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Hey everyone! I'm a junior at Bryn Mawr, and up until recently, I've been an English major. However, I am currently working on switching to an independent major in Gender and Sexuality Studies for a number of reasons. In a nutshell, I realized that I'm much more interested in studying issues related to gender from a number of different perspectives than focusing solely on analyzing literature. I've taken a number of English courses cross-listed with the Gender & Sexuality studies program, but have found ways to focus on gender in other courses as well. This year, I'm working on taking a much wider variety of classes, which I'm really excited about.

Out of the three major disciplinary areas we've been split into (humanities, social sciences, sciences), I suppose I would align myself mostly with the humanities since that's what I've studied the most up to this point, though I also have a great interest in the social sciences (especially sociology). I probably know the least about perspectives that come from the sciences, so I would love to gain a little more knowledge in that area from this class (and from the few members of the class who said they come from a science background!).

I decided to take this course in large part because it is required for my major, but also because I find it exciting to think about ways to draw connections between different ways of seeing and understanding questions having to do with gender. I love taking classes related to gender and sexuality because they have a tendency of pushing me further and further outside of my comfort zone, and I find that those are the situations from which I grow the most as a student and as a person. I also love learning from my classmates about their different experiences with relation to gender identity and their thoughts about the course material, and I find it fascinating to learn about all the different places (mental, geographical, etc.) we are coming from.

It's hard for me to narrow down what I would like to focus on, because I am interested in learning about pretty much anything - including things I don't even know enough about to name off the top of my head! Over the summer, I read various bits of Manifesta and became more interested in thinking about the third wave of feminism, as well as its connections to previous waves of feminism. As an Education student, I am also interested in thinking about how feminism can be integrated into curriculum and pedagogy, though this is something I've only barely started to touch upon.

I'll put it out there now that I don't tend to be a very outspoken person in class discussions, and that I've been trying to push myself to participate more actively since freshman year. I personally feel most able to unpack my ideas when I have the space to think things out, whether that is a space where I'm able to put my thoughts into writing (like this kind of online forum), or whether that means being in a classroom where I feel as though I am collaborating with my fellow students (and the professor) to learn from one other and help each other go further with our ideas, rather than feeling like I am being put on the spot to say something intelligent and profound. I think that in this class, we need to be willing to push each other's thinking, but not from a place of judgment or harsh criticism. I personally find it challening to put my unfinished thoughts on the table, but I know that I will have a much greater chance to grow and learn more if I do!