Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

More Than Birds And Bees, Katie O. Estell

SURGE

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 …

Stop Pretending To Be Like Me, Brianna O'Boyle

SURGE

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]

When "Straight" Is The Default Setting, Katie Estell

SURGE

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]

Do You Really Want To Walk In My Shoes?, Anonymous

SURGE

There is a problematic irony in the philanthropy event, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, which took place on campus this week. [excerpt]

Bystander Behavior In His Fucking House, Anonymous

SURGE

My first semester at Gettysburg, I was at a fraternity party with a group of friends from my floor. As a first-year who spent the majority of her Saturday nights in high school watching Netflix with friends, I was still growing accustomed to the utter chaos which defines our college’s primary social scene. Despite my inexperience, even I knew to be worried when a visibly intoxicated girl stumbled past, pulled behind a guy towards the stairs. [excerpt]

Claiming The Indomitable Wave: Masculinities, Sexualities, And The Realm Of Surfing In Costa Rica, Joseph C. Recupero

Student Publications

Examining the relationship between masculinity, sexuality, and the sport of surfing in the context of Costa Rica. Questions the nature of emergent counter identities in the hyper-masculine realm of the surfing subculture and the ways in which the emergence of counter identities changes the nature of the subculture. Focuses on the anthropology of sport, the anthropology of sexuality, and theories of territoriality.

This May Mean Doing Things A Bit Differently From Here On Out, Jerome Clarke

SURGE

OccupyPennHall failed.

Embittered by a failed election and its hateful aftermath, students parked themselves in protest. The act precluded and followed an irruption of a faculty meeting. Therein, sitting professors tuned into pleas for student-teacher solidarity. Protesters then took to the campus fulcrum and braced themselves for a sneak-peak of winter. The supposed movement was spur-of-the-moment: a visceral stillness in the wake of an absurd, precarious life. [excerpt]

Fearless Friday: Tiffany Lane, Tiffany Lane

SURGE

This week, SURGE is highlighting the fearless work of Tiffany Lane, the new director of the Women’s and LGBTQ Resource Center on campus.

Although she is a new addition to the Gettysburg community, Tiffany has been working with issues of systemic injustice for much of her life. Her social justice journey began when she was an undergrad at Michigan State University (MSU), where she began to accept her identity as a queer woman. Tiffany was a student leader and activist at MSU and became so passionate about this work that she decided to make a career out of her activism. …

Fearless Friday: Julie Davin, Julie E. Davin

SURGE

In this week’s edition of Fearless Friday, SURGE is honoring all of the amazing work that Julie Davin ’17 does for our community.

Julie, originally from Newtown, Connecticut, is currently a senior at Gettysburg College majoring in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and minoring in English and Philosophy. Over the course of her college career, Julie has been involved with the Gettysburg Anti-Capitalist Collective (GACC), Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA), Outerspace (formerly Friend or Foe), SURGE, Gettysburg Cares, and the annual Vagina Monologues. This long list of activities does not faze Julie; she cares deeply about each and every cause …

A Targeted Existence, Melissa J. Lauro

SURGE

Over the summer, I visited a friend from Gettysburg who was having a party. The party was fun for the first half, and I was having a good time, so I decided to stay the night instead of walk in the dark to the bus. This is what parents and educators and older sisters and women everywhere had taught me: stay with people you know; clutch your keys in your hand; don’t walk alone. I was staying with my friend from school; I was safe. [excerpt]

In God We Trust, Andrew C. Nosti

SURGE

Almost everywhere I turn I can hear someone saying, “America is a Christian nation!” likely yelled or grumbled with impressive, and sometimes concerning, aggression. I can’t go through a week without this phrase popping up, usually closely accompanied by the notion that America’s founding has roots in Christian principles. [excerpt]

Liberation Through Domination: Bdsm Culture And Submissive-Role Women, Lisa R. Rivoli

Student Publications

The alternative sexual practices of bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism (BDSM) are practiced by people all over the world. In this paper, I will examine the experiences of five submissive-role women in the Netherlands and five in south-central Pennsylvania, focusing specifically on how their involvement with the BDSM community and BDSM culture influences their self-perspective.I will begin my analysis by exploring anthropological perspectives of BDSM and their usefulness in studying sexual counterculture, followed by a consideration of feminist critiques of BDSM and societal barriers faced by women in the community. I will then address the …

Fearless Friday: Chelsea Broe, Chelsea E. Broe

SURGE

Consistently speaking up for social justice issues around campus, finding innovative ways to promote peer understanding, and making our campus a more welcoming, accepting, and open place, Chelsea Broe ’14 is a fearless leader who advocates for others.

Bending The Binary, Chelsea E. Broe

SURGE

Friend: “Are you going to the Gender Bender Dance?”

Me: “I think so. I probably won’t dress up though; I figure I already bend gender enough every day.”

Friend: “What do you mean? Like you’re not feminine?”

Me: “Yeah!”

Friend: “No, Chelsea! Of course you are!”

Wait, what? I understand that this person meant no harm; if anything, my friend probably interpreted my remark as a self-deprecating comment uttered with the hopes that someone would reassure my femininity. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Fearless: Josh Griffiths, Joshua M. Griffiths

SURGE

Continually a strong voice for the underrepresented on campus, working with other students and faculty to take initiative in changing campus policy and culture toward the LGBTQ community, and serving as a leader in multiple groups and organizations on campus, Josh Griffiths ’14 fearlessly advocates for members of our campus community, making Gettysburg a more open and welcoming space. [excerpt]

I Watch Porn, Chelsea E. Broe

SURGE

I started watching porn when I was 16.

The first thing I noticed was the porn actresses’ vulvas. They were hairless, perfectly symmetrical, with beautiful folds of labia. This being my only venue to see other female bodies, I assumed what I saw was normal (after all, they all looked pretty similar to each other) and that my own body, not looking like those of these women, was flawed. [excerpt]

Fearless: Emily Hauck, Emily G. Hauck

SURGE

Beginning with an interest in Spanish language that led her to Argentina and Spain, Emily decided to use the language skills she acquired during her gap year after high school and time spent studying abroad to get herself connected to the Latino community in Adams County. Volunteering with different organizations and programs like the LIU #12 Migrant Education Programs, Casa de la Cultura, and El Centro, Emily started seeing the big picture—making connections between the immigration stories, people she was meeting, and the greater national dialogue on immigration issues. [excerpt]

Maybe I'M The Problem, Chelsea E. Broe

SURGE

Being raised in the United States, I internalized racist, sexist, transphobic, heterosexist, classist, ableist, and faithist ways of thinking. And by this, I do not simply mean that I was taught to hate people of color, queer individuals, working class people, or people of different religions. This indoctrination runs much deeper than that. [excerpt]

Fearless: Kaleigh Sosa, Kathryn E. Bucolo

SURGE

Fearlessly organizing events on campus addressing issues of sexual assault, serving the campus community by raising awareness of gender, bias, and violence issues, and helping first-years and sophomores as part of Residence Life staff, Kaleigh Sosa ’14 passionately leads her peers toward understanding. [excerpt]

Twice As Likely To..., Adrienne M. Ellis

SURGE

TRIGGER WARNING!

I am white. I am bisexual. I am female. I have been sexually assaulted. Three times. [excerpt]

Fearless: Sexual Assault Survivors, Kathryn E. Bucolo

SURGE

TRIGGER WARNING!

Raped, abused, molested, assaulted. Every other day on this campus.

Grabbed, touched, hit, down. Not a person. Skirt going down, shirt coming up.

Led behind locked doors, poured another drink.

“Not sure if it counted as assault.”

Every. other. day. [excerpt]

Gay After Graduation, Laura J. Koenig

SURGE

I first went public with my sexual orientation over Surge last spring–my last semester at Gettysburg before graduation. I was scared, but ultimately lucky to be met with support from my friends and family. People generally accepted my sexuality and then moved on. Actually, life went on so quickly that it took me some time to catch up. [excerpt]

Bi The Way, I'M Queer, Chelsea E. Broe

SURGE

363 days ago, on October 11, 2012, I came out as bisexual.

Every year, the queer community observes October 11th as National Coming Out Day, a day when queers of all kinds can openly acknowledge and celebrate their sexual orientation and gender identity. [excerpt]

I Don't Want To Save Second Base, Chelsea E. Broe

SURGE

Tomorrow kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I have one request: This October, let’s not save second base.

I know, I know, you probably think this month is a good thing. If not for all of those T-shirts demanding every female-bodied person to feel their boobies, or the bracelets simply proclaiming “I love boobies,” people with breasts might forget that they even have them, or at the very least might start to think that their breasts are their own business. But the female body seems to be an object owned by the public, so we must always be reminded …

Brooks Better Not Come Back, Helena E. Yang

SURGE

Every time a new season of the Bachelorette starts, I tell myself that I won’t watch this season—that I won’t give in to the trashiness and the petty drama which is the Bachelor. But I can’t help it. Season after season I’m hooked and 17 seasons later… here I am. [excerpt]

Does My Hair Bother You? Part 2, Adrienne M. Ellis

SURGE

I stopped shaving my legs in May. The decision to quit shaving was part social experiment, but a lot of it had to do with NOT HAVING TO SHAVE MY LEGS ANYMORE.

Honestly I didn’t make the decision to stop shaving my leg hair as some sort of feminist statement. I really just found it stupid how society pressures women to have smooth “sexy” legs. How did this pressure begin? Historically women didn’t shave their legs or underarms in the United States; however, hair removal was a common cultural practice in many other parts of the world such as …

Does My Hair Bother You? Part 1, Nadejiah Z. Towns

SURGE

“It’s AMAZING that it’s considered revolutionary to wear my hair the way it grows out of my head…” – Tracie Thoms

I don’t wear my natural hair because I want to join the “revolutionary movement” that has recently swept across our nation. I’m not desperately seeking to get in touch with my roots. Nor do I desire to be acknowledged as the soulful “sista” that eats, sleeps and breathes “Black Power“. I wear my natural hair because I was naive enough to ignore warnings of the effects that Gettysburg’s harsh water would have on my “black hair”. So …

I Don't Want To Save Your Children, Katherine M. Patterson

SURGE

A few weeks ago, the moment that I’ve been dreaming of for almost half of a year finally arrived. I started the Heston Summer Experience as an intern in Gettysburg. An embarrassing amount of my winter break was devoted to writing and rewriting my applications. After receiving an invitation for an interview, I convened my roommates to help me choose an outfit and ask me practice questions, which is not something I do…ever. Getting my acceptance letter in the mail was the ultimate highlight of a long and difficult year. When I was home for the first few weeks of …

Fearless: Gettysburg Allies, Gettysburg Allies

SURGE

In celebration of the Supreme Court’s decision to declare DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act)unconstitutional, the revocation of Prop 8, and Hershel Genfer’s fantastic blog, we’d like to highlights Gettysburg’s fearless ALLies Club headed by Ann Sasala ’15 and Adrienne Ellis ’14. This past year Erin Duran, the Residence Life Coordinator for West Quad, also began his partnership with ALLies as the college’s first LGBTQA advisor. [excerpt]

The Paradox Of Feeling Invisible Yet Overly-Visible, Hershel Genfer

SURGE

A personal reflection on being transgender at Gettysburg College:

When I came out to myself, my friends, and Gettysburg’s ALLies Club as transgender in the spring of 2012, I was one of only a very small handful of out trans* students on campus. There were so few of us, in fact, that you could probably count us on the fingers of one hand, and the issues surrounding the “T” in “LGBT,” while important, seemed to affect other people in other places rather than the people in our own community. [excerpt]