Feminist and Gender Studies
Senior Spotlight: Nan Elpers
My name is Nan, and I’ve been a Psychology major and FemGen minor while at CC. In light of Covid-19, I will be heading back to Kentucky for the summer, where my mother and I will enjoy many rosé evenings together. After that, I have accepted a lab manager position at Reed College with our own (formerly) Kevin Holmes. We’ll be investigating the role of language on thought, including how English language structures encourage racial essentialism and how people can self-sooth by labeling their negative emotions. I’m excited to be starting off in psychology with a professor and research program dedicated to some of the content and sensibilities I’ve cultivated here in the FGS department. You have each made me better.
Senior Spotlight: Judy Fisher
My name is Judy Fisher and I have been a part of the FGS program since my very first class, taking the Intro to FGS FYE with Dr. Heidi R. Lewis. Additionally, I have contributed to the Monthly Rag since that very first class and have been proud to serve as the Editor Apprentice and the Editor. Through my experiences in this program I have also been able to serve as the FGS FYE Mentor and serve on Triota cabinet for 2 years. I have had the opportunity to learn so much, meet so many amazing people, and do amazing things because of my experiences in this department and I am forever grateful to the people who I have been in contact with, particularly my peers and my mentors. I have learned so much through the content in these courses but most importantly from listening and being in community with so many people who are different from me, but dedicated to making sense of how power shapes our lives. I am very sad that I am unable to share these final moments with my friends and mentors and thank them properly for the impact they have played in my life, but I hope to be able to do so in the future, and I hope they know how much they mean to me. I will be spending this summer with my family and preparing to begin my graduate journey in joining the American Studies PhD program at Purdue University where I have been awarded the Purdue Doctoral Fellowship.
Senior Spotlight: Susanna Penfield
I’m Susanna Penfield, a current senior graduating with a double major in Political Science and Feminist and Gender Studies – and yes I did write two senior theses in order to complete both. Phew. For Political Science, I used national public opinion data to examine public perceptions of human trafficking in the United States. For Feminist and Gender Studies, I deconstructed my own work in Political Science by critiquing quantitative research processes and instead using postcolonial theory and feminist epistemologies to analyze the harm enacted by public awareness campaigns meant to raise awareness for human trafficking. Basically I spent A LOT of time this year thinking about yes, human trafficking. While this was exhausting at times, I owe everything to the backing of FGS. As written in the acknowledgment section of my final capstone: First and foremost, this project would not have been possible without the constant support and encouragement of my advisor, Dr. Nadia Guessous. I have never had a professor set higher standards, nor have I felt more belief in my ability to meet those standards. I also want to thank Dr. Heidi Lewis for introducing me to this field of study and pushing me to persevere within it, Dr. Rushaan Kumar for providing consistent and candid insight and feedback throughout the entire process, and my fellow majors for sharing stress, tears, laughter and lots of take out food. Thanks to all I have pushed harder, dug deeper, and developed faster than I ever could have anticipated when entering CC. I’m leaving inspired, grateful, and bloated from too many ID house snacks.
Calling senior and junior FGS majors and minors!!!
We are strongly encouraging participation from junior and senior Feminist and Gender studies majors and minors in upcoming focus groups conducted by Triota cabinet and sponsored by the Feminist and Gender Studies department. We have been entrusted to create and facilitate a focus group structure that would provide faculty with a richer account of Feminist and Gender Studies student experiences and a better understanding of the effects of their labor and decision-making in creating curriculum, planning events, supporting students amongst other things.The focus groups we are facilitating this Spring will include only junior and senior Feminist and Gender Studies majors and minors.
Each class (juniors and seniors) will have one date option per block (Block 6 and Block 7). So please look at the dates carefully and contact any triota cabinet member below for access to the survey link if you didn’t already receive an email. We need this information ASAP so please fill out the survey as soon as possible or email us with any questions. Location TBD. Lunch will be provided!!!
Please see the dates and times below and click on the survey link to select a spot. Please be sure to choose the right date for your year. There are only TWO dates per class and we are limiting the spots so that we can ensure a more even number in each group, so select the date you want ASAP to ensure your spot. .
Junior Dates (Junior majors and minors select one):
Friday March 6 12:30-2:30
Wednesday March 25 12:30-2:30
Senior Dates (Senior majors and minors select one):
Monday March 2 12:30-2:30
Wednesday April 1 12:30-2:30
Again, feel free to reach out to any of us if you have questions or concerns.
Zivia Berkowitz ‘21 (Administrator) z_berkowitz@coloradocollege.edu
Mekael Daniel ‘20 (Vice President) m_daniel@coloradocollege.edu
Judy Fisher ‘20 (President)j_fisher@coloradocollege.edu