3/8/2010
Get it.
Biggie Biggie Biggie can't you see
Sometimes your words just hypnotize me
And I just love your flashy ways
Guess that's why they broke, and you're so paid (uh)
Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. Insert busy, busy, busy and you have Beep Bop’s life a nutshell.
This week has been chock full of school work, work-work and celebration. Saturday I helped put on First Generation Project’s college preview day. High school students from around the Seattle area came to campus to learn about college life and the admissions process. We all had a blast chillin and learning. The day ended with a bang, as my housemate Jack got pied in the face by the students who won the trivia game.
Later that night a few of my friends and I went to Ladies First-
“Ladies First is a project of CARA (Communities Against Rape and Abuse)
A monthly open mic and talent showcase, Ladies First provides a safe and supportive space for women, trans, gender non-confirming, two-spirit and queer women to be center stage and share their knowledge/experiences. As an outreach of CARA, Ladies First operates with intention on building partnerships and broadening community within this safe space. Ladies First focuses on creativity as a vehicle for healing and educating and fosters an empowering environment where individual struggles find a community space; and marginalized voices are brought to the center.” Needless to say we had an amazing time and are excited to go back. The performance was absolutely stunning. I had heard about the night for some time and am so happy I finally went. Also a big plus, I can write about the event for extra credit in Feminist Methodologies!
Well, I need to hit the books.
Peace
Beep Bop
3/1/2010
Eh o where the party at?
The Party is in the classroom.
Ladies and Gentleman-
Hello! I am excited to tell you all about my new job. I am now working for the First Generation Project through SU’s Center for Service and Community Engagement (http://www.seattleu.edu/csce/default.aspx?id=34720). They are an important and amazing office on campus and I feel very privileged to get the opportunity to work with them. With two other fantastic SU students I will be helping tutor an afterschool program for the Urban League Scholars at a local High School. Other sites through the First Generation Project work with first generation junior and senior students with the college application process. Wednesday was my first day and we all had a great time getting settled and meeting the students.
I think the program is especially unique because the center is able to pay mentors via a college sparks grant, making service opportunities more practical for SU students. Wow, wow no worries I will still be working in admissions lots and lots.
Well that’s all for today.
Another exciting week in the life of yours truly!
XOXO
Beep Bop
2/22/2010
Shake Down
Hi everybody-
Spring is here? I like the warm sunshine and cherry blossoms but also feel melancholy knowing that there may be more winter to come. I do not mean to play the pessimist but alas I see no other role currently. Ah, my life.
I popped down to Portland over the weekend. Visiting my family was splendid. Quality play time with my dog Luke is unbeatable. I caught up on rest and grocery shopping. Additionally, I purchased a Sasquatch ticket, yes three day music festival here I come. I will definitely discuss this event more thoroughly as it approaches.
I register for Spring classes today, for sure I will be taking Sociological Theories and Core Honors Latin American Liberation theology. In the running for my third class are, Medieval Sexuality, Women and Leadership in Latin America, Women Studies Senior Synthesis. I will let you know how it shakes down.
TILL NEXT TIME
BEEP BOP.
2/17/2010
A Matter of Opinion.
Hello Friends-
I have no blog worthy news. Advising is soon, but frankly I am not in the mood to talk about that so instead I am going to bore you with Beep Bops opinions.
- Inflatable red hawk..? Yes, in recent news the university has purchased for many GGGGsss a giant inflatable red hawk (our schools imaginary mascot) . Opinion: No comment.
- The Vagina Monologues on campus…? For the second year in a row, the Society of Feminists put on The Vagina Monologues to celebrate V day and support the “Global movement to end violence against women and girls” (http://www.vday.org/home). Not surprisingly the selection of this production created campus controversy. Folks from another group on campus, Break the Silence (“Break the Silence is a student-led conference for members of the Puget Sound Region to explore and confront the culture of violence.http://breakthesilence09.wordpress.com/”) did not participate in the production. Its rumored that this group claims The Vagina Monologues perpetuates stereotypes about women and sexual violence in the global south and women of color in the US. Opinion: Beep Bop has to agree with these sentiments and was happy to hear that fellow proponents of feminist theory were examining the shows content from a more critical lens. (Note: this is merely hearsay, no formal opinions have been gathered on this topic from aforementioned groups).
- Monday to Friday schedule…? Yes, its true in order to compensate for the two Mondays off in Winter quarter the University set Monday classes to Friday. Opinion: Good idea in theory failed idea in practice.
Peace,
Beep Bop
2/8/2010
5 Step Plan
Hey hey hey-
Its midterm time here at SU so Beep Bop has only fun school news to report; I realize that this quarter’s blog tog has been heavily school focused and I apologize. I promise spring will bring more ridiculous adventures outside the class room.
Anywho…this week I kept busy preparing for my midterms and working on my art project. I have a critique later today for art. I need to finish inking my final donkey head before five! The project includes one 8x8 newspaper collage donkey, one 8x8 high contrast drawing donkey and one 8x8 donkey icon. Maybe if you’re lucky one day I will post some of my illustrious work.
Over the weekend I went to game night at Ambers. My roommates and I played lots of cards and speed scrabble. The gathering broke up around eleven as some of my friends went to find the Capitol Hill mansion party! Zoinks! I wanted to attend and raise my street cred as a somebody in the hipster scene but alas I went home so I could wake up early and study.
5 step plan to attack large amounts of work without wasted time and an emotional breakdown.
- Start early. My roommate Maddie and I decided to hold each other accountable and be out the door by 8:30am on Sunday morning.
- Stay in a small focused group or go alone. By going only with Maddie I avoided the inevitable distraction of other friends and weekend sharing.
- Seclude yourself in a comfortable location. We headed for the computer lab basement, no windows, no music, no distractions.
- Bring provisions. We came armed with lunch and snacks saving precious $ and time.
- Caffeinate and plan rewards. We set 10:30 as our caffeine/study break and hit up stumptown for the economy special- americanos.
The plan worked. I was relatively successful and consequently was able to break all the rules at 7:00pm and go to Top Pot café to study with lots of friends and not actually get work done. Oh beep bop.
Well until next week.
Yours truly.
BEEP BOP
2/1/2010
Civil rights and Unicorns
Happy Monday!
Thinking about this past week mostly books come to mind. I have read and started two excellent books for my Social Movements class. The first, Belinda Robnett’sHow Long? How Long?: African-American Women in the Struggle for Civil Rights, presents and rethinks prevalent social movement theory by analyzing power and leadership in the civil rights movement. Her work suggests that despite the formal roles black male leaders played during the civil rights movement, woman drove and sustained the momentum and base, ultimately determining it s success and failures. The second book I have been reading for that same class is Judith Newton’s From Panthers to Promise Keepers: Rethinking the Men's Movement. Focusing on men’s movements from the 1950s to present day, Newton examines the impetus and methods of change that fuel similarly themed movements like the Black Panther Party and Promise Keepers. I think Newton’s dedication to writing for the people and the insight and meaning a feminist author gains despite these largely conservative groups sets this book apart.
The rest of my week has been spent reading exorbitant amounts of feminist theory and methods and making a newspaper donkey collage (sounds silly I know but it’s extremely tedious). Friday after volunteering at the juvenile detention center (I am there most Fridays and will one day tell you about it) a few friends and I attempted to check out a new bar on Capitol Hill, Unicorn, given that it was the opening we decided not to wait in the giant line and hit up another snazzy place a few blocks away.
If you are near campus come check out the newest Kinsey Gallery exhibit, 36 Views of Mount Rainer.
SHOUT OUT to my home gurl Maple Donut. Love you always. Imagine this is a bad radio station interlude http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kwkgh3Zo1E&feature=player_embedded
1/27/2010
Educate Yo-SELF
HI!
Reflecting on the past week mostly school work and post Vegas haze come to mind. This weekend I wrote an exciting paper comparing the life of Grace Lee Boggs, a lifelong activist, to Seattle activists. For the project I used the Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project website. They have compiled Activist Oral Histories where
Veterans of Seattle's civil rights campaigns tell their stories in streaming video oral histories. http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/interviews.htm Check out the project. It’s a unique opportunity to hear the personal stories of influential grassroots folks.
Seattle U also rocked my world with a panel on the history and culture of Haiti Friday night. The Director of the Global African Studies Program, Femi Táiwo hosted the event which featured professors from across the Univeristy as well as community members. The panelists provided important insight on a host of issues concerning Haiti and the crisis which have been ignored by the main stream media. I encourage anyone interested in learning more about the crisis in Haiti to take some time to investigate beyond major news sources.
I was excited to discover that this Thursday Seattle U’s Office of Multicultural Affairs is putting on another dialogue surrounding the recent crisis. I think it will be an important space for students to voice questions and concerns.
Do not forget to listen to President Obama’s State of the Union address tonight.
Best of luck.
Beep Bop