PHILOSOPHICAL Geniuses, that's what!

If you're a PHILOSOPHY MAJOR looking to delve into the world of research, then choose to become an undergraduate student researcher today!

There are countless opportunities available to you if you decide to get involved.

Follow the link provided for more information and to see what projects other Philosophy majors have done!

This guest post on privilege and critical self-reflection comes from Women’s Center staff member Daniel Willey.

When I was asked if I would be interested in joining the Women’s Center staff, my first reaction was, “HELL YES.” The Women’s Center had very quickly become my favorite place on campus, and I was excited to jump on the opportunity to be a part of something that had been such a positive addition to my life. Last spring was a great time for me. I got more involved. I joined the Queer Leadership Council and the LGBT Campus Climate Workgroup. I was elected Outreach Coordinator for Freedom Alliance and Director of Public Affairs for GWST COMM. Recommendations, internship opportunities, and leadership roles were flying at me and it was great to feel like my skills were desirable.

How might male privilege show up in women-focused spaces?

But the more I thought about it, the more suspicious I became. How much of this have I actually earned? Aren’t there other people who are much more qualified than me for these jobs? How must my classmates feel about a freshman showing up and taking over? Am I taking over? How does privilege play into this? Do I even belong in these spaces? I have been thinking about these questions for months and I want to take this opportunity to reflect on what it means to be a male-identified staff member at a women’s center and the complicated combination of male identity and queer identity.

I think a lot of trans guys and people of trans male identities forget that even though some of us may have once identified as women or are sometimes read as women, we still have male privilege. Despite our queerness and the bureaucratic level problems we face with documentation or health care, there is still a place for us on the glass escalator. Now, this is not true for all of us– trans men of color, gender nonconforming trans men, or those who do not easily or readily “pass” (when one fits the standards of what a man or woman looks like well enough to not have their gender questioned) have a much more difficult time with this. For the sake of this post, when I say “trans men” I specifically mean trans men like me: white, medically transitioning, “passing” men.

My biggest struggle has been figuring out a way to see how my privilege has given me advantages in my life while also remembering that I actually did earn some of it. It’s a balance between knowing when to be proud of myself because I’ve earned something and knowing when I’ve been given something. I’m still trying to figure out how to contribute and participate in feminist and women’s movements without riding the glass escalator to the forefront. I’m learning to listen more than I speak and to support the efforts of others to liberate themselves rather than leading their liberation.

As for the Women’s Center, I think I will always be questioning and changing how I fit into my role here, just as women’s centers have changed since their first appearances in the 1970s. Women’s centers are still women-focused spaces but have branched out to include women of color and LGBTQIA women and people. Many women’s centers (including ours) have even started looking at toxic forms of hegemonic masculinity and how it affects women and men alike.

I belong here for now. My roles and responsibilities will change as the needs of my communities and the communities I support change, and I am still learning. I welcome feedback and criticism from community members– after all, you are why I’m here.

Hey SWEethearts!

The UMBC chapter of SWE has been asked to help out with a high school female engineering mentoring program.  It is not a huge time commitment and it is a great opportunity to boost your resume and work on your leadership skills.  Below is the email from the head of the program:

Hello Prospective Mentor!

I am contacting you on behalf of the Elizabeth Seton High School Leadership, Engineering and Design (LEAD) Program's E-Mentor initiative. Seton is a all-female high school that has implemented an optional engineering curriculum into the course-work. The LEAD Program promotes increased achievement in science, technology, engineering, and math in a problem solving environment. Seton offers four years of LEAD classes including, Foundations of Engineering, Robotics Engineering, Advanced Design Application, and Engineering Design. The LEAD Program also exposes students to STEM competitions, service opportunities, and internship and workplace shadow opportunities.    

In order to bridge the gap between the high school classroom environment and college or the workplace, we have established an E-Mentoring Program for the students. This is where we need your help! We are looking for female college students or recent graduated to become E-Mentors. An E-Mentor serves as a mentor to a student through offering guidance on STEM classes, projects, college decisions, 
and professionalism via e-mail.

What to expect: We would love for our mentors to commit to one e-mail communication per week for 8 to 10 weeks between September and November. That's it! Any additional communication is up to you, but we understand how busy college students are! We will also have a E-Mentor "Kick-off" Event, in which you will have an opportunity to meet the students and help them interact professionally! Mark your calendar's now, the Kick-Off will be Wednesday, September 24 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. We would like to see all of our E-Mentors there, but if you will not be able to attend, please do not let
it discourage you from applying.

How to apply: Please fill out the online application. This application can be found on our website www.setonhs.org, Academics tab under LEAD Leadership Engineering and Design section. The link to the application is also here. In addition to the application, please send a pdf of your resume to annette.englehart@gmail.com.

Mentor Application Link!

Who can apply: Females studying/working in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Bio/BioChem/BioMed Engineering, Materials Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Civil Engineering, Fire Protection Engineering, Computer Engineering (Other), or Architecture. Please specify your major/work field in the application. If you do not see your field in this list, please feel free to still apply! Any undergraduate student or recent graduate (within 5 years) is encouraged to apply.

In addition to applying, please encourage your peers/co-workers/classmates to also apply! There are approximately 100 students in the program, and we are aiming for 100 E-Mentors to pair with them! Please forward this e-mail to ASME, Tau Beta Pi, SWE, NSBE, ALCHE, ASCE, SHPE, CSEE, and other STEM related chapters of your school.

If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to me at annette.englehart@gmail.com. Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing your applications!

Thank you, 
Annette

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