This guest post by Madison Miller was originally posted on the Women’s Center at UMBC blog. 

In addition to working at the Women’s Center as a student staff member, I also serve as a Resident Assistant in a first-year residential hall on campus. Recently, my paraprofessional staff and I have been exploring the topic of privilege by participating in meaningful discussions about the different forms that it can take on in our society. These conversations and shared experiences of my fellow staff members have encouraged me to dive into a deeper, more personal investigation of privilege and how it relates to my identity and my unique life experiences.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the concept of privilege, a dictionary definition classifies it as a unique benefit or immunity available only to a particular community or group of people. Yet what the dictionary definition fails to mention is that privilege is neither earned nor deserved by any specific group that reaps its benefits. In reality, privilege is innate; it is a birthright that is automatically given to those who hold membership in a certain group or community. Privilege takes on several forms in society relating to identities such as gender, ability, class, race, and sexuality. It should be mentioned that one may simultaneously experience a certain level of privilege in one area of their identity while also experiencing a lack of privilege in another area. Privilege, or the lack thereof, isn’t also always necessarily visible to the eye of a passerby. Yet these privileges are often at the root of social inequalities that exist in our society today They may also cloud and bias our viewpoints of who don’t share the same privileges as ourselves, causing us to make unwarranted assumptions and conclusions about others. Therefore, it is important that we have conversations with each other in order to better recognize and effectively deal with our own unique privileges. In my experience, it seems that when a privilege is pointed out to it’s owner, that person often has a tendency to become defensive about the fact that they are not responsible for their privilege. While there is some truth to be found in this statement, I believe that privilege is not necessarily something of which to be ashamed, but something of which we should be aware. In order to remedy the social inequalities caused by our privileges, we must first understand how these privileges negatively affect and immobilize others. Perhaps our privileges aren’t necessarily the problem: maybe it’s us. After all, we do not choose our privileges, but we do choose how we live with them.  

What are my privileges? One of the privileges that I am most connected to is my educational privilege. Although I take out student loans and receive aid from my university, I have access to higher education and I am a college student (at an honors university, nonetheless) that is financially able to support myself through my undergraduate education. Because my reality is not possible for everyone, I consider myself to be truly fortunate in this situation. But in my eyes, simply being grateful is not enough. I want to use my privileges to help better others. As a psychology and elementary education double major, I have recently been thinking a lot about working in a high needs school after my graduation from UMBC. I am a strong believer in the idea that everyone, regardless of geographic location, socioeconomic status, disability, or race, is deserving of a quality education that enables success and potential. Although I am aware that this will be a great challenge, I am hopeful for the changes I wish to make in the world, even if only in the life of one child.

One of my favorite sayings comes from the movie Spiderman and it says, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” It is no secret that our privileges put us in a place of power. What may not be so obvious, however, is that this power should call upon us to think critically about ourselves and our ability to support and help advance those who experience a lack of privilege. It isn’t an easy task by any means, but it is a necessary challenge that we must undertake should we ever hope to remedy the social inequalities that paralyze so many members of our society.

Think about it: What privileges do you have? How are you “owning” them for the better?

To learn more about privilege, check out these helpful resources:

Pedagogy of Privilege Ted Talk A helpful TED Talk that discusses how to begin conversations with others about privilege.

Privilege Walk Activity An activity that highlights examples of various privileges.

A Comic on White Privilege A Buzzfeed comic that explains what it means to have white privilege.

The Reproduction of Privilege An NY Times Article that discusses the privileges associated with post-secondary education.

For more on power and privilege, be sure to check out the upcoming CSJ event Critical White Male Allies: C’Mon In! The Water’s Fine! on Wednesday from 5-6pm in Commons 318. Jeff Cullen, Director of Student Judicial Programs, will lead an interactive workshop on critical allyship. With a frank discussion of some of the ways he has made mistakes and learned from them as a white male ally, he will create a space for participants to have an honest dialogue about the challenges and strategies to effective and self-reflexive allyship.

This guest post by Madison Miller was originally posted on the Women’s Center at UMBC blog. 

In addition to working at the Women’s Center as a student staff member, I also serve as a Resident Assistant in a first-year residential hall on campus. Recently, my paraprofessional staff and I have been exploring the topic of privilege by participating in meaningful discussions about the different forms that it can take on in our society. These conversations and shared experiences of my fellow staff members have encouraged me to dive into a deeper, more personal investigation of privilege and how it relates to my identity and my unique life experiences.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the concept of privilege, a dictionary definition classifies it as a unique benefit or immunity available only to a particular community or group of people. Yet what the dictionary definition fails to mention is that privilege is neither earned nor deserved by any specific group that reaps its benefits. In reality, privilege is innate; it is a birthright that is automatically given to those who hold membership in a certain group or community. Privilege takes on several forms in society relating to identities such as gender, ability, class, race, and sexuality. It should be mentioned that one may simultaneously experience a certain level of privilege in one area of their identity while also experiencing a lack of privilege in another area. Privilege, or the lack thereof, isn’t also always necessarily visible to the eye of a passerby. Yet these privileges are often at the root of social inequalities that exist in our society today They may also cloud and bias our viewpoints of who don’t share the same privileges as ourselves, causing us to make unwarranted assumptions and conclusions about others. Therefore, it is important that we have conversations with each other in order to better recognize and effectively deal with our own unique privileges. In my experience, it seems that when a privilege is pointed out to it’s owner, that person often has a tendency to become defensive about the fact that they are not responsible for their privilege. While there is some truth to be found in this statement, I believe that privilege is not necessarily something of which to be ashamed, but something of which we should be aware. In order to remedy the social inequalities caused by our privileges, we must first understand how these privileges negatively affect and immobilize others. Perhaps our privileges aren’t necessarily the problem: maybe it’s us. After all, we do not choose our privileges, but we do choose how we live with them.  

What are my privileges? One of the privileges that I am most connected to is my educational privilege. Although I take out student loans and receive aid from my university, I have access to higher education and I am a college student (at an honors university, nonetheless) that is financially able to support myself through my undergraduate education. Because my reality is not possible for everyone, I consider myself to be truly fortunate in this situation. But in my eyes, simply being grateful is not enough. I want to use my privileges to help better others. As a psychology and elementary education double major, I have recently been thinking a lot about working in a high needs school after my graduation from UMBC. I am a strong believer in the idea that everyone, regardless of geographic location, socioeconomic status, disability, or race, is deserving of a quality education that enables success and potential. Although I am aware that this will be a great challenge, I am hopeful for the changes I wish to make in the world, even if only in the life of one child.

One of my favorite sayings comes from the movie Spiderman and it says, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” It is no secret that our privileges put us in a place of power. What may not be so obvious, however, is that this power should call upon us to think critically about ourselves and our ability to support and help advance those who experience a lack of privilege. It isn’t an easy task by any means, but it is a necessary challenge that we must undertake should we ever hope to remedy the social inequalities that paralyze so many members of our society.

Think about it: What privileges do you have? How are you “owning” them for the better?

To learn more about privilege, check out these helpful resources:

Pedagogy of Privilege Ted Talk A helpful TED Talk that discusses how to begin conversations with others about privilege.

Privilege Walk Activity An activity that highlights examples of various privileges.

A Comic on White Privilege A Buzzfeed comic that explains what it means to have white privilege.

The Reproduction of Privilege An NY Times Article that discusses the privileges associated with post-secondary education.

For more on power and privilege, be sure to check out the upcoming CSJ event Critical White Male Allies: C’Mon In! The Water’s Fine! on Wednesday from 5-6pm in Commons 318. Jeff Cullen, Director of Student Judicial Programs, will lead an interactive workshop on critical allyship. With a frank discussion of some of the ways he has made mistakes and learned from them as a white male ally, he will create a space for participants to have an honest dialogue about the challenges and strategies to effective and self-reflexive allyship.

The Women's Center is excited to announce that the Returning Women Students Scholarships Application for 2014-2015 is now available. The deadline for submission is Friday, April 4, 2014.

This common application enables eligible students to apply for more than one of the Returning Women Students Scholarships using the same application. The three available scholarships are:

-Charlotte W. Newcombe Scholarship & The UMBC Scholarship for Mature Students
-AEGON Scholarship
-The Richard & Roselyn Bryson Neville Memorial Fund for Returning Women Scholarship

All undergraduate students over the age of 25 and with at least 60 credits may be eligible. Each scholarship has additional eligibility requirements which can be found on the common application instructions. 

The application is attached to this announcement. Please be sure to read over the eligibility requirements before applying. 

If you have any questions concerning the application process or the scholars program requirements, please contact Jess at womens.center@umbc.edu. 

We will also be hosting 2 informational sessions related to the application process and scholars program requirements. The information sessions will be held in the Women's Center on Wed., Feb 19th from between 12-1pm and Wed., March 12th between 5:45-6:45pm.

Applications are due Friday, April 5th at 4pm!! 

Loyal.Constant.

Strong and Resilient.

Season to Season.

Survival.Growth.

These are just some of the many qualities of the Wye Oak Tree – Maryland’s state tree – and so many of the same qualities we find in the Women’s Center at UMBC. For some, a tree provides shade to rest under on a hot summer day. To others it provides leaves that fall to the ground to play in on a crisp autumn day. In the winter months, we look at trees covered in frost and snow with wonder and awe until we finally see the earliest buds come to life once again on the first days of spring. The tree is many thingsto many people, just like the Women’s Center is to the UMBC community. We are a place to find comfort, a listening ear, and friendship. Much like the tree, we seek to be strong but flexible, loyal but open to growth, courageous to challenges but loving with support. Our roots dig deep into the grounds of feminism and our many limbs reach further towards social justice, activism, and the honoring all of our intersecting identities.  

This new logo reflects our ongoing growth and evolution as a women’s center which is grounded in our steady core values and reliable strengths so many UMBC community members have come to know and love. As always, and much like the great Wye Oak beckons, all are welcomed in our space, so long as they respect each other, their stories, their experiences, their potential.

Many thanks to UMBC’s Creative Services for designing our new logo which is modeled after UMBC’s very own Wye Oak Tree.

Rebuilding Manhood is an 11-week group for students who identify as men to explore manhood, masculinity, and other intersecting identities. 

Be a part of a student group seeking to create a new culture through discourse. 
Develop meaningful connections with campus leaders. 
Make a different at UMBC and in society at large. 

Applications can be completed by visiting: http://www.umbc.edu/womenscenter/rebuildingManhood.html

Applications are due Wednesday, Feb 5, 2014. 
(Applicants will be accepted on a rolling basis, so don't wait until 2/5 to turn in your application!)

Meetings will take place on Fridays at 2pm in the Women's Center beginning Friday, Feb 7, 2014. (The group does not meet during spring break) 

For more information, contact the Women's Center at womens.center@umbc.edu.

Every January, we as a community acknowledge the need for awareness and education related to stalking. While we often joke about "facebook stalking," the fact is that stalking isn't a joke and can be a very scary experience for victims and their families and friends. Please read the proclamation below for more information.

Additionally, be sure to check out UMBC's Relationship Violence Awareness and Prevention website for more information on stalking and other forms of interpersonal violence: www.umbc.edu/rvap or http://umbc.edu/rvap/stalking/ for the direct link to stalking information.

If you need support from campus members related to a stalking incident, please contact a member from the SARVRT team (contact information can be found on the RVAP website).  

For more information from the Stalking Resource Center: http://victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/stalking-resource-center

Presidential Proclamation -- National Stalking Awareness Month, 2014

NATIONAL STALKING AWARENESS MONTH, 2014

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Each January, we draw attention to a crime that will affect 1 in 6 American women at some point in their lives. Although young women are disproportionately at risk, anyone can be a victim of stalking -- regardless of age, sex, background, or gender identity. While many victims are stalked by ex-partners, sometimes the perpetrators are acquaintances or even strangers. During National Stalking Awareness Month, we extend our support to victims and renew our commitment to holding their stalkers accountable.

Stalkers seek to intimidate their victims through repeated unwanted contact, including harassing phone calls, text messages, or emails. Cyberstalking is increasingly prevalent, with more than one quarter of stalking victims reporting being harassed through the Internet or electronically monitored. Many victims suffer from anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and some are forced to move or change jobs. Stalking all too often goes unreported, yet it also tends to escalate over time, putting victims at risk of sexual assault, physical abuse, or homicide.

My Administration remains dedicated to pursuing justice for victims of stalking and ensuring survivors receive the support they need. Last March, I was proud to sign the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. Every time we renew this landmark legislation, we improve it, and this time was no exception. This renewal expanded protections for Native American and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender victims of stalking, domestic violence, and sexual assault. It amended the Clery Act to require colleges to report crime statistics on stalking, continued to allow relief for immigrant victims, and strengthened support and training programs that have proven effective in helping law enforcement bring offenders to justice.

We also stand behind the tireless advocates who provide essential services to victims. Along with law enforcement, prosecutors, court personnel, and survivors, these devoted women and men are links in a chain that has made a difference -- one person, one family, one case at a time. This month, let us resolve to strengthen this chain, bring stalkers to justice, and give hope to everyone who has suffered from this crime.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2014 as National Stalking Awareness Month. I call upon all Americans to recognize the signs of stalking, acknowledge stalking as a serious crime, and urge those affected not to be afraid to speak out or ask for help. Let us also resolve to support victims and survivors, and to create communities that are secure and supportive for all Americans.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

BARACK OBAMA

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/12/31/presidential-proclamation-national-stalking-awareness-month-2014