December 2020
Perseverance, struggle and hope are key themes that shaped our experiences this year as the university and society face unprecedented challenges.
The global pandemic disrupted our lives and forced us to reshape our interactions with students and colleagues. Racial injustice took center stage as our country was confronted with the brutal treatment of Black people in their homes, on the street, and protesting for equal rights. And political divisions accompanied social strife leading up to and during the recent election.
I am proud of how faculty, students, and staff in the WGS Program mobilized and applied their talents and commitment to work toward social justice throughout this period. Our students were leaders in Black Lives Matter protests; faculty engaged in creative outlets to write, blog, and share poetry; WGS interns volunteered at the local shelter for survivors of domestic abuse; and many of us participated in campus dialogues on Free Speech, racial justice, and human trafficking.
Tomorrow and next year promise to bring change. I am confident that our teaching, writing, activism, and scholarship will make a difference in this world. The stories below will highlight some of the phenomenal work that is taking place in our WGS community.
We could not do this work without your support. Please consider donating to our student scholarship fund, including the scholarship in honor of graduate student Randie Camp, and other initiatives. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
May the holiday season bring HOPE and JOY!
Ann M. Oberhauser, Director, Women’s and Gender Studies, Pronouns: she/her/hers