Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Power Of A Voice, Anonymous

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**Trigger warning: sexual assault

I was a freshman in college and I became a ‘juvenile victim’. I became an article online and the talk of a bored group of people thinking of how crazy life is. I became comments on Facebook and I became comments in a courtroom. In all that I became, I was nameless, faceless, voiceless. That was what got to me most. I was voiceless in the process as much as I was when he stood over me, and all I could ask was, when did my voice stop mattering? [excerpt]

You Know One Of Us, Emma Love

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**Trigger warning: sexual assault

I am afraid of my bed.

I am also afraid of heather blue shirts. Men’s voices make me jump. I am constantly scanning crowds, always looking for the closest exit. I sit with my back to the wall. I no longer eat at Servo for lunch or dinner, or walk down a specific pathway as a shortcut home. Instead, I take the long way through the middle of campus to get back to my room. If I see someone with the same haircut or wearing similar clothes, I start to tremble. Unexpected touches from male friends, …

Are We Done Waiting?, Katie F. Mercer

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**Trigger warning: sexual assault

In the past month students in surrounding colleges have been protesting and challenging administrative policies regarding sexual assault, yet many of us at Gettysburg are unaware of these events. Members of our shared community have stood up to injustice they have faced on campus. On January 30, 2020 an article was published in The Dickinsonan newspaper titled “I’m Done Waiting for Dickinson to Take Sexual Assault Seriously,” in which senior Rose McAvoy recounts not only the horrifying tale of her violent sexual assault, but also the college’s incompetency and failure to take appropriate action. [excerpt …

You Only Remember Your Tragedies, Anonymous

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I am tired. I am tired of going to class and listening to my professor’s ignore my history. I am tired of going to office hours and them telling me that I am too biased to conduct research on the genocide of the country my family is from. I am tired of the way people give me these looks of pity whenever I tell them what happened to my family. I am tired of not being able to talk to anyone about this because I just feel like I’m spewing absolute nonsense because it feels like no one believes me. …

Dear Society, Anonymous

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“I can not wait to study abroad” multiple friends tell me

All I do is shake my head and reply “mhm I can not wait either”

I lied to them

I can not go out of the country, I can not explore the world

I am stuck in one place

This place is known as the United States of America that one day they said will bring the American Dream for my family

I wake up each day and I live in a world of fear, mistrust, and silence..." [excerpt]

Living...In Fear, Anonymous

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“What do you fear?”

“What is your weakness?”

Every time I get asked these questions, whether it’s by interviewers or friends, I dread every moment of it.

How can I possibly put into words the fear I live with every single day of my life?

How can I put into words the pain I feel inside of me to help you understand?

My parents have raised me to be the strong independent woman that I am.

They have taught me to discipline myself and always work 10x harder than everyone else.

They have warned me from a very early age …

I Am, Anonymous

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Hearing undocumented I want it to be for means of empowerment,
I am tired of the pity look, of the silence, of hesitation, of the thick air and the tension
Whenever I let people in.
When I let people in, I expect respect as a human being,
And not as a saving cause.
The last thing I ask is for reassurance or comfort
I had been undocumented for the last eleven years
Eleven years that I have internalized a distorted false narrative of who I am [excerpt]

Overworked. Underpaid., Lexus P. Davis

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I am two people right now.

Split between a constant feeling of having a deep pit in your stomach from fear of not having finished something. Until that pit is anxiousness and for a second you have to take a few deep breaths because you know yourself.

“Shit, I forgot to eat.”

And the anxious feeling is gone because you forgot something as little as eating.

My eyes are on fire. I rub them and take another sip of coffee. I heard my friends talking about how they took Adderall to finish their papers. I was desperate and so I …

Cheating The Textbook System, Hana Huskic

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The price of my German textbook is equal to three months of rent with utilities back home. My books for Introduction to Cultural Anthropology equal the cost of feeding my family for a whole month. But these aren’t news. American Enterprise Institute reports that the college textbook prices “are 812 percent higher than they were a little more than three decades ago.”

Some students came to Gettysburg aware of costs, so they moved into first year dorms armed with Amazon Prime memberships and accounts on sites for renting textbooks. Some looked for classes that offer cheaper (or no) textbooks in …

The First Year Frat Experience, Anonymous

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It was September 14th and my three weeks were up. I had told myself I had three weeks to make friends. Three weeks before Greek life would dominate the social scene. Publicly, I decried the three week rule, writing it off as dumb or lame. Privately, a part of me wished it could last forever. That night, while my floor pregamed in their rooms, I stayed in mine. I spent a long night alone, listening to the music blasting from dorm rooms and down the streets. I decided to shut the lights off because I didn’t want the world to …

Fearless Friday: Class Of 2019, 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 2019 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, …

This Is How You Lose Me, Anna Cincotta

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I liked the intimate setting of the class at first. The silence before the professor walked in. The cramped room. It always smelled like citrus cleaning products. Some hair gel mixed in there, too.

There was peanut butter stuck on the roof of my mouth — from my sandwich at lunch — when he walked in that day, throwing a stack of Junot Díaz’s short story, “Alma,” onto the center of the shared table.

I liked Junot Díaz’s writing. Loved it, actually. The way he captures pain and molds stories by weaving together the language of diary entries …

Value Is Subjective And Other Fallacies In Economics, Anonymous

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“Before I hand back your exams, let’s review the overall performance of the class. Listed here are the median and mean scores. You can also see the grades of five highest scores on exam…”

I sat anxiously in my chair as my economics professor shared class statistics before finally handing back our tests.

After he distributed them to a number of students, they mingled at the front the room, speculating who earned the top scores.

“Dude, who do you think got the 101?”

“I bet it was *David?”

“Or maybe Mike? He’s always answering questions correctly.”

“Could be. But I …

Distancing Strategies, Exclusive Clusters And Other Ironies Of My American Peers, Mai Trinh

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Being able to study abroad is a huge privilege. I am very lucky to have been given that privilege twice. I was accepted to Gettysburg College two and a half years ago, and studied abroad in the United States. Now, I am studying abroad again in Copenhagen, Denmark with a program that connects many colleges and universities in the US. It has been a month now and I am having a good time.

But my first few weeks in Copenhagen were not the same as my first few weeks in Gettysburg. Strangely enough, it was much more uncomfortable and harder …

Fearless Friday: Anna Perry, Anna K. Perry

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This week, Surge is recognizing Anna Perry ’21. Anna is a physics major with minors in philosophy and peace and justice studies. They work for the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, complete research in the physics and philosophy departments, work with the Women’s and LGBTQ+ Resource Center, and are a DJ for Voice of a Generation radio show. [excerpt]

More Than Birds And Bees, Katie O. Estell

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Conversations about sex start as early as middle school, with preteens learning about “the birds and the bees,” sexually transmitted infections, and (hopefully) contraception and safe sex. These conversations continue into high school sex education, which has proven to be crucial in decreasing rates of unwanted pregnancies and STI’s. But something important is missing. These programs never mention, and certainly don’t include, LGBT/Q people. LGBT/Q teens are not taught how to have sex, and how to have safe sex. This leaves us to explore our sexuality on our own terms, which is both awkward and dangerous. If you’re a heterosexually …

Speaking Out, Mariam J. Martinez

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Why can we not take action now? I asked myself this question when, as a program coordinator for the Women’s Center I decided to take part in the Vagina Monologues because I wanted to change them- monologues that are centered on the experiences of white, upper-class cis-gender women. [excerpt]

Fearless Friday: Ivana Lopez Espinosa, Ivana A. Lopez-Espinosa

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Today we honor Ivana Lopez Espinosa ’19, a senior Sociology major. Ivana is a student assistant at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, belongs to the Campus Climate Study Implementation Group as well as and the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Advancement group. She is also a student senator, Vice President of LASA, violinist in Symphony orchestra, an active participant in BSU, and a member of the newly formed Muslim Student Alliance. [excerpt]

The Rapid Evolution Of Queer Language, Elijah Cormier

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**This essay contains terminology that may be considered offensive to some. Names have been changed to protect identities.

“You remember Kayla?”

“Kayla Riddle?”

“Yeah. You know she’s a boy now?”

“Oh no shit! Not surprised, kinda saw that one coming.”

As I sit with a high school friend on back porch of her trailer, I quickly realize that most of my middle-class, leftist/liberal friends would jump on how we phrase Kai’s coming out. But sitting here, helping Amber figure out how much dope she’d need to sling to make rent this month, calling out mildly transphobic language isn’t a priority. …

In The Wake Of A Report, Rebecca L. Holden

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**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 …

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]