Reclaiming the Domestic: tonight! at the TEDxGallatinSeniorSymposium

{image courtesy of TEDxGallatin.com; words courtesy of me *note my awkwardly large hand…21 years and I still haven’t figured them out}

Tonight is the TEDxGallatinSeniorSymposium (wow, that’s a mouthful) where I and some other amazing fellow seniors are giving presentations on topics related to our concentrations at Gallatin. My talk is called “Reclaiming the Domestic: farm women’s invisible feminism and sustainability.”

If you’ve never met a Gallatin student, then let me explain a little something about ourselves; we’re nerds. HUGE nerds. (Obviously that can’t be said for all Gallatin students, but I think it’s a safe assumption having spent the past two years immersed in Gallatin student culture.) Because Gallatin students create their own concentrations and curricula, Gallatin students are incredibly passionate about what they study, and they’re also really interesting people. Unfortunately there is an assumption around NYU that Gallatin students are the overly-ideal, hippie-dippies who have no sense of reality or structure; we’re the Hufflepuffs of NYU. Outsiders think we’re just floating around NYU, taking courses in jewelry making or “women’s textiles” (yes, I’ve taken both) and wasting a $200,000 degree. I’ve even over-heard NYU student ambassadors telling prospective students on tours as they point to the Gallatin building, “You can major in anything you want, like Bob the Builder.” Of course, parents and students scoff at so obviously a stupid choice of schooling. Well, let me tell you something Mr. Know-It-All NYU Student Ambassador, that kid majoring in “Bob the Builder” was probably looking into the cultural significance of a children’s cartoon character, questioning our assumptions of masculinity, how they relate to child psychology and neuroscience, and what ‘Bob the Builder’ implies about blue-collar professions within a white collar society. What now, Classics major!

For the record, I don’t know anyone majoring in Bob the Builder, and I have nothing against Classics majors. But if you find yourself among this incredulous cohort, then attend tonight’s TEDxGallatinSeniorSymposium and witness first-hand the genius of Gallatin students. Don’t forget to check out the TEDxGallatin site to read about the other awesome seniors presenting at tonight’s event. See you there!