Community Check-in #2

Hello! Welcome!

Welcome to October! This semester is flying by and I am excited to keep moving along! Here is what has been happening in my Feminist Rhetoric course. . .

Looking Outward. . .

We have reached the mid-point of the semester and are circling midterm season. As this class has progressed, we have expanded our knowledge of feminist rhetoric and engaged with several different types of content! I have become more and more knowledgeable about what feminist rhetoric is and how to identify it.

As we were getting ready to start our Rhetorical Analysis assignment, Ms. B gave us an example of her work about Ariana Grande's "7 Rings." Being that I am a big Ariana Grande fan, I enjoyed and appreciated how we were given a piece that relates to popular culture. One of my classmates, Emmy Jones, always has great perspectives on the content we see in class. We were asked, "How is Grande's song/music video an example of feminist rhetoric(s), based on our discussions thus far?" Emmy pointed out how Grande incorporates many elements of feminist rhetoric, and the song "7 Rings" emphasizes how Grande sings about being a successful pop star without a man. She is writing about her experiences as a woman, which is a feminist rhetorical strategy discussed by Ronald and Ritchie, and employing visuals in her music video to emphasize this. My other classmates mentioned similar ideas and concluded that Grande's song and music video are great examples of how feminist rhetoric can be seen in music. This discussion helped me to decide that I wanted to write a song for my rhetorical analysis, and I took what we learned in class and utilized it in my project.

To continue to support my success in this class, Ms. B can continue to have engaging topics and examples! I particularly enjoy it when we are asked to analyze popular culture for class discussions rather than long readings. I have noticed that when we do this, there is more engagement from the class that day! Also, I think it is a great way to show us how feminist rhetoric is everywhere and how we can recognize it in everyday places.

Looking inward. . .

A time I have contributed in class is when we have had breakout rooms. I enjoy this because it relieves the pressure of speaking in front of the entire class. I prefer a more intimate conversation, and since this class is on Zoom it can be difficult to engage. The other day, we were split into groups to discuss the next assignment, "The UnEssay." I appreciate how Ms. B asks us what we like about assignments, what we would change, and what we need clarification on. It makes me feel like she cares about our success. My group and I discussed how this next assignment is exciting and allows us to explore our creative side. I told my group that the assignment sheet is straightforward and provides the perfect amount of information. I shared how I think Ms. B has been a great instructor and how I feel seen in this class.

In terms of class discussion, I contributed to the conversation about Audre Lorde's "The Master's Tools." I enjoyed this piece because Lorde brought up the point that she was speaking at a conference about marginalized groups, but she still felt like the conference organizers did not do enough preparation to make the event feel like the cause at hand. She is a Black, Lesbian woman who was asked to speak about the issues of feminism and marginalization, and yet she felt marginalized by the event. She was asked to speak only hours prior, and she noted that poor women are typically excluded from the conversation. She felt as though white feminists still need more education about feminism, and there is still a large divide. I think this conversation is really important because feminism is supposed to be for everyone, and I asked the question of whether or not anything is being done if we continue to group people and exclude others. I shared that I enjoyed Lorde's perspective and I agreed with what she had to say.

That's a wrap! Thank you for tuning into this week's post! I am excited to see what the rest of this semester holds and how this second half will unfold. Bye for now!

Abigail Merzel!