Week 6: Behind the Cape

I think we all know what a superhero is, though everyone's version may be a little different. Whether it's a firefighter, the guy with the red cape, or your mom - it doesn't really matter. If they're doing something that inspires others, then they probably qualify. I suppose there's a difference though between a hero and a superhero, but maybe it's just that the latter brings in more money. (That's probably not the whole story.)

In the recent history of popular culture, it's quite easy to see just how much comic book characters have penetrated mainstream culture. In fact, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of superheros now is Hollywood and theatrical trailers with epic soundtracks. So, it seemed relevant when I chose to attend a lecture called, "Psychology of Superheros" at the Women's Resources Center (which, by the way, is quickly becoming one of my new favorite places on campus).
    
The speakers were three men, one of whom was John Jennings, a former professor of graphic design here at the University of Illinois. It was interesting to see how superheros and comic books play a role in some of his current work. The other speakers seemed quite knowledgeable in their respective fields as well. Of course, at the time I didn't find it strange that our speakers were males only. This specific area of pop culture is very male-dominated, as indicated by the majority of masculine characters and overly-sexualized female ones. In fact, it was kind of funny when they noted how female superheroes were often drawn in such a way that their front and backs could partially be seen - nothing ambiguous about that. It's not just the depiction of women though that brings up a discussion about body image; popular heroes such as Batman have also been "bulkified"over the years (as shown below) to the point where the results are practically unattainable for the common man.    

The most striking thing that I got out of this conversation was learning how naive I am in regards to the social and political history that may have fueled much of the creation of superheros. Obviously the battle between good versus evil is evident, but to realize its relationship with actual historical events and figures is important.
One of the speakers, Mikhail Lyubansky, mentioned this quote by X-men writer Chris Claremont: "The X-men are hated, feared, and despised collectively by humanity for no other reason than that they are mutants. So what we have....intended or not, is a book that is about racism, bigotry, and prejudice." He also made correlations with the key X-Men characters Charles Xavier and Magneto to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X. Charles Xavier, the leader of the X-men, dreamed of a world in which humans and mutants could live in peace and unity. Magneto (the villain) also identified with the oppressed mutants but intended to liberate his people "by any means necessary." Although Lyubansky finds that these metaphors work to some extent, they are also flawed and damaging. Check out his article in Psychology Today to see more of his thoughts on the racial politics of X-Men: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/between-the-lines/201106/the-racial-politics-x-men

 

Week 5: Defining the "Dream"

Me looking scary with the flyer.

This week the Women's Resources Center hosted a workshop titled, "Finding Your Dream Job." Of course this was a fairly relevant topic for any college student, so I was surprised to see that only a few people (apart from Courtney, Roshni and myself) attended. I suppose one could easily find a boatload of information on the topic from the comfort of their own room, but there was something nice about having a small, intimate discussion in a warm and welcoming place complete with cookies.

The great thing about the small turnout was that it became more personalized towards our individual concerns, rather than just being about discovering our "dream jobs". After briefly introducing ourselves, our speaker from the Career Center, Amanda Cox, dove right in to help address any anxieties that we were facing - from giving pointers on how to handle a phone interview to helping an unsure freshman find a niche for herself. 

List of Things You Should Remember:

• You don't have to be perfect to get an internship.
• After sophomore year, leave out the high school stuff in resumes.
• Practice "The Elevator Pitch" - the brief intro about yourself. 
• Research businesses/employers beforehand.
• Show that you've done your homework.
• Remember that employers are human beings, too.
• Try to go early to career fairs. (The later you go, the more tired they will be.)
• It's always best to overdress than under dress in these situations.   
• At career fairs, don't go to your No. 1 choice first. Visit other booths first to get practice.
• Write out any questions you have beforehand. 
• "What do you like most about working here?" 
• "How did you get into the field/break into the industry?"
• Get your resume reviewed at The Career Center, or with advisors
• Attend on campus events such as "Pizza and a Professional" to hear about careers that interest you.
• Don't forget the employer's business card. 
• Email them later to thank them for coming.
• Jot some notes down to help you remember that person/multiple people.

The STAR Method:

If asked a behavioral-based interview question, think of the following.

S - set the scene, talk about the situation

T - task you were trying to achieve

A - action that you took

R - result or positive outcomes

-------------------------------------------------

Now back to the original topic of the "dream job." 

Interests vs. Skills vs. Values

-what you like to do---what you're good at doing---what's important to you-

In a nutshell, if you can find the perfect marriage between these 3 things...then you may have found your dream job. What's important to remember is that the path to finding it is not always clear-cut. As demonstrated in the slide above, Cox told us about the twists and turns that happened to her before she finally got to where she is today. At the end of the day, the dream job is all about you. There may be times in your career path where you could earn more money, but hate what you're doing. You don't want to be that person that wakes up Monday morning wanting to write this on the walls:

  Image from slacktory.com

Week 4: Bros before Ho(mos)

I'll be the first to admit that, as a female, I've often believed that men have it easier in life than most women do. In fact, this type of conversation gets brought up quite a bit when I'm with my other girl friends. It may be that we're just a bunch of jealous and hormonal creatures, but of course we all know that there's more to it than that; the issue of gender equality has been raging for many decades. Last Friday at the Women's Resources Center,  I experienced a slight shift in my perspective towards men though.
Kenneth Importante, Rory James, and Herb Jones were the three male speakers who led a discussion on "Bromance: Exploring the Rewards, Challenges, and Tensions of Men's Friendships," which was a part of the Diversity Ed's 'Conversation Cafe' Lunch On Us series.

Importante spoke to us about his experiences during his college years, a time when he was constantly self-aware of his behavior and actions because of the fact that he was gay. Being true to one's self, he said, was probably the most important virtue at the end of the day. At the moment, I certainly appreciated the inspirational message in his words. It's an ideal that many of us would aim for, but I can't help but wonder how often we are actually being "true" to ourselves.

The bulk of the conversation was initiated by images from their slideshow, as seen to the right.
During the 1960's, the "Rat Pack" was a star-studded male group of American actors and singers that appeared in films, including the likes of Frank Sinatra and Sammie Davis, Jr. The point being made was that back then it was probably unheard of to point out any homosexual undertones within popular culture, whereas today the male-to-male relationship is always being questioned. In our world where hetero-normative beliefs have always reigned supreme, the word "bromance" has come to have a very sexually charged connotation.
Tons of homoerotic imagery can be found just by doing a quick Google search of "bromance". Also, the phrase "no homo" has become a staple in the urban dictionary of the 21st century. A member of the audience shared an interesting example. While on Facebook, this person noticed that one of her female acquaintances also wrote "no homo" at the end of a wall post on another female's page - even though she was just expressing her love for the friendship. The existence of this phrase in modern culture seems to beg a larger conversation.

My perspective began to change the most when we started to talk about the bigger social and psychological issues at hand that today's men face. Regardless of sexual orientation, there is a strong need for males to have access to loving, platonic relationships with other males, but without the labels and assumptions that society has made. Why? One of the speakers explained that social support is lacking in college men. Expressing raw emotion is somewhat of a big "no no" in regards to masculinity, with the exception of sports of course. And because of that, males are more likely to keep pent-up feelings or serious concerns to themselves, which can certainly lead to destructive behavior. In order to get this deeper conversation going though, it seems like men will have to take their "bromances" beyond just the football field and gym.
               


      

Week 3: Yes, I do have power.

This week I had the opportunity to hear a wonderful man named Keith Boykin speak about his life, lessons, and beliefs. Although he doesn't look a day over thirty, he is actually a very accomplished 47-year-old African American who was once the highest ranking openly-gay individual in the White House during the Clinton administration. Most recently, he is known for being a New York Times best-selling author and political commentator.

Time after time, Boykin kept referring back to Robert Frost and "the road less traveled" -which to him meant not going to graduate school and corporate America. He instead chose to get involved with campaigning (which didn't always pay much), but ultimately traveled to all 48 contiguous states. His family often questioned his choices, but there was one unforgettable moment in which Boykin witnessed his mother's unconditional love - the day he came out to her as gay. He called her (and hung up) about three times before he was able to tell her. The room went dead silent as he told us the same words that he told his mother. For a few moments everyone was still, and then Boykin said that was the exact reaction she greeted him with - complete silence. It was broken when the first thing his mother said to him was, "I love you." For whatever reason, that almost made me cry.

Boykin's words had power to them. He told us about his frustrations when he attended Harvard Law school and found that diversity was sorely lacking among professors who taught there. The majority of instructors were heterosexual white males. Alongside other law students, he argued a case that discriminatory hiring processes were being used. Boykin believes that events like this have had a "ripple effect"; you never know when your words or actions could have an impact in the future. Harvard did make changes in the years following, and since then at least 2 women have became deans of the law school. What's interesting is that this was all happening right when I was born, around 20 years ago. And forty years before that moment, segregation was declared unconstitutional. Now, we just re-elected our first black president. It's all kind of mind blowing in some ways.

At some point in their lives, every child that is educated in America learns about the civil rights movement. Rarely though do you see it manifest in daily life today. There was something about Boykin that seemed to reflect the spirit of those movements. He believes in collective power, the opportunity to follow your dreams, and that a single person can make a difference in the world. He is convinced that some people will never learn to accept, that they will always discriminate - but ultimately those generations will fade away, along with their narrow mindsets.

He mentioned the memorable photo of Elizabeth Eckford, a member of the Little Rock nine, on her way to school. An angry mob surrounds her, presumably screaming profanities and threatening her life. Boykins asked, "How can you be so hateful? How can you justify your behavior?"

Photo by Will Counts

Event: An Evening with Keith Boykin: A Celebration of Black LGBT History Month
http://illinois.edu/calendar/detail/1137/27516029