A Love Letter for blogUT

For the past two years, I've served as the Co-Editor of blogUT, a blog written entirely by University of Toronto students for University of Toronto students. This month, I happily finished my undergraduate studies and sadly stepped down from my position at blogUT. The following was originally written on the blog at blogUT.ca

Oh blogUT, you've been my safe place during my time here at U of T! And what a journey we ve been on together...

For those of you that don t know, I am or rather, was the Co-Editor of blogUT. Even before I assumed this position, I've always had strong ties to this blog from the beginning of my undergraduate studies -- first as an avid reader, then a timid writer, and finally, as fate would have it, as Co-Editor. And now after four years, I must, with a certain sadness, bid adieu to blogUT, our hardworking bloggers, and our loving readers. I'm proud to have been able to work with such a dedicated team of bloggers who have worked throughout the years with the sole purpose of writing honestly about what it's like being a student here at U of T. No bullshit. No rah-rah-rah U of T. Just the real stuff, both good and bad. Like we always say: raw and uncut, we give you the real juice about campus life.

In a university that often feels too massive to ever really feel a part of, blogUT bridges the disconnect, providing a real sense of community for U of T students that span programs, colleges, and commutes. I know that for me personally, it has been a place where I've connected with fellow U of T students that I never otherwise would have. Sure, many of us have never really met each other in real life, but blogUT is this shared space for the students and by the students--untouched by the powers that be at U of T.

Through the years it's been the spot where we've all shared our personal experiences about university life, given tips on where to go and what to eat, discussed student politics, rated hot profs and honored the quality ones, found the best make out spots, and yes, even talked trash about lame TAs. We ve stayed up together during those late night cram sessions, distracting ourselves with pointless, but oh so brilliant and necessary, videos. And we've collectively ranted about our shiteous commutes, shared our best survival tips, and celebrated the many gems this campus has to offer. Simply put, blogUT kicks serious ass and it's not hard to see why I'll miss this blog.

I say goodbye to blogUT with a sadness, but with pride knowing that this little baby of ours is growing day by day. And I've no doubt that our new Co-Editors will bring blogUT to unprecedented heights for the 2011-2012 academic year (no pressure, Ally and Leah!).

To my fellow bloggers, please keep writing. I've told you time and again that you are the heart and soul of this blog. To our readers, please keep reading and commenting. Without you, we would be that hypothetical falling tree in the distant forest. Your comments and support are what make us real and relevant.

In the meantime, I am off to plunge into this so called "real world" that U of T was suppose to prepare us for. Stay cool, blogUT. I'll love you always!

xoxo,
Justine

Tuesdays with Barry

This morning I booked the robe rental for my graduation ceremony this coming June -- yet another sign of the finality of my time at the University of Toronto. And so begins my wistful remembering...

The university has been the site of a mental battlefield like one I've never experienced before and though apprehensive at first, the intellectual challenge is something that I've come to embrace and truly cherish. And having a professor to guide me through this time has made all the difference...

One of the most fruitful experiences of my undergraduate studies has been working with and getting to know the great Professor Barry Wellman. I first took his course, SOC356: Technology and Society, in my third year. Throughout the year we analyzed how technology plays a role in our everyday lives in the way that we communicate with our family and friends, how it has the potential to create community and what community even means in a virtual context, how it perpetuates or breaks down social inequalities, and how it affects the broader political landscape. I've always had an interest in technology but I didn't quite know how it fit with my PoliSci and Sociology major. It wasn't until Professor Wellman's class that I discovered just how beautifully and perfectly I could couple my interests like fingers interlaced. So for that alone I am thankful to him.

But Professor Wellman has done more than just open my eyes to the study of technology and society. I don't quite remember how it happened exactly but we really got to know each other throughout that year and he continued to fuel my interest in the subject. He shared and continues to share news items, articles or upcoming events that I may be interested in and happily connects me with people who may help me in this journey of mine. No other professor has shown me such unabashed generosity and kindness and for that I am forever grateful. And I know that I'm not the only one he does this for. Many of my friends have taken his class as well and we're all in agreement that Professor Wellman is one of the few professors on campus who actually takes the time to get to know your name and is genuinely interested in getting to know you.

with Professor Wellman

I was lucky enough to continue working with him in my final year. With his guidance, I conducted an independent research study on networked organizations. Even better, he recruited me to assist in the writing of two chapters from his and Lee Rainie's upcoming book -- an opportunity that undergrads only dream of! Going through draft after draft, Professor Wellman helped me develop my writing skills, which as you may be able to tell from this blog, is something that's dear to my heart. He pointed out certain aspects of my style that I never noticed before (hello, passive voice!) and he showed me how to tighten my sentences, making my arguments ooze with conviction. Seriously, how many undergrads get the opportunity to work one on one with their professor going through almost every sentence of their work and tweaking it to near perfection? I am but of the rare few and I continue to be dumbfounded by the confidence Professor Wellman had in me to take on this endeavour.

Beyond his guidance though, Professor Wellman has been a source of support and friendship for me. He's so incredibly easy to talk to and it is a joy just to hang out and, as he calls it, schmooze! He is honestly the coolest and most relevant professor I know, always in the loop and eager to learn what his students are up to. It's easy to forget about time when you're chatting with him...

With its massive size, U of T can be a cold and unfeeling place. You're lucky if you have the opportunity to actually get to know one of your professors. You're even luckier if that professor is Barry Wellman.

And with that said, I thank you once again for taking me under your wing, Professor! Even though I'm still uncertain of what exactly I want to pursue in the future, your guidance, generosity, and friendship has made all the difference. You are my advantage.

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." - Henry Adams

World Press Freedom Day

It's World Press Freedom Day today so I thought I'd share a video with you (a new terrain for me, people!)  that highlights my recent trip to the Newseum in Washington D.C. -- a fantastic place to visit if you ever find yourself in the city. So many great exhibitions that not only traces the history of journalism, but also showcases the importance of press freedom and the brave work of journalists who often put their lives at risk to tell the stories where there are no voices.

"...were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter" - Thomas Jefferson

If you'd like to learn more about the freedom of the press, visit the following websites:

Reporters without Borders
Committee to Protect Journalists
Freedom House
Press Freedom Map
Journalists Memorial

Side note: I am a total newb at making videos. Please forgive.

Ruined.

For the past week, we at Journalists for Human Rights have been running a campaign called HollerDay to actively raise awareness about the epidemic of rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and raise funds for our programs in the country that will train journalists on how to effectively and responsibly report on this issue and human rights in general. Naming March 4th "HollerDay" and encouraging students across Canada to raise their voice against this horrific violation of human rights, we tried to shed a lighter side to an otherwise disheartening reality.

Known as the rape capital of the world, the DRC sees women being raped, re-raped, and gang raped every single day. Rape has, quite simply, become the weapon of war...cheaper than bullets and more effective than killing. According to the UN Population Fund, there were 15,996 cases of rape registered in 2008 alone. 65% of those victims were children in their early adolescence... not even really "women". Can you imagine how many others went unreported because of fear and humiliation? Such appalling figures.

But alas, figures are only figures. They barely tell the story of the horrific reality that the women of the DRC face every single day. I first learned about this problem when reading Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's 'Half the Sky'...the first time I was introduced to a human face and personal dimension to this abstract and seemingly distant problem. They told the story of Dina who, only seventeen at the time of writing, on her way home from her parents' farm was gang raped by militia men. I'm going to share an excerpt from the book that tells her story. It's not pleasant...it's actually downright disgusting. My apologies in advance but I only share this because it is real...and reality...especially this reality...should not be glossed over.

"'If you cry out, we will kill you," one of them told Dina. So she kept quiet as, one by one, the five men raped her. Then they held her down as one of them shoved the stick inside her.

When Dina didn’t come home, her father and friends bravely went out to the fields, and there they found her, half dead in the grass. They covered her and carried her back to her home. There was a health center in Kindu, but Dina’s family couldn’t afford to take her there to be treated, so she was cared for only at home. She lay paralyzed in her bed, unable to walk. The stick had broken into her bladder and rectum, causing a fistula, or hole, in the tissues. As a result, urine and feces trickled constantly through her vagina and down her legs. These injuries, rectovaginal and vesicovaginal fistulas, are common in the Congo because of sexual violence”.

Abhorrent. Abominable. Repulsive. Monstrous. Words in the thesaurus are lacking.

And yet, this happens. Every single day. To literally tens of thousands of women.

I wept unabashedly when I first read about this. I weep as I write this.

A few weeks ago I saw the Pulitizer Prize winning play "Ruined" by Lynn Nottage put on by the Obsidian Theatre Company. I wept when I watched that too. It tells the tale of Mama Nadi, a businesswoman operating a brothel during the civil war, and the women who, once beloved wives, mothers, and daughters but because of the shame and stigma rape has brought upon them, now serve as prostitutes in the brothel. It is heartbreaking and agonizing to see these stories acted out in front of you knowing that somewhere out there someone has experienced exactly that. But seeing the resilience of these women is just as gripping as the atrocities that they face.

The problem is nowhere near being resolved. In fact, Doctors Without Borders says it has already treated more than 200 people for rape since January of this year. It's only the beginning of March.

I don't have the answers to this problem. I don't think even the highest international bodies have the answer to this problem. And if they do, there's always that tricky business of implementation and execution. But I don't know how I (we) could just sit and do nothing while lives are ravaged in this incredibly inhuman way. So what then? I simply ask you (read: beg you) to learn more. Educate yourself on this issue that is depleting one of our greatest resources. And then talk about it! Let's start participating in this dialogue that is so very, very necessary. Let's not shy away from the complexity and monstrosity that is this reality. Think of your mothers, your grandmothers, your daughters, your sisters, your wives...can you imagine this happening to them...to us? I don't want to. But it's happening. Far away as it may seem, it's happening to somebody's grandmother, somebody's mother, somebody's daughter, somebody's wife.

Luck, chance, whatever it is you call it, has put us in a position of privilege. Let's do something worthwhile with it... _______________________________________________________________________________

To learn more about sexual violence in the DRC and around the world, here's a short list of organizations, campaigns, and news sources that provide support and information about this issue:

UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict: unites the work of 13 UN entities with the goal of ending sexual violence in conflict.

Soldiers Who Rape, Commanders Who Condone: A report from Human Rights Watch on sexual violence and military reform in the DRC.

Heal Africa: With a hospital in Goma, Congo, Heal Africa works to repair fistulas and tends to rape victims.

Stop Rape in the DRC: a global campaign calling attention to the wide-scale atrocities committed every day against women and girls in eastern DRC. The Campaign is initiated by the women of eastern DRC, V-Day and UNICEF, representing UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The Fistula Foundation: The Fistula Foundation raises awareness and funding for fistula treatment, prevention and education programs worldwide.

One by One: One by One has the singular mission of contributing to the elimination of fistula worldwide through programs of treatment and prevention.

V-Day A global movement and series of consciousness-raising events to end violence against girls and women.