Drake Women’s and Gender Studies

The state capitals, how to write an essay, the lyrics to Remix to Ignition. I’ve learned a lot of important things in my educational career so far. From the tangible and concrete to the purely theoretical, my time at Drake has allowed me to expand my intellectual horizons. And while I’ve had the opportunity to experience a wide range of academic subjects, I can confidently say none has been more important that my foray into Women’s and Gender Studies.

If you’re picturing barefoot women parading around in the grass, reading Gloria Steinem, you’re completely off base…okay, so maybe not completely. But the point is that Women’s and Gender Studies at Drake is complex and multi-faceted. It’s more than reading the theory of Betty Friedan, Simone de Beauvoir, and Judith Butler. It’s Beyoncé, it’s Portlandia, it’s Britney Spears. Issues of feminism and the performance of gender are in the very fabric of our culture, economy, and political system.

It wasn’t until I came to Drake that I was really able to grasp that truth. Until I took classes about Women’s European History, Feminist Theory in Popular Culture, and the Salem Witch Trials that challenged the way I thought about gender and made me question my own thoughts and beliefs. I really can’t overstate how important this has been in my college career. I mean, after all, what is higher education for if not to provoke growth, spur discussion, and develop new perspectives?

Now, Drake is not Oberlin. The University strives to prepare students with a mix of liberal arts skills, but also focuses heavily on professional preparation. And while that’s great and important, I think it can sometimes take too much precedence. You’ll have the rest of your life to work in Excel spreadsheets, memorize chemical compounds, or refine your journalism skills. But you may only have one opportunity to have a big, fascinating discussion about what gender means, where our ideas originate from, and the reality of equality.

Sorry if I’m a liberal arts student cliché right now, but I firmly believe that Drake would be an even better place to learn if everyone had the opportunity to experience at least one Women’s and Gender Studies class. I mean, it’s not my job to tell people what to learn, but I guess I’m telling everybody what to learn right now. As a senior, I have that authority, right? So do it. Take a Drake Intro Gender Studies class. And watch it transform the rest of your life.

In Defense of University Liberal Arts

The joke is a familiar one: University liberal arts provide students the opportunity to grow uselessly knowledgeable about esoteric (usually left-leaning) subjects all while pouring thousands of dollars the drain. Okay, I didn’t say it was a particularly funny joke. But as someone who entered into college a devout English major at Drake, you better believe I’ve heard all the criticism before. Things like ”Why are you paying to read books? Wouldn’t a business degree be more helpful? So are you a socialist now? Who even cares about these old dead guys?” Although that last question has the hint of a valid point, overall, I’ve dismissed these challenges because I believed firmly in the value of my liberal arts education. And as a senior, I now stand vindicated in my beliefs. I mean, I haven’t gotten a job yet, so maybe I should hold off on the parade, but I do believe my humanities education has served me pretty well so far.

The thing is that as a Drake English major, I don’t learn facts or readings or poems or even novels. I learn new ways to think about the world around me. I’ve had my notions challenged, and have grown as a person because of it. I know the term “critical thinking” is a buzzword or sorts that gets thrown around a lot these days, but my Drake humanities classes really have helped me to critically consume information and express my thoughts about it. Although I don’t want to disparage the benefits of professionally-targeted degrees (I am also a journalism major after all), I know that because I chose to study liberal arts, I can now look at things from different points of view instead of just one. I’ve experienced philosophy, gender theory, history, politics, pop culture, science, classic literature, sociology, and a whole lot more in my Drake classes.

Because I’ve had these educational opportunities, I feel like I’m more engaged in the world. I’m a better citizen, a better person, and I’m even infinitely more prepared to enter the real world after college. It may sound counterintuitive, but my humanities classes are the reason I can problem solve, empathize, communicate with others, and approach issues from new perspectives. I’m not saying that I’ll get a job because I’ve studied the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, but I am saying the skills I used to read, understand, and discuss Heidegger should serve me well in whatever my future endeavors are.

So my advice? Study the liberal arts in some way, shape, or form. I was lucky because at Drake it’s easy to pick up a double major. I’ve gotten both some great practical experience from being a journalism student and all the other benefits of my English degree. But whatever the situation, just take liberal arts classes you’re interested in, even if, and especially if, they’re something new and challenging. I promise, it’ll serve you well in the long run. And as to those people who criticize your foray into the humanities? Well in the words of another brilliant philosopher, Miss Taylor Swift, “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate.”

Top 5 Varsity Theatre Moments

As your everyday American human, I like movies. In fact I like ‘em a lot. When I came to Drake I was worried that I wouldn’t get to see as many movies as I did in St. Louis. Moving away from my regular theaters and Blockbuster store (no, I’m not gonna get over it) was in fact kind of traumatic. Luckily, Des Moines has proved a good place to keep up my theatrical hobby. From trips to the ever-cool Fleur, to our own Free Movie Friday nights on campus, the cinema abounds.

But there’s one place that has the greatest claim on my heart: The Varsity Theatre. Literally right across the street from campus, The Varsity is an old-fashioned movie house in the best way possible. Tickets are affordable and concessions are downright criminally cheap compared to the megaplexes. You can get a popcorn, drink, and candy all for $5. It’s ridiculous. Ridiculously great. They show one movie at a time and it’s always a good one. Ranging from critical darlings to foreign favorites to the best of the indie world, the movies at the Varsity run for a couple weeks, and you should catch them all if you can.

The best part is just how it feels to watch a movie at the Varsity. With a family run atmosphere and the comfort of living in small town America, trips to the Varsity are like entering into some sort of Disney community of charm, friendliness, and camaraderie. I’ve had a lot of good memories there so far, and hope for many more. In celebration of this great place and Drake neighborhood hallmark, I countdown some of my favorite moments at the Varsity Theatre.

1. A Separation

I saw this incredible Iranian film with a group of friends, one of whom I’m pretty sure didn’t know it was Iranian. I mean, he figured it out about halfway in. Anyway it’s a beautiful and complicated film and just one example of the opportunities the Varsity provides. When A Separation won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film later that year, we could all casually mention to our other friends that we saw it months ago and really loved it.

2. Liberal Arts

In a very different vein, this indie comedy was the creation of Josh “Ted Mosby” Radnor and it was pretty great. I went to see it with my good friend and first year roommate and we laughed obnoxiously together the entire way through. But since I knew the other people in the theatre, it was okay. With a focus on jackets with elbow pads, pseudo-intellectual musings on the humanities, and the force of impeding adulthood beyond education, Liberal Arts had a lot going for it. I just wish it was a little more relatable…

3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

It was raining. I was feeling a little down and in desperate need of a study break.  Luckily, the impeccable Jimmy Stewart was there for me. On a whim, I decided to head to the Varsity and see one of my favorite classics on the big screen. And Jimmy’s naïve moral strength in the face of the political machine was just what I needed to rally my spirits.

4. Inside Llewyn Davis

I actually just saw this one last night with my friend…and all of Des Moines. As a testament to how many people wanted to experience the Cohen Bro’s latest at the Varsity, the theatre was packed for its opening night, even during an ice storm. If you like great music, producers named T-Bone, and appearances by His Highness Justin Timberlake, this is the movie for you. But it was also really sad and nerve-wracking with typical trademarks of Cohen-level suspense.

5. Amour

I don’t want to say that this French drama about an aging couple is the saddest movie I’ve ever seen, but I cried all the way through it and for roughly 2 days afterwards. I later talked to a friend who also happened to be in the theatre that day and he compared the experience to the heartache of 20 Adele albums. So, yeah, it was heavy stuff. My friends and I went through some serious tissues. But when we all emerged into the Varsity lobby, red-eyed and sniffling, there was this sense that everyone in the room had this shared cultural and emotional experience. And isn’t that exactly what going to the movies is supposed to be about?

For more on the Varsity, check out their website.