starting to worry that employers can’t see past what she calls her mobility impairment.

(American sexism is not dead)

Oftentimes I hear people I know (men and women) talk about how American women are so sensitive when it comes to sexism in the workplace. I’ve heard statements like, “women only get paid less at jobs where they can’t do the same work as men” (I’m assuming that this refers to physical ability).

While browsing Buzzfeed, as is my custom, I came across this interesting article containing stories from modern women who are confronted with sexism in jobs that are hardly physical. Check out the article below to read the stories.

Everyday Sexism