Winter 2022 Last Words
From my WWU WGSS 212 Feminist Theory students:
I appreciated learning about many marginalized groups in this class, as I was previously uneducated. I really loved the emphasis on false feminism and how true feminism is not about hating men or raising women above everyone, but rather being loving and inclusive to ALL people and striving to dismantle interconnected oppressions in order to receive justice and equity for everyone.
I appreciate so much from this class, its hard to put into words. I was shown that being queer, disabled, and diasporic does not have to hold me back from a doctorates degree, teaching, and caring for myself whilst working towards a transformed society. It taught me how to weave many theories of intersectional feminism into a cohesive big picture. It also showed me how multiply marginalized people can use their voice in order to change the society we live in. It also taught me about no-wave feminism and the past and ongoing contributions of intersectional feminists.
I appreciated learning about my peers and their own experiences as members of different communities. This class taught me many topics that I had no prior knowledge, and I can say that I will be leaving this class with more knowledge than most other classes.
I appreciated learning from everyone this class. I hope this quarter doesn't bring an end but rather a spot for more learning and growing to occur.
In this class, I appreciated how safe and loving everyone made each class meeting. I also greatly appreciated learning from my peers as well as being able to connect with new people. My last words for the class are: Thank you, I appreciate you, and I hope our paths cross again!!
I really appreciated the honesty and community within this class. I think that Dr. Paul as well as all the students created an environment that was really conducive to sharing feelings and thoughts. This class was for sure the most inclusive and positive class I have had at Western where I felt safe to express my thoughts and concerns. I hope that everyone has a great Spring quarter and can take all the honesty and positivity that we learned from this class into our other classes at Western.
I have learned a lot this quarter and it has broadened my views for the better. I appreciate the inclusivity and positivity throughout the classes. I truly felt included as this is the one class I felt safe in expressing my thoughts. Although I've never opened my camera or talked in person because of anxiety I hope we can all keep in touch. This class felt like a family and I hope everyone feels the same.
I appreciated learning all the multiply marginalized histories and issues that previous K-12 education has failed to teach me. I learned so much yet there are still so many activists and books to learn from. I am excited to look at the materials mentioned in class to continue my learning.
My last words for the class is thank you all. This class created such a welcoming and caring environment. I haven't experienced a class that felt this accessible and supportive of everyone. I was so happy to meet you all and learn from you. Don't be a stranger! Feel free to reach out to me for anything, I would love to keep in touch! I hope you all have a wonderful spring break!
I loved the entire environment of the class, as it always felt so supportive and like such a great place to learn. I was so happy to be taught about indigenous struggles and two-spirit identities, I didn't know these things before but it is so important, especially where we are and the land that has been colonized. I appreciated connecting with everyone so much. I fell in love with afrofuturism, and I'd love to explore this further. The idea of not just accepting POC, but LOVING them and shaping the world around meeting their needs so they can explore rich futures of their creativity. 🙂 Image: two women of color facing each other with "black feminist future" written between them and red stars scattering the background.
I appreciated the vulnerability of my classmates as it made me feel comforted and willing to share my own thoughts. I also enjoyed learning more about intersectionality and how I can be more intersectional and accessible with my feminism.
I very much appreciated learning about all of the different marginalized communities and intersectional feminism. My last words for this class are that this is by far my most inclusive and engaging class, and probably my favorite so far. I have loved learning and discussing different topics with all of you, and I hope that I will meet some of you again in future classes.
I am so appreciative of the openness that everyone has shared in this class and presented a type of learning that accommodates to all types of people. It was so enlightening to hearing everyone's perspectives on feminism and different real-world experiences revolving around multiple forms of discrimination that I will never experience. Thank you for being so kind and creating such a great environment!!
I appreciated learning about the different types of feminisms that we have in this society. Coming into this class, I had no idea how widespread it is and just how many different people are actively working towards a better future.
My last words for this class would be to not stop learning about others' stories and to continue to do your part in this world. Find your creative outlet and let yourself shine through it, and I genuinely hope the very best for everyone here since there are so many strong voices.
Thank you so much for this experience and I know I will hold this class close to my heart in the future.
I appreciated learning the history of feminist theory, it was interesting to see how much deep trauma has come out of colonization and how it still affects our present day. My last words for the class are, thank you for creating such a safe, and healthy environment for all of us to learn in.
I loved this class! I appreciate what an amazing teacher Dr. Paul is and am grateful for everything I learned. I also learned so much from other members of this class and I enjoyed getting to know my group members. My favorite part of this class was discovering new feminist activists and reading and listening to their words. I am sad that this class is ending, it's been an amazing experience.
I appreciate how much we got to learn in this class and how Dr. Paul always found really good material for us to use. I also appreciate how kind everyone is!
I've learned a lot through this class, and much of it has been through other students. It's been great having such a welcoming class that really appreciates everyone.
I enjoyed learning everything in this class especially from one another. I hope we can all move forward with this knowledge and create a better future for each other!
I really appreciate the comfortable space that was created in this class. I enjoyed feeling totally comfortable being able to share with my peers with complete honesty. I also enjoyed and appreciate learning about intersectional feminism. It is something I had never heard about before or was taught. So this class was eye opening and I feel like it definitely broadened my world view which is something I aspire to do through my education. My last words are that I want to express the utmost gratitude to my group and the larger group along with Dr. Paul. I thoroughly enjoyed this class and Dr. Paul made it such a comfortable understand environment. It is refreshing to have a professor who understands and makes it a point to make sure their students are doing well. Thank you.
I appreciate the intersectionality around feminism this class teaches. I had my apprehensions that it would be all about women, but I have learned that many and most feminist movements are for all people and living beings of all identities and backgrounds. I would like to leave everyone with the thought that no matter who you are, where you come from, and what you need, YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH. You do not need to change, the system needs to change. Do your best (while respecting your needs and space) to advocate for systematic change. The image that I have found to be most powerful/intersectional is the image showing reality, equality, equity, and justice/liberation.
From my WWU WGSS 213 Queer Studies students:
I loved learning not only some of the history about the intersectionality of queer/sexuality studies, but also the modern issues we are facing as well. I knew that people of the LGBTQ+ community were facing some discrimination but I had no idea it was as bad as it really is. I am thankful to be so much more educated on these topics as it helps me grow and become a better ally to promote change! You are the greatest teacher I have probably ever had and I respect you and the rest of the community so much. I am so happy I joined this class and will definitely try to keep in touch!
I really appreciated learning more about marginalized communities that are seldom talked about/supported, such as the Two-Spirit community. I also really valued learning more about intersectionality, systems, and how marginalized communities are affected by issues (such as immigration or incarceration) much more than others due to systematic oppression. I also really appreciated how accessible this class was and how kind the community was. Thank you for everything, Dr. Paul!
I really appreciated learning about intersectionality and how people with intersectional identities are often left out of the "queer" conversations. I want to thank each and every one of you for your perspectives as it is so important to learn from.
I appreciated learning about various perspectives on queerness, such as Black perspectives or Native perspectives. I like that it was not just focusing on mainstream Western queer perspectives. I'm glad I go to meet all the cool people I did in this class! The photo I picked to represent intersections queer and sexuality studies shows hands of people who are of different races reaching out toward each other. Intersectional queer and sexuality studies are about reaching out and calling people in to learn more about the world around us.
I appreciated learning about Indigenous Two-Spirit people. I don't think I've ever had a class that focused on the topics we focused on in this class and I really appreciated everything we learned. Thank you Dr. Abustan!
I really appreciated learning about two-spirit people for the first time as well as seeing lots queer representation from people of all races, genders, sexualities, abilities, etc. This class has been a loving and accepting safe place where I felt able to share more with my peers than I would have in any other class, all thanks to Dr. Abustan's openness and grace while teaching this course. I am going to use the art that I added into my final presentation to represent what Intersectional queer & sexuality studies means to me because I feel that butterflies represent growth, beauty, and freedom.
I appreciated learning about culturally, racially, and sexually diverse identities and experiences this quarter, from you Dr. Abustan and all of our classmates who had unique perspectives. I appreciated and enjoyed all the little activities/discussions; while very informational, this was a fun class. To me, intersectional queer and sexuality studies means being authentically yourself and claiming your space in society. It means accepting ALL that you are, and all that others are. It means.
I really enjoyed learning about the ideas of intersectional queerness and how queering is related to any identity or experience that goes against the "normative" system. I love how much queer love and support there was in this class and in the readings and films!! The one book that interested me the most was Spaces Between Us. I learned a lot about modern queer deconstruction and decolonization as well as two spirit identities and histories. Thank you Dr. Paul for a deeply educational and thoughtful class!
I love how understanding this class was! Everyone I interacted with was so patient as we navigated the quarter. It can sometimes be scary to ask questions, especially when its regarding a culture or identity that is not your own, but the group created a safe environment to learn more about queer identity and how it is represented by other communities!
I loved being in this class and expanding my knowledge on intersectionality issues and hearing all the opinions from all my classmates and being able to learn from them. Thank you Dr. Paul for creating such a safe and inviting environment for class every day!
I appreciated everything, I got perspectives I never understood before. I'm going to miss this class a lot. I hope everyone in this class finishes off the quarter on a good note!
I really appreciated learning about the different categories of privilege as well as the difference between equality and equity. I think that can be helpful in understanding intersectional queer studies.
I really appreciated learning about Two-Spirit people! It was a term I had heard before, maybe because of school or something, and I knew the general idea behind it. I was glad I was able to go more in-depth about this term and its significance. I really appreciated your passion for this class and the topics we covered.
I really appreciate the love and supportiveness that not only the students had in this class but also done by Dr. Abustan. Having such a supportive community in a class makes learning way more fun!
From my WWU WGSS 368 WoC in the US students:
I appreciated the kindness and joy Dr. Paul shows every class. Although this class has a lot of tough topics, Dr. Paul is such a beacon of light and positivity. The support, access, compassion and love shown has been such a positive experience. I’m feeling bittersweet about the end of this class, but I look forward to seeing what everyone does in the future. Learning the names and being able to label these ideas, has been healing. Learning from each other has been such a great experience.
I appreciate the safe and gentle learning environment Dr. Paul has created in this class and I've enjoyed getting to learn the thoughts and perspectives of my fellow classmates. I also really appreciate being able to learn about intersectional BIPOC feminisms from so many different perspectives through amazing course texts, films, and lectures. Last, I appreciate learning about the ways that BIPOC activists are fighting for new ways of living and being since this has helped me to imagine a loving and equitable world where joy, rest, and compassion are prioritized and systems of oppression are dismantled.
I would like to emphasize how much I have appreciated this class! I appreciated the wide range of perspectives we were able to hear from throughout this class and I appreciate the conversations we were able to have in class. Thank you Dr. P and everyone for making this class a safe and positive learning environment! I appreciated the structure as well, especially because this was an online class. I thought it was organized very well. I've inserted an image referencing intersectionality that I think is a great visual aid! Thank you!
Thank you so much to Dr. Paul and all of you for making this class such a compassionate, safe space to learn about BIPOC feminisms!! I appreciate this course so much -- I feel like I learned from so many diverse BIPOC feminist voices, which is rare in WWU WGSS classes. I really enjoyed the assigned readings and course lectures/media. Most of all, I loved connecting with Dr. Paul and my classmates during discussions, especially with my small group members.
First I have to say I loved this class! It is so refreshing to read work written by women of color as that can be a rare experience in the academic institution. I loved how we were all able to discuss real-world issues that affect women of color, which can sometimes be a difficult and raw conversation to have. Dr. Paul really has made this class so comfortable to participate in and it does feel like a safe place to have these discussions. I really valued all of my classmate's input as it was also a learning experience for me. To me, BIPOC feminism centers the voices of women who have been historically silenced and disrespected.
Throughout this course I appreciated the support that everyone has offered to each other and the way that we took time to learn and not favor a certain subject/topic over the others. It’s not often that you are surrounded by those that may share the same ideals or cares that you have and in this quarter I was able to do so.
My last words to my class would be to continue to be awesome and strong. You are all amazing as you are.
I enjoyed the real connections that I have gained from this class within small groups. In this class, I learned a lot about the harms of white feminisms and how they exclude the lived material realities of BIPOC individuals. I appreciated everyone's input, and when I expressed a part of our curriculum that did not sit well with me. I felt like my opinion really mattered.
Major class takeaways: 1. Centering BIPOC thoughts, histories, ideas, and relevant supportive actions, not just bodies and token visibility. 2. Mindfulness about the need to dismantle SYSTEMS of oppression, and the awareness that we can remain complicit in systems while denouncing them.
From my UWB SES DS 470 Disability Culture students:
Thank you so much Professor Abustan for an amazing and very insightful quarter! I enjoyed this course very much and cannot wait to use the information I gathered for my daily life and future working with all children because each person is entitled to receive proper and quality care regardless of their backgrounds, disabilities, and color of their skin! I hope to see you around and meet you in person! Wishing you the best as well!
I loved learning about disability culture throughout the quarter, as this is a topic that I have not learned a lot about, and I would just like to thank my classmates and especially Dr. Paul for making this class such a welcoming, supportive, and engaging course! I think Dr. Paul really demonstrated what disability culture looks like not only in a classroom setting, but how we can also foster these supportive spaces in our lives as well. Thank you again!
I chose to include this image because it has so many descriptive words and it's very complex. I feel like intersectional disability culture is just that and it's a whole array of different things, people, feelings, emotions, and things. This image has so many parts to it and it's so great for someone who is just starting to get educated on the topic, because it encompasses a lot of important parts. I actually really enjoyed the presentations that we started yesterday it was really nice being able to hear everyone's different perspectives and takes on certain issues. I appreciate absolutely everything that I learned in this class it was all really new to me and opened my eyes to other issues in our world that don't get talked about enough. I also really enjoyed getting to learn about such important people within the disabled community, as well as all the amazing advocates we got to dive deeper on.
As we wrap the quarter up, what intersectional disability means to me is to embrace everyone for their own unique abilities and not to judge ones ability by the merits of someone else. We all thrive in different settings and environments, but in doing so it does not and should not diminish someone else's capabilities. Trying to encompass everyone's unique ability is a process and we must remove ourselves from the traditionally sense in which we were taught but also divided so heavily by disabled communities. Allowing individuals to be independent, making conscious decisions and thrive on their own without the surveillance of them or pressuring them to confine into societies norms.
It has been an amazing quarter, and I have learned so many important things that everyone in ALL communities should be educated on. My photo describes what intersectional disability culture means to me because it shows most of the aspects that are very significant in creating a better society such as inclusion, respect, care, diversity, support, access, and equal opportunity.
I appreciated how this class helped me open up my perspective and learn new things about disability culture, and see how disability culture is all around us. I think it is especially applicable because I currently work with children on the spectrum and think the content I learned in this class will be applicable for my future career with how I want to help make the world a more inclusive place for all. Thank you to Professor Abustan for being such anunderstanding and accommodating teacher; it is refreshing to see a teaching environment that is not focused on one way of learning.
In this class, I really appreciated getting to learn from my peers and how their experiences have shaped the way they view the world. Each of my peers have a valuable perspective that in some way have changed my view on certain things. Thank you all for being so open and willing to share.
This image best describes what intersectional disability culture means. There are no solid colors, each color is overlapping whether thats just over one color or multiple. Each person is different and expresses themselves differently. In this class I GREATLY appreciated the emphasis on acceptance and understanding. This is something I never really got in High School which was demotivating to even continue my learning journey, but ever since attending UWB I have been supported more than ever by my professors, and especially in this class. Thank You class for a great quarter, and thank you Doctor Paul for being a great educator.
I really enjoyed hearing from a variety of disabled individuals and hearing several different perspectives on ableism in our society. I think that's the most notable thing about this course--many different voices were highlighted, but each notable speaker shared their own experiences. Every disabled person experiences the world differently, so I think this diversity is essential.
The image I chose to represent what intersectional disability culture means to me is one I used in my presentation--a graphic by @ChronicAlli_ on Instagram with text on a polka-dot background that reads “chronic illness is not a personal failure." To me, ultimately, intersectional disability culture is about access and acceptance. Your worth is not determined by ability or productivity, and there's no shame in being sick and disabled.
This class gave me a new lens and way of thinking about disability culture. I've never thought about disability and its intersections, but I'm glad I took this class and have challenged my thinking about intersectional disability culture. Intersectional disability culture to me means accepting differences and providing access for ALL. Everyone has their own stories and identities and I think it’s important to accept all differences, respect and love them, learn from their stories, and help make this world more accessible for everyone. When we do this we can THRIVE in society together.
Photo Description: 1989, Disabled people in Bristol succeeded in getting the historic Arnolfini Art Gallery to at last be accessible. This image is inspiring in the way that the fight for access is international and has been for years and years.
What I appreciated about this class is how it opened my eyes to how entwined disability culture is within our daily lives. It's in our infrastructure, our schools, and our everyday interactions. Disability culture is about resistance, access, respect, and love. We are all humans, in all of our forms and with all of our different abilities/disabilities. Thank you to Professor Abustan for teaching such a well-rounded and positive course and thank you to all of my classmates for making this experience enjoyable with all of our discussions.
This quarter, I have learned a lot about disability and the disabled community and I have enjoyed taking this class every much. My final word for the class is good luck on your finals, you can get through it.
I used this image for my presentation but I wanted to show it off again cause it fits so well with what I think intersectional disability culture means to me; the closeness of others. I know this image doesn't show any sort of variety in the people shown, but I like what the image implies; being close to others and connecting to form a tight knit community where there is no prejudice, just comfort and rest. This class taught me so many things, some things I already knew but some things I didn't, and it opened my eyes further to the blatant ableism in our society and how it intertwines with everything and doesn't just stand alone. I'm going to keep teaching others in my life about disability culture and how ableism has been embedded in so many things we say and do.
And I just wanted to give one last thank you, not only to Dr. Paul, but to every single one of you in this class. This was my first quarter and first year here at UWB and boy did this class sure leave an impression that's for sure! I've had so much fun and genuinely got so much out of this class, I can only hope that others after me can feel the same way. So thank you, every one of you, for making this such a memorable first quarter, and here's to the future. I'm gonna miss you guys, a lot, so I'm gonna leave this drawn image I made for my presentation cause once again I find it relevant. Be kind to one another and yourselves, take care and remember; you're amazing and beautiful just as you are, don't let anyone tell you otherwise A drawn picture of myself with my arms outstretched, I'm smiling. Above me there's a sentence that says: Thank you for your time!! Make sure to take care of yourself today, you're all so amazing and loved
I chose this image because it shows the multiple layers of intersecting identities and how they overlap or collide. I believe It is crucial to develop an intersectional lens that can help us identify systemic and institutional discrimination or oppression against people with disabilities and disadvantaged community members. I enjoyed learning about disability culture and the lack of access and resources in a school system for BIPOC students and students with disabilities. We also learned how to use our privilege to advocate and work toward a more inclusive society. Another point that we learned was that we couldn't fully address the disadvantaged community's needs and challenges unless we used the intersectionality lens.
So, thank you, professor Abustan for the great quarter. You empowered us with knowledge. I believe now it is our responsibility to act on that knowledge and make a difference by advocating for a more inclusive school system and social structure and more.
The thing that I loved most about this class was how it expanded my understanding of a disability. Before this class, I had thought that disabilities were mainly just the things that we would be able to see but I have realized that it is much deeper than that.
Thank you so much for this class. This as been really eye opening because I have really never been exposed to this topic before and I am thankful for all the new learning. How I see intersectional identity is that we all share different things, we all are uniquely beautiful.
To me, intersectional disability means including everyone no matter what. It means treating every individual with respect and giving everyone the resources they need in order to live a happy life. I appreciated learning from everyone and this class really changed my perspective on disability culture. I am so happy that I took this class and was able to learn what I can do to start including everyone. This class taught me how to respect everyone and it showed me what I can do to start making a difference in our society. Thank you so much, Dr. Paul for being such an amazing teacher. You were always so kind and understanding when we made mistakes. Also, thank you to my peers for having great discussions throughout this quarter!
I really appreciated learning from multiple disabled/neurodivergent people, especially through the films we watched. I felt like they shared their personal experiences and thoughts, and it made me think of how deeply rooted these ideas/concerns/etc. are. I was able to connect dots and she patterns through the films/videos we watched, as they were very insightful.
My last words to this class: I enjoyed learning from you all, especially through our Google Doc. Especially my group (Group 3), I felt like we were always active and having great conversations about what we learned/thought was interesting. I hope for the best for all of you!
As for my image, it's a picture of a swirly and bendable, yellow and red pencil. I thought this was a great image to represent intersectional disability culture, as it's very flexible and accommodating.
i appreciated hearing stories from people with disabilities through the films we watched ad gaining perspective. This photo with a quote from Fannie Lou Hamer that says 'nobody's free until everybody's free' represents the importance of understanding intersectionality to me.
Thank you everybody for a great quarter! My last words are to accept everybody for why they are and educate in situations that need it!
I appreciated learning about the history of disabilities and disability culture! I learned a lot about universal design in a previous course, but this is the first time I had ever connected it to disability culture.
As we wrap up this class, I would like to thank Dr. Abustan, for sharing so much knowledge with us as knowledge is power. It was really great to see so many different perspectives and to really learn about Disability Culture. I also believe that through taking this class I have become a more informed, and hopefully gentle person. I look forward to continue learning about this and seeing this culture take front stage. The picture I chose is of a large diverse group of people with many different identities, as I think it does a great job of showing the Disability Culture.
I appreciate group share. I appreciate the meaning conversation we had about social issues though course assignments readings, films, lectures.
I appreciated how this class helped me open up my perspectives and learn new things about intersectionality disability culture and see it all around us. I chose this photo because I think that it shows how people are made up of so many different things that are all important to them! I loved learning from you and the media/reading this quarter as it is not a topic I have learned much about in the past. I had also previously not put much thought into intersectionality amongst people with disabilities and how their disabilities may affect them differently. One thing I appreciated from this class is how your highlighted the voices of people with disabilities. Thank you.
his class has taught me so much about intersectional disability culture and how it applies to my life. I will carry the skills and important messages that have been shared in this class for the rest of my life. Thank you so much to Dr. Paul and to this class for allowing me to take part in such an amazing and supportive community!
Hello everyone! I chose these images because intersectional disability means to me that every person is entitled to receive proper and quality care regardless of their background, disabilities, and color of their skin. Nobody should be disadvantaged and oppressed by their race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, and any other identity markers! Especially being someone who wants to work in education or with younger children of diverse backgrounds when I am older, I also believe intersectional disability culture is important because it shows the role of school structures and teacher dispositions embedded into our societal structures of race, class, and disability that work in tandem to maintain over-representation and indicate that teachers perceptions about race and culture do in fact contribute to deficit thinking about students. If you do not assimilate or fit the white, able-bodied image, you are not valued or worth the same education and treatment.
I hope and want to work towards this change of the negative reform, like school to prison pipeline, beliefs, and underlying racial association of Blackness with crime linked with implicit biases. I hope we can foster an inclusive environment for everyone no matter the background or identity to no limits and opportunities like education!
I cannot wait to use the information and insight I gathered and gained in this course, especially the fruitful conversations with my peers for my daily life in spreading awareness and using it in my future works as well! I hope you all have an amazing rest of the quarter and break, see you all soon!
This photo I chose was also in my presentation but it's what helped me understand intersectionality the best throughout these weeks. It's been a great quarter and I appreciate everyone in this class. It's truly been nothing less than a blessing and I hope nothing but the best for everyone!<3