- Both “Why I Want a Wife” by Judy Syfers and the “Always #LikeAGirl” video portray the same message through different means. Syfers writes about how women are expected to be almost like property or servants, available for any task at any time. The video uses a group of people to portray how the phrase “like a girl” is degrading. Even though they were written during different times, both pieces illustrate how females are still considered lower in society compared to males.
Author Archives: r.shnaydman
thesis
- Through the use of music and approach of using an audience, director Lauren Greenfield worked with the company “Always” to spread the general message of how common it is to degrade females.
- Both “Why I Want a Wife” by Judy Syfers and the “Always #LikeAGirl” video portray the same message through different means. Syfers writes about how women are expected to be almost like property or servants, available for any task at any time. The video uses a group of people to portray how the phrase “like a girl” is degrading. Even though they were written during different times, both pieces illustrate how females are still considered lower in society compared to males.
William Pope Crawl and Dudley Williams
At first after I watched both videos I was confused as to how it related to the topics we were learning. William Pope created a movement in which he crawled across the streets. One thing that struck William Pope, was when someone asked him why he was wearing a suit, despite his color, and why the person filming him was caucasian. William Pope’s crawling is meant make a statement about homelessness. He decided to start this, because he had family member who were living on the streets.
Both Dudley Williams videos are of an African American male dancing to “I Wanna Be Ready” by Alvin Alley. In my opinion, this video ties in with the vertical movement we have been studying all semester. Every time the song referenced death at all, the dancer was always closer to the floor than at the other parts of the song. The ground here might symbolize death and “putting on the long white robe” that relates to dying. He is trying to rid himself of all of his sins, and start over by becoming pure again.
Thesis
Both “Why I Want a Wife” by Judy Syfers and the “Always #Likeagirl” video portray the same message through different means. Syfers writes about how women are expected to be almost like property or servants, available for any task at any time. The video uses a group of people to portray how the phrase “like a girl” is degrading. Even though they were written during different times, both pieces illustrate how females are still considered lower in society compared to males.
Thesis
Harriet Jacobs writes about how the hardships she faced as a slave were nothing as compared her life with Dr. Flint. She began appreciating the little things and how in comparison to sleeping in a tilted small room in almost complete darkness with little air, and having mice and rats run around the room, nothing was worse than living with Dr. Flint.
TSQUAD
T-Squad uses choreography that is synchronized with its lyrics. The group to appear as role models for the listener and to motivates them to stay true to themselves, while always “rising up.”
Vertical
I chose the song “Vertical” by T-Squad from the movie “Jump In!”. The song is about reaching your goals and not being held down by anything. In the song the line “I won’t be held down, stuck here on the ground” is repeated several times. To me this line is about not letting anyone get into your way when you are set on a goal. This shows how the group is opposed to vertical movement, although they does not literally mean that they are stuck on the ground, the low point. Also, throughout the song they repeat how “they are rising up” and how they are constantly trying to improve. The movie “Jump In!” is about Izzy Daniels (Corbin Bleu) who starts jump roping, even though it was considered a feminine sport He sings this because he does not want anything to stop him from achieving his goal.
Vertical
Along with the vertical commuters, the dorm community would benefit if the commute to and from the dorms is addressed. Dorm life has been a quintessential trademark of the college life for a long time. Dormitories encourage students to make friends, to be more independent, and to be more productive by living together. The principle purpose of dorms is to create a sense of a community and of a second home. The location of the Baruch dorms become a huge barrier to this ideal. The college is located on 23rd street and Lexington, while the dorms are 70 blocks away on 97th street and 3rd, which equate to a half hour commute if the students are lucky. Unfortunately, sometimes the 6 train is delayed or has planned work.
A plausible solution would be implementing a shuttle bus service from the dorms to Baruch, similar to City College of New York. The shuttle bus service would create the feeling of closeness while not physically making the dorms any closer. These buses would be going in both directions, making the commute easier to and from Baruch. Events can then be hosted at the dormitory where the entire student body can share the dorming experience.
Although implementing shuttle buses would help make the dorms appear closer, instituting a bus system carries a financial burden. The cost of buses could be incorporated into the tuition. Currently, each member dorming spends about $800 a year on subway fare. Each student could pay about $500 more as part of their tuition, and this would cover the cost of the buses, gas, bus and bus driver salaries. Along with simplifying the commute from the dorms, this would also minimize the cost that students had to pay.
Introduction and Conclusion
Intro:
Esteemed faculty, students, and administrators, it has come to our attention that there are changes Baruch should make. We would like to propose several ideas that would ensure for a better school, and a better learning environment. We understand that 90 million dollars are already being given to better Baruch, but we have some additional requests. We hope you take these into consideration, as it is in the best interest for everyone. We would like a shuttle bus service to be implemented from the dorms to the school. This would connect the two buildings. Also, we would like to have a more green campus. Planting trees would help achieve this, or starting a roof-top garden. Lastly, we already are aware that money is being given for elevator repair, but we would like if this could be done as efficiently as possible to not interrupt the flow of traffic and make it any worse than it already is. These changes would make Baruch a better school than it already is.
Conclusion:
Imagine walking outside of your dormitory and getting on a free shuttle that drops you off right in front of your school. After taking our your ID card and walking through the revolving doors, you see no lines for the elevators and you decide to take it all the way to the top, since you have time before your next class. You get off at the top floor, the “green-roof.” You find a nice bench underneath a tree, and you sit down to review your notes before class. This is something that seems almost impossible, but can easily be achieved. We would like this to be an ordinary day at Baruch college, but we need your help in order to make that possible.
Having a wife?
About a month ago, I came across an advertisement for the company “Always.” In the video, young females, who have not yet gone through puberty, were asked to do run, kick, throw “like a girl.” These children all ran as fast as they could and followed the tasks to the best of their ability. The people filming the advertisement asked older males and females to complete the same tasks also “like a girl.” The older group did not run fast and they did not try when fighting. Later, when both groups were told that doing things “like a girl” should not mean anything negative, most of the participants tried again and ran their hardest.
Although this video does not describe gender roles the same way as Judy Syfers, it is related. The company “Always” is trying to show that girls are no worse than boys. Syfers sarcastically tries to make the same point. Being a wife should not mean that you have to do everything around the house, care for the children, cook food, clean, shop, and above all be faithful. All of these things can be done by men the same way.