Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

In The Wake Of A Report, Rebecca L. Holden

SURGE

**TW: Sexual Assault

Earlier in the semester, many students and professors gathered in the Junction from 10 am until well into the evening to watch as Christine Blasey Ford and now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh were each questioned at length. In all that has happened in the past two years, the looming feeling that spread through campus on this day was the closest rival to that which invaded campus on the morning of November 9th, 2016. [excerpt]

Fearless Friday: Hannah Lebovitz, Hannah M. Labovitz

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This week, we recognize the work of Hannah Labovitz ’21. Hannah is currently pursuing a history major, a Spanish and Public History double minor, and a teaching certification. She is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has been very involved in the Jewish community here at Gettysburg. She is the secretary and communications chair of Hillel, works as an assistant to Stephen Stern in the Judaic Studies Department, serves on the Judaic Studies committee, acts as co-President of Democracy Matters. She also participates in Alpha Phi Omega, College Democrats, and Dance Ensemble. [excerpt]

Fearless Friday: Melanie Pangol, Melanie Pangol

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Today, we celebrate the work of Melanie Pangol ’21. Originally from Ecuador, Melanie was raised in Philly, and has been living in New York in the last few years. On campus, Melanie is part of the Brown Nipple Collective, works for the Center for Career Engagement, and acts as program coordinator for the Painted Turtle Farm through the Center for Public Service among many other activities. [excerpt]

Fearless Friday: Raegan Gawronski, Raegan Gawronski

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This week, we are honoring Raegan Gawronski ’19. Raegan is a Women and Gender Sexuality Studies and Philosophy double major from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On campus, she works as a senior intern for the Office of Multicultural Engagement, and is currently in the process of starting a First-Generation Student Organization on campus. [excerpt]

Crumbling The ''Oreo'' Cookie, Lillian Cadet

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They will treat you as if you have come from an outer space planet. They will be amazed by how much you are different from others. People will make jokes about how much of an “oreo” you are. How your chocolate cookie layers are thinner than your cream filling. [excerpt]

Fearless Friday: Candice Montenegro, Candice Montenegro

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This Friday, we’re honoring Candice Montenegro ’20, for her incredible work in the Gettysburg College Community. Candice is a junior from Los Angeles, and a double major in Psychology and Spanish/Latin American Caribbean Studies. In her first year at Gettysburg College, she became a member of Latin American Students’ Association (LASA), and is now president of the group. Along with her involvement in LASA, she is an employee for the Center for Career Engagement, a psychology research assistant for Professor Sahana Mukherjee, a program coordinator of Sunday Swim with Casa de la Culture through the Center for Public Service, and …

Attention Seeker, Anonymous

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“Why are you such an attention seeker?

What pain?

Where’s the sorrow?

You’re just an attention seeker!”

I just sat there, in the bathroom on the ground alone.'' [excerpt]

More Than A Hot Neighborhood, Gisselle Flores

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Maybe you don’t have to care about what goes on outside of your little bubble, whether that’s Gettysburg or your hometown. After all, ignorance is bliss. But while you find comfort in your home, I find my comfort slipping away more and more each time I go back to what is supposed to be my haven. Where I once saw the small, familiar-looking apartment buildings, I now see daunting, tall buildings with impenetrable glass windows. Where I once saw local businesses thrive, I now only see the old rusty overhead doors with a bright red sign that says, “FOR RENT”. …

The Rush To Fit In, Kate M. Delaney

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A week ago, I had been dead set on not rushing. I had heard the rumors and beliefs of my peers, that Greek life encouraged excessive drinking and partying, that hazing was still incredibly prevalent and demeaning, that Greek life worked only to discriminate and exclude members of the campus who refused to take part, promoted unfair gender roles, and encouraged pageantry and forced conversations between strangers. Still, the call of philanthropy, having a group of sisters, and finding a home on campus appealed to me. In the end, it felt like I was choosing between rushing with my friends …

Fearless Friday: Class Of 2018, Anonymous

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We recognize all of the Gettysburg College graduates who will use what they learned and experienced over the past four years to fearlessly promote change, seek justice, and challenge inequality after leaving Gettysburg College. The following list contains the names of members of the Class of 2018 who have been recognized by other members of the campus community as leaders for change, and we are proud to claim these fearless and inspirational students as our own. We know, however, that we do not have everyone who deserves to be recognized listed below, so feel free to continue nominating your friends, …

Frats And Faggots, Anonymous

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I’m a flamboyant gay man. I was at FIJI on Springfest Friday and some brother over the microphone called his friend (presumably a fellow brother) a faggot. This moment changed a lot for me in terms of my relationship to my own identity as an other, my relationship to the word “faggot,” and my relationship to the identities I surround myself with in frat basements. [excerpt]

My Mother's Body, Anika N. Jensen

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On Friday, April 20, 2018, Gettysburg College students organized a campus-wide walkout to protest all forms of gun violence as part of Gettysburg College’s first annual Peace and Justice Week. Over the next several days, SURGE published the poems and personal testimonies of the student speakers who participated in the event.

Begin in sukhasa–easy pose–with your legs crossed the way children used to sit during show and tell before they had to worry about what position gives them enough time to stand and scramble toward the door when the shooting starts. [excerpt]

The Bravest Woman I Know, Alexa Laboy

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On Friday, April 20, 2018, Gettysburg College students organized a campus-wide walkout to protest all forms of gun violence as part of Gettysburg College’s first annual Peace and Justice Week. Over the next several days, SURGE published the poems and personal testimonies of the student speakers who participated in the event.

Just imagine witnessing your best friend’s boyfriend beating her, beating their children.

What would you do?

My sister is the bravest woman I know. She came in between the blows to her best friend’s face and his fists. My sister is scared of nothing and of no one, which …

I Have Not Lost Someone To Gun Violence, Mattelyn R. Wadley

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On Friday, April 20, 2018, Gettysburg College students organized a campus-wide walkout to protest all forms of gun violence as part of Gettysburg College’s first annual Peace and Justice Week. Over the next several days, SURGE published the poems and personal testimonies of the student speakers who participated in the event.

I have not lost someone to gun violence, but

When I hear the word gun…

I still picture children’s bodies lying lifeless on the floor of a blue-carpeted classroom [excerpt]

Gettysburg Against Gun Violence, Chentese Stewart

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On April 4th, the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Saheed Vassell, a 34 year old black man, was shot nine times and killed in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY. Plain clothes police officers responded to several calls complaining of a man walking through the streets pointing gun at people. They later found out that Saheed was unarmed, and the object in his hand was merely a showerhead.

Saheed had a history of mental illness, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder years prior. He was well known by longtime residents of the neighborhood who described him …

Why I Am Against Guns, Anonymous

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I am a suicide attempt survivor. And I am for increased gun control reform. And the reason why this is my position is because I know, if my parents had owned a gun, there is an 85% chance you wouldn’t be here reading my story. [excerpt]

Stop Pretending To Be Like Me, Brianna O'Boyle

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I was scrolling on my Facebook feed when I saw a post that appeared to be a proposal featuring two women captioned: “She said yes!!!!!!” My first thought was how wonderful it was to see a happy, loving gay couple, and how heartening it is that they can be open and out about their relationship. As a queer person, it is always nice to see people who share that part of myself being visible. However, upon closer examination it was obvious that it was two straight best friends, joking. [excerpt]

That Time I Was Harassed By The Man In The Corner Office, Claire A. Aljian

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Last summer I worked as the marketing intern in my father’s office, keeping mostly to myself in a small cubicle that I was proud to call my own and conversing daily with the female marketing director. Aside from her and the vice president of human resources, the office remained a sea of trimmed white hair and casually tucked in dress shirts. Within a few weeks in the office, both of these women took me aside to explain that they were careful never to overstep the line between aggressive and passive. [excerpt]

When "Straight" Is The Default Setting, Katie Estell

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Coming out was never something I pictured myself having to do. Did I plan on being in the closet my entire life? Not exactly. I hardly had a clue that I was gay until I was eighteen. My friends and family sometimes struggle to understand that I am “suddenly” gay, after having dated boys since I was a freshman in high school. Their common misunderstanding is one of many that result from living in a heteronormative culture. [excerpt]

When Protest Doesn't Quite Fit The Mold, Morgan M. Hubbard

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White people protesting is powerful. It is a privilege to be guaranteed that someone will listen to us, as pointed out by Jerome Clarke in a piece about last year’s “Won’t Stand For Hate” protest. With that privilege comes a responsibility that has been neglected on this campus.

I agree with the students who protested on the steps of Penn Hall and spoke out during the Student Senate meeting about the way our administration is handling the mold situation in Hanson Hall. The response was insufficient and it directly contradicts the College’s verbal commitment to promoting a healthy living …

Let's Talk About Sex, Ali Lauro

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It’s a typical morning: you wake up, stretch, get out of bed, and check your phone; there’s a notification. Another man has been accused of sexual violence.

The #MeToo movement has sparked a national and global conversation about sexism in all its forms. Powerful men like Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, and Matt Lauer, among many others, have been publicly ousted for their predatory behavior. One of the latest men to be called out is Aziz Ansari, a writer, actor, comedian, and self-proclaimed feminist. However, his behavior, unlike these other men, was not universally decried. [excerpt]