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In fall 2020, for the first time, Women’s and Gender Students awarded the Excellence in Our Midst Award to six outstanding and diligent students (from a field of 180) in our course WGST 1001—Introduction to Women’s Studies: Sex, Gender and Power: Laura Banks, Destiny Blackwell, Nikki Erken, Ruti Joshi, Atheer Musad, and Jadzia Rivera.
Each semester, WGST welcomes new nominees from faculty in WGST and cross-listed courses. In spring 2021, Ayesha Saleem, Geeta Asamoah, Madeleine Jean Escher, and Tia McIntyre are our recipients.
WGST is proud to initiate students in the skills to examine and critique cultural, economic, historical, political, and social issues using feminist and queer philosophical paradigms.
Jason D. Miller
Thus far I have only had the pleasure of taking WGST 1001 and 3230 as I have been present for one semester as a transfer student at Brooklyn College. I am a dual women’s and gender studies and sociology major, currently returning to undergrad to gain additional knowledge that is happening in this field, so I can continue contributing myself to future learning spaces. Currently I work as a therapist supporting LGBTQIA+ youth and their families, with a goal of being able to teach my findings of working with this population in higher academic settings to expand the field of sociology, counseling, social work, and other related fields. There are many courses within this department that I hope to take, and one of the reasons I applied to Brooklyn College was because it was one of the few that offered specific courses that included the transgender/nonbinary experience and was taught by different queer and/or transgender/nonbinary faculty.
Often growing up, my identities were not reflected, nor celebrated, in my smaller hometown and was what led to me seeking out the opportunities in New York. The WGST program at Brooklyn College has a plethora of amazing classes that I hope to take. No matter your field of interest, there is a course that every student could benefit from through the Women’s and Gender Studies program since everyone knows a woman and has a gender of their own, which is just one of their intersectional identities that affects how they interact with the world and others around them. This program is also unlike many others as it has more than one transgender/gender nonconforming/gender-variant professors teaching within the department, and the department seems to ensure that the trans-expansive experience is included in all courses; with specific classes being taught with this focus which I find to be incredibly rare to find in higher academic settings.
Samantha Liggieri
During the spring 2022 semester, I had the honor of taking WGST 1001 with Professor Bernardita Llanos, who was exceptionally kind, knowledgeable, and understanding. She made the class extremely engaging and relevant as we covered lessons on intersectionality, heteronormativity, domesticity, and more. I even got the chance to connect these topics to my personal life and family and share it with everyone by presenting my Three Generations Project at the WGST Expo in April. I would recommend all students, regardless of major, to take this class as it lays the foundation for a better world by empowering and teaching others about current issues surrounding autonomy, inequality, and human rights. As a double major in psychology and business administration, I have already seen how the knowledge I learned in this class connects to other areas of my life. In the future, I will continue taking classes outside my domain to give me a global perspective. After all, it is often the unexpected things that can be the most valuable. Thank you all for the opportunity to explore it.
Chelsea Blaney
As a lifelong feminist and queer woman, I was delighted by my abliity to find a wealth of knowledge and an incredible sense of community within the Women’s and Gender Studies department. Taking Professor Laura Pavon’s introductory class sparked a passion within me and was the encouraging push I needed to declare women’s and gender studies as my minor. Exploring gender and its influences in society and culture has always been an interest of mine, and now I have the opportunity to study it in an academic setting – something I never would have dreamed possible 10 years ago. It feels so monumentally important to explore the history of women and other marginalized individuals through our own perspective while establishing control of our own narrative. It is thanks to this course that I feel more comfortable in not only articulating my beliefs, but speaking up and fighting for them. I firmly believe that everyone, regardless of gender, has something to gain from a WGST class. It is my sincerest hope that more students are encouraged to take at least one WGST course during their college career so we all have access to the tools required in order to work together in building a more equitable and bright future.
Nyia Jones
The women’s and gender studies class I’ve taken was WGST 1001 in the spring 2021 semester with Professor Llanos. This class allowed me to develop thoughts that I formed in my daily life. It also introduced me to new ideas, perspectives, and a better understanding of society. While taking this class I was able to not only learn about women and gender history but also compare it to the present day. Things like women’s suffrage and feminist movements were things I knew about but didn’t have an in-depth understanding of. Learning about how the lack of inclusivity in feminist movements created a space for minorities (women and people apart of the LGBTQ+ community) to form a safe space for themselves while fighting for justice and representation has only encouraged me to want to learn more. More about things I haven’t already learned and more about what I have learned. I want to hear from other women. I would like to understand the different perspectives that other people have when it comes to women’s rights, women and gender healthcare, women and gender safety in society, and how we as a community can continue to grow and have a safe place for everyone. This class was the beginning of many conversations to come in my future. Due to this class, I will continue to learn more from my experiences and other people’s experiences as well.
I’d recommend women’s and gender studies because of how important it is to understand our history and how it relates to our present. In women’s and gender studies, we can see how society has been impacted due to women. We see how society interacts with accepted and unaccepted people in society. We also see how those who aren’t accepted fight for change and progression. Everyone should take at least one women’s and gender studies class to better understand the world we live in.
Shay Dax
I am a psychology major minoring in gender and sexuality studies. I took Introduction to Women’s Studies (WGST 1001) with Professor Pavon this spring semester and learned a lot about the history of feminism. The class was focused on the intersection of sex, gender, and power. This was very relevant to my interest in taking an intersectional approach in my studies and future practice. I particularly enjoyed reading the works King Kong Theory l by Virginie Despentes and Female Masculinity by Jack Halberstam. I plan to take many more WGST classes in the future to supplement my current knowledge on the subject. I am looking forward to learning Queer Theory (WGST 3359) and studying the Politics of Masculinities (WGST 3353). I would recommend Introduction to Women’s Studies and other WGST classes to anyone who would like to broaden their horizons and think critically about the hierarchies that inform everyday life. These skills are relevant to any number of fields and can help deepen your understanding of the privileges and perspectives that make each person’s experience so different. This outlook is important to allow for a more accurate view of the world and the systems that surround us.
Geeta Asamoah
I had the chance to take WGST 1001 during spring 2021. Professor Shaw was patient and understanding through the instabilities of Zoom school. She bestows on to us teachings and readings from authors like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Judith Butler, Kimberle` Crenshaw, Patricia Hill Collins, Audre Lord, and many more. I think my very favorite part of the class was the end of term project. Where we were given an option to create a public awareness campaign on any issues that were important to us; however it had to intertwine with the class, of course. My campaign was on the representation of transgender people in the media. Transgender people are typical represented in the media one of two ways. Either they are psycho killers or victims of hate crimes and suffer death by cancer from their hormone therapy. I learned a great deal through my research and knowledge from class about the transgender community. I would encourage students to take this class because it is an authentic means of achieving the basic understanding and knowledge of women, gender, and sexuality.
Madeleine Escher
I would recommend a WGST class, or even the major to anyone who’s interesting in how structures and systems rule our everyday life. Areas of study like philosophy and history can provide similar information, but WGST allows us to look through the eyes of those who are often excluded and ignored in other fields. WGST 3319 The Sociology of Labor and Capital is a class that focuses on the intersection of gender studies and labor. It really opened my eyes to the very real systems of oppressions that shape daily life in the context of the work force. Whether or not you intend on studying WGST, this class can provide you with an in depth understanding of your own positionality in your current or future workplace. Being queer and nonbinary, I feel so lucky to be able to study a major that centers the voices of others like me. Learning about my existence and the existence of other sexual and gender minorities in an academic setting has been so important to me when it comes to understanding, and radical self-love.
During the spring 2020 semester, I had the pleasure of taking an intro to women’s studies class with professor Kannaki Bharali. Despite my senior year being the most untraditional college experience I’ve had thus far, I still wanted to make the best of it by taking classes that genuinely interested me. I’ve always admired the resilience, strength, and evolution of women in the history of humanity. All of the monumental figures of my own life are women—and I know, before them, women of power have also paved the way to their wisdom. It only made sense to me to journey into that aspect of my identity—to channel what I value—by delving into a class that encompassed what it means to be a woman in American society. Every single piece of information that I obtained during this semester, regardless of it being online, only further grounded me in the truth of how intricate the identities of women really are. Historically, we have faced such immense adversity, and have done incredibly philosophical and physical work to combat it. I would recommend taking a women’s studies class to any and every student during their college career. Whether or not one feels as strongly about women as I do, there’s still valuable lessons to be learnt in how they socially and politically evolved. Without classes like Professor Bharali’s, such huge markers of history as a whole would be left unexplored.
Ayesha Saleem
The past two semesters at Brooklyn College have been uniquely remarkable. Given the current state of things, with the pandemic and online classes, albeit challenging in certain aspects, has also been rewarding. I have taken a wide range of women’s and gender studies classes and they have been some of the greatest lectures taken with highly intellectual professors. These classes have allowed me to expand my view on life as well as the people that I live, interact and socialize with. One cannot go about the world without a nuanced lens, which is exactly what these classes offer.
One of my favorite classes thus far has been Global Perspectives on LGBTIQ Sexualities (WGST 3436) with Professor Paisley Currah. The class and professor challenged me in ways that helped me formulate and articulate ideas, concepts and beliefs within LGBTQ+ matters. I believe that taking women’s and gender studies classes are particularly important. I would recommend taking these classes, not only for those interested in the field, but to also be a part of a marginalized and highly targeted community. To advocate against injustice. To speak up and to fight with our fellow communities for all of those underserved and underprivileged. I plan on taking what I have learned at Brooklyn College and pursuing a master’s in social work after completing my bachelors to further support and help marginalized communities.
Laura Banks
Introduction to Women’s Studies: Sex, Gender and Power allowed me to engage with important feminist texts. I am now empowered with clearer ideas and more precise language when discussing issues related to gender in my daily life. I especially appreciated the course’s focus on intersectionality and that readings included many authors of color.
Destiny Blackwell
There has been a road paved by the hands of the women that came before me. Because of their resilience and bravery I have more opportunities than the generations before me. I learned a tremendous amount about women by taking a women’s gender study course at Brooklyn College. Not only did I learn about feminism and its complexed history, but I found a piece of myself. This course empowered me!
Nikki Erken
I would recommend the class, due to its in-depth nature, and extremely interesting and enlightening readings. I learned a lot in this class, and I will carry what I learned with me for the rest of my life.
Ruti Joshi
” would highly recommend this class, even to students who are not majoring in women’s and gender studies. The beauty is that I was able to acknowledge myself about a topic that is very concurrent today. The readings were highly educational, and the conversations were the best part. To be able to sit in a Zoom meeting to listen to a professional on this topic and use that knowledge to help me find my way in life is beyond pleasure and privilege.
Atheer Musad
I am a sophomore psychology major and biochemistry minor, and I plan to attend a medical school that specializes in psychiatry. I will recommend taking WGST 1001 course for students who want to explore the knowledge of women and equality. We as a community should support equality and awareness of women’s roles. Anyone can be a feminist and fight for women and human rights. This course will help you to understand a bunch of needed knowledge about women’s and gender studies. By taking this course, you support many people who live in the shadow of a world dominated by inequality and injustice.
Jadzia Rivera
I would highly recommend WGST 1001 because I was able to learn so much and explore so many topics such as intersectionality, dress and grooming codes in the workplace, and heteronormativity, among many many other topics. I was introduced to topics regarding women that I previously thought were too taboo/worldly to be discussed in an educational setting, such as sexuality and sexual health and the history of sex positivity for women. This class broadened my perspectives, and I have come out a more knowledgeable woman because of it. I am extremely grateful to have been able to take this course!
