It is my pleasure to announce that this fall newsletter can welcome
the largest incoming cohort of Campus Representatives to date – this year, we
have fifty-two Representatives coming from thirty-five universities and
colleges across the country. Please join me in celebrating our Representatives’
dedication to and leadership in feminist practice and activism in psychology.
Each representative’s name and affiliation is listed below; their complete
biographies can be found at
http://www.apadivisions.org/division-35/leadership/campus-representatives/index.aspx
I am honored to be serving as the Student Representative for
the next two years and am grateful for the opportunity to be involved in SPW.
This fall marks the start of my second year in my doctoral program and I find
myself asking increasingly difficult questions as I discover and form my
personal and professional identities. What
does feminism mean to me? How does my feminist identity intersect with other
identities and lived experiences?
As several scholarly endeavors begin, I tried asking Google
if there was a well-referenced and well-researched definition of feminism that
might jumpstart my own conceptualization. What
is feminism? I typed. In 0.49 seconds, Google replied with 47,400,000
results and a primary definition highlighted: “the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political,
social, and economic equality to men.” This definition felt too simplistic to
me, not to mention gendered and frustratingly devoid of any of the rich
complexity that I have experienced in my own journey as a feminist. Regretfully,
anyone seeking an answer to the question “What is feminism?” is routed to this
woefully incomplete definition and may assume it is accurate.
Digging deeper
into the millions of Google results unearthed an article published in 2012 in
the magazine Everyday Feminism. The
leading quote was by none other than bell hooks (1981, p. 194):
Feminism is not simply a struggle to end male chauvinism or a
movement to ensure that
women have equal rights with men; it is a commitment to
eradicating the ideology of
domination that permeates Western culture on various levels –
sex, race, and class, to
name a few – and a commitment to reorganizing U.S. society so
that self-development of
people can take precedence over imperialism, economic expression,
and material desires.
I felt
immediately connected to this definition – it stated what feminism was not and
also described what the ultimate goals of feminism were. Though this particular
quote by hooks was written before my lifetime, the ability of her words to
transcend our generational divide leaves me in awe of how many people before me
committed themselves to the feminist cause, fighting to be seen and accepted
for who they truly were instead of living within the boxes designated by
society. While I struggle to understand and negotiate my own boxes, the work
that I conduct in my various domains as a researcher, scholar, leader, and
activist brings me closer to understanding my own feminist identity and to
hearing others’ lived experiences with an open heart and mind.
In these next
two years, I echo similar goals to hooks in upholding feminist values. I am admittedly
idealistic: I hope that we can continue to bravely bring the ideology of
domination to light and encourage the development of complex, authentic, dynamic
people. I am encouraged by the impressive number and enthusiasm of Campus
Representatives this year, which speaks to the lasting commitment of feminists
before and feminists to come. I am proud to work alongside these outstanding leaders
and am excited for our journey ahead.
2015-2016 Campus Representatives
Eliza Wierzbinksa, Adelphi University
Lauren Weisberg, Antioch University New England
Kendall S. Betts, Azusa Pacific University
Jean-Arellia
Tolentino, California School of
Professional Psychology (CSPP), San Francisco Campus
Katie Hannah, California
School of Professional Psychology (CSPP), San Francisco Campus
Megan Mansfield, California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP), Los
Angeles Campus
Alexis Hershfield, California
School of Professional Psychology (CSPP), Los Angeles Campus
Kaitlyn Marie Bonzo, Chatham
University
Megan Zurasky, Chatham
University
Keely Hirsch, Chatham
University
Simrun Kaur Sandhu, Chestnut
Hill College
Kristen Anna, Colorado
State Univesrity
Meghann Elizabeth Soby, Emmanuel
College
Adriana Christina Doerr, Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University
Carly Trask-Kuchta, Fuller
Theological Seminary
Magon Adams Shirley, George
Fox University
Rosanna Shoup, George
Fox University
Maria Pietruszka, Long
Island University Brooklyn
Erin Wolfe, Long
Island University Brooklyn
Marissa Floro, Loyola
University Chicago
Dannet Perez Palacios, Minnesota
School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University
Anna Vandevender, Radford
University
Amandahbeth Tilus, Regent
University
Candyce Burke, Regent
University
Lauren Jacobs, Regent
University
Natalie Berigan, Rockhurst
University
Anastasiya Tsoy, Teachers
College, Columbia University,
Jessica Johnston, Texas
Tech University
Samantha D. Christopher, Texas Tech University
Alyssa Benedict, The
Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Aurelia Gooden, The
Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Sandra Cortez, The
Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Annahita Mahdavi, The
Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Callie Barfield, The
Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Washington, DC Campus
Takisha Wilson, The
Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Washington, DC Campus
Vanessa Facemire, University
of Akron
Madeline Brodt, University
of Massachusetts Boston
Crystal Nichols, University
of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Sarah Conlin, University
of Florida
Elizabeth Louis, University
of Georgia
Adrian Kunemund, University
of Georgia
Amanda Backer Lappin, University
of Kansas
Blanka Angyal,
University of Kentucky
Holly Brown, University
of Kentucky
Allie Rosenberg, University
of Miami
Meredith Anne Martyr, University
of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Natalie Raymond, University
of North Dakota
Alexandra Nobel, University
of Rhode Island
Cecile Gadson, University
of Tennessee – Knoxville
Marlene Williams, University
of Tennessee – Knoxville
Angelica Puzio, Wake
Forest University
Valamere Mikler, Walden
University
References
hooks, bell.
(1981). Ain’t I a woman: Black women and
feminism. Boston: South End Press.
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