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Spring 2020 Newsletter

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Spring 2020 Newsletter WGSnews Department of Women’s & Gender Studies University of South Florida Spring, 2020 Chair’s Column: Dr. Diane Price Herndl Greetings, WGS Community, from my planned for the spring. We typically desk in my home study! spend a lot of time in April and May acknowledging the hard work of our Like so many of you, I am working wonderful students with “Talk and from home during the COVID-19 Toast” for our MA grads, with the crisis as I write this, teaching classes WGS Research Colloquium, and with and going to meetings remotely. the Triota Student/Faculty Potluck. Dr. Diane Price Herndl While I am missing my students and But we are also harnessing our WGS we didn’t believe in the prospect of colleagues terribly, I am also taking creativity to hold online versions things getting better, we would give some time to be grateful for the of Talk and Toast and the Research up on our hopes for gender liberation, privileges I have—healthcare, a job Colloquium, and we are working on right? We are looking forward to a that I can do remotely, a safe place to ways to support and celebrate each not-too-distant future when we’ll that work, among so many others— other as a community. be able to leave our house and get and to try to think of ways to help out together. But in the meantime, we those who don’t have those privileges And we are of course disappointed, can take part in the various kinds of during this time. after well over a year’s worth of online activism, scholarship, teaching, work, that we had to cancel SEWSA and work in the community that are We at WGS want to urge those of you (the Southeast Women’s Studies aiming to make things better for all who can help out to think about the Association’s annual conference). folk. And perhaps the larger world folk who are in precarious situations Our faculty and staff had put will have learned an old feminist right now: those who have lost jobs, together a program, “Embodying lesson to value all the workers who those who are having to stay home in Difference, Crafting Affi nities,” risk themselves every day by doing unsafe home environments, those who to look at how both diversity and the hard and dirty jobs, the ones who are having to live with families who alliance work as the heart and soul of rarely get acknowledgement for that are not accepting of them, those who resistance politics. They had planned work. This feels like a time that we can are having to go to work at workplaces art exhibits, workshops, brilliant push for a living wage, for healthcare where they aren’t safe or adequately keynote speakers, and fun events. for everyone, and for worker paid. If you’re in a situation where you With its location on the shore of protections. We can get back to some can help, we urge you to think about Tampa Bay at USF St. Petersburg, of the bedrock of early feminist supporting the USF Student Support the conference had attracted the activism and make sure that workers Fund, a local domestic violence largest number of registrations in are acknowledged in meaningful ways. shelter, a food pantry, or just to lend the history of the organization. We encouragement to those who have to are tentatively scheduled to host We remember that Audre Lorde work in unsafe spaces. If you are in SEWSA 2021, but it isn’t clear that taught us that “Caring for myself one of those precarious places, please we will have the resources to do so is not self-indulgence, it is self- reach out. If you’re a student, you can next year. We will let you know if we preservation, and that is an act ask for help from the USF Student are going to be able to recreate what of political warfare.” Remember Support Fund, and the on-campus looked like a dynamic weekend. In the that when you are taking care of food bank is operating, too. If you meantime, if you’d like to check out yourself, you are taking care of your are at home in an unsafe space, please the conference-that-was-not-to-be, community, too. reach out to a hotline for abuse or for you can download the program at: LGBTQ+ support. https://bit.ly/36t5gUQ. I hope you stay well. And that you will help out those who you can help, and We are also missing so many of the But it isn’t in the nature of feminists will reach out for help if you need it. events and celebrations that were to dwell on the downside for long. If 2 / WGSnews / Spring 2020 WGS Alumni Spotlight: Samantha Heuwagen Samantha Heuwagen graduated from USF history. I am so lucky to have had with her MA in Women’s and Gender the experience I did at USF that led Studies in 2014 and currently works as a me to fi nd my place in the therapy sex therapist in her own private practice. She world. I’m able to bridge my culture does talk therapy with individuals, couples, as Latinx and do therapy with many and families and while most of her cases are people from around the world. within the sex therapy realm, she also does work with clients struggling with anxiety, Samantha recommends WGS to undergrad depression, and helps them navigate healthy and grad students: Taking these types of relationships. classes will help you be a more well- rounded candidate for jobs and help WGS helped Samantha fi nd her calling: you see the world differently. If you’re WGS alumni Samantha Heuwagen WGS allowed me to assist the class, interested in exploring the why of the Human Sexual Behavior. After world, these classes can help you fi nd Dr. Golombisky and Jennifer that, I was intrigued with sexuality the answers you’re looking for. It will Ellerman-Queen gave me the space studies and found myself gravitating change your life if you’re ready to take to explore my research interests and toward sex therapy. Once I made the chance and opportunity. fi nd my way. They supported me at up my mind to pursue a career in every turn and were extremely patient therapy, everything fell into place. I My own WGS journey changed my teachers. Without them I wouldn’t was accepted into Mercer University life from the fi rst moment I took a be the speaker or therapist I am. School of Medicine and I am now class. It led me on an incredible path, Especially not the author I turned out a fully licensed marriage and family allowing me to do work that makes to be. I am grateful for them every therapist that specializes in sex my soul sing each and every day. If single day of my life and owe them so therapy. My dreams came true! you’re unsure of what do to with your much for my current career. life or what kind of job you’re looking I truly believe I couldn’t do what I for, allow yourself to explore this Samantha has turned to fi ction writing to do without having my WGS degree. area of study. You never know what help spread mental health awareness: In It allows me to connect with people you might learn about yourself or the a way to combat the stereotypical in different ways and systemically world around you. views of mental illness, I came up work through issues with my clients with an idea: what if I started the since we form a team to overcome Samantha believes that WGS faculty conversation about mental health and their problems. I’m able to see the make all the difference: Being open with healthy relationships in a new and invisible and intersectional work your advisor about your goals in life, unique way through fi ction writing? for and against my clients. Helping whether they be personal or career Dawn Among the Stars (2018), part of them navigate these systems is an centered. If I hadn’t talked to Dr. the Starlight Series, is an opportunity honor and makes our work special, Golombisky about my dreams of to depict mental health in a realistic healing traumas that might have been being a sex therapist, she wouldn’t way by changing the narrative around generational; breaking the patterns have been able to help me navigate individuals who push through similar that were impact my clients lives in classes and suggest conferences to obstacles every single day. I want to negative ways. attend. She really looked out for me offer readers positive role models because she knew what to look for. If instead of tired, old stereotypes. The area most relevant to my career I hadn’t had been honest, who knows Starlight Series books Fading Starlight goals hovered around sex, sexuality how long it might have taken me to (2019) and Stardust Emerging (2020) and the Latinx population and reach my goals. continue this approach. WGSnews / Spring 2020 / 3 WGS Faculty Research Spotlight: Dr. David A. Rubin My name is David A. Rubin. I study. Reimagining the meanings am an Associate Professor in the of and relations among queer and Department of Women’s and Gender feminist theories and a wide range Studies (WGS) at the University of of scientifi c disciplines, contributors South Florida. I write and teach in the foster new critical and creative areas of feminist and queer theory; knowledge-projects that attend to intersex and transgender studies; shifting and uneven operations of and the history of gender, race, and power, privilege, and dispossession, science.
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