Gandhi Center Internship for Fall 2010

The Mahatma Gandhi Center for Global Nonviolence at JMU invites rising Juniors and Seniors (and exceptional rising sophomores) with strong leadership and academic backgrounds to be part of affecting change at the local, regional, and national levels through promoting nonviolence understanding, appreciation, and practice. Application materials and details are on the Center's website.

Busting the Media Myth that Feminism Is Finished

Susan J. Douglas's new book, Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message that Feminism's Work is Done is reviewed and excerpted on National Public Radio's website this week. I hope you'll take a look because Douglas considers the same questions we've been asking lately in our class--on women's under-representation in the upper echelons of the work force and in government; and on whether women who choose to be objectified in media representations are actually exercising autonomous sexual power. Plus, Douglas is wickedly funny. Her tone is imminently readable while simultaneously reminding female readers of the dangers of sounding dumb.

First Step Shelter Benefit Show 3/22, 7pm, TDU

Support the local domestic violence shelter with donations and non-perishable food items. See JMU and local performers. Sponsored by JMU Now. Contact: jmunow@gmail.com. This is an event supported by one of our class groups' community activism project.

House of Privilege: Chandler 3/22-24

In this experiential museum, participants are led through rooms of a house and observe scenes that highlight how privilege creates inequities in our society. Following the 20-minute tour of the house, participants take part in a brief facilitated reflection. Each room also contains “Windows of Opportunity” which share ways participants can act to level the playing field and embrace difference in their own lives.

Group sign-ups guarantee tours of up to 12 people. HOP can split larger groups into back-to-back tours. TIMES: 6 pm to 9 pm with tours leaving every 15 minutes. Pre-arranged group reservations take precedent over walk-ins; upon arrival individual walk-ins will be given a ticket with an assigned time for the nest available tour. Groups of five or more are invited to sign up for reserved times. To sign up for a slot, or to get more information, please contact Greg Meyer, meyergi@jmu.edu, 540-568-6218. To volunteer, click here.

VA Attorney General Bans Anti-Gay Discrimination

This article from the Associate Press continues our class discussion from Friday on legalized discrimination against the LGBTQ community: the Virginia Attorney General recently ordered state universities and colleges to remove sexual orientation from their anti-discrimination policies.

NPR Series on Campus Rape: Repeat Offenders, Failed Justice

NPR has been running a series of interviews, articles, and exposes on the continuing problem of rape on college campuses. The latest installment cites a recent study that finds 9 out of 10 campus rapists are repeat offenders, not single-incident occurrences. You can follow the links along this article's left and right margins to see other reports in the series. Given the upcoming Take Back the Night event here at JMU, and given our class discussions on women's sexuality and our culture's prevalence of gendered violence, I hope you'll take the time to read and comment on these articles.

TAKE BACK THE NIGHT 3/23, 6-10pm: The Commons

Take Back the Night is a night dedicated to raising awareness about ending sexual assault and violence against both men and women on college campuses and around the world. The event increases community awareness about sexual assault, serves as a voice for men and women to speak out about their experiences, and empowers each of us to take action.

6pm: Musical and dramatic performances
6:45pm-7:30pm: Dr. Rachel Griffin, Keynote Speaker. The speech is a PASSPORT EVENT. The keynote speech will be followed by a speak-out and a candle-lit march around campus. Dr. Griffin's research spans gendered violence, performance, Black masculinity, and critical race theory. Her work addresses notions of power, privilege, and voice.