Photo by Viktor Talashuk on Unsplash As the smell of fresh pencils, pumpkin spice, and anxiety wafts through the air, another back-to-school ritual returns like clockwork: the enforcement of school dress codes. On paper, these policies are meant to “create a distraction-free learning environment.” In practice? They overwhelmingly target girls, reinforcing harmful ideas about modesty,...
Photo by Batu Gezer on Unsplash Scrolling through TikTok or Instagram Reels, it’s hard to miss the captions: “I’m just a girl 🥺” — as someone admits to skipping work responsibilities or spending the day in bed.“Girl dinner ✨” — a plate of crackers, cheese cubes, and maybe a pickle, framed like a quaint lifestyle...
Photo by Tide_trasher_x on Unsplash “Camp” is one of those words we often hear but struggle to define. Is it glitter? Is it drag? Is it kitsch? Is it just bad taste turned good? The truth is, camp has a long, rich history that’s deeply rooted in queer aesthetics, theatricality, and a rejection of traditional...
On paper, Canisius University was everything I wanted: small class sizes, a strong communication program, and a mission rooted in Jesuit values—justice, service, and community. And for a while, it felt like the right place. I met professors who challenged me, friends who uplifted me, and classmates who taught me what solidarity truly means. But...
Photo by Andreea Juganaru on Unsplash Denim Day was a few days ago, but I can’t just move on like the rest of the world seems to. Because what we’re talking about on Denim Day—sexual violence, harassment, trauma, and the ongoing failure of institutions to protect survivors—doesn’t go away when the hashtags fade or the...
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash What is feminism? Feminism is a belief system, a movement, a piece of history, and so much more. Throughout the course of this semester, we have studied feminism, discussing feminist scholars, visual media, and our own experiences as women. Feminism is a commonly misunderstood movement, as some people don’t...
In light of the “Canisius Cupcake Wars” published a few months ago, Brianna Nosal and I want to give the opinion of Canisius’ pro-choice students who attended the Plan B event. We would like to mention that while I have been awarded for my abortion activism on campus, the Canisius University Griffin Newspaper is still...
Photo by Sinitta Leunen on Unsplash Third and Fourth Wave Feminism are academically argued waves of feminism, as their qualities aren’t as apparent as First and Second Wave Feminism. In this post, I will dive into the concepts of zines and how digital zines and social media have impacted Fourth Wave Feminism in the 2010s...
On February 29th, 2024, I received an email with the subject line “Congratulations!” With my curious personality, I decided to immediately open this email to figure out why I would be congratulated. In opening this email, I found out that I was being awarded a Lorch Award (The Dr. I. Joan Lorch Award for Women...
Photo by Olena Bohovyk on Unsplash Social and legal name changes are a popular topic within the queer and trans community. But, while it’s become easier to change your name on your government I.D. in certain states/countries, it is much harder to change your name as an author in a well-established career. This question came...