Sope Kahn, winner of the 2017-18 Frances Holland Black scholarship
Sope Kahn is a junior from Chapel Hill, N.C. majoring in Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies in the Department of Cultural, Gender, and Global Studies at Appalachian State University. This past year, Sope participated in the Southeastern Women’s Studies Association (SEWSA) conference at Clemson, S.C. and was named the winner of the 2017-18 Frances Holland Black scholarship.
The scholarship honors Frances Holland Black, 1894-1992. It was established by her children and friends as a means of continuing her efforts to champion equality and freedom. Funds from this endowment are used to create opportunities for women students, individually or collectively, to develop feminist perspectives on equality and freedom for all and to create opportunities for their expression. Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies is inclusive in their definitions.
Kahn submitted two proposals to the SEWSA conference, both were accepted and "Bringing Personal Stories to the Public Sphere through Art and Activism: An Examination of Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing’s The Mushroom at the End of the World" was included in the conference.
“This opportunity gave me important academic experience and aided my development as a GWS student,” said Kahn.
The Southeastern Women’s Studies Association (SEWSA) is a feminist organization that actively supports and promotes all aspects of women’s studies at every level of involvement. The organization is committed to scholarship on and activism eliminating oppression and discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity and expression, race, age, religion, sexual orientation, ethnic background, physical ability and class. SEWSA is a regional organization under the National Women’s Studies Association serving Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
The opportunity to present at the SEWSA conference gives students important academic, research and presentation experiences. The conference is designed for students to meet other professors, students and writers in the field discussing issues of importance and developing methods and solutions. The conference also serves as an invaluable opportunity to receive feedback from individuals from a variety of backgrounds and make meaningful contacts.
While reflecting on their experience at the SEWSA conference, Kahn stated, “Overall, this opportunity helped me develop feminist perspectives and communicate them to conference attendees through speaking to, meeting and learning from others and helped me develop my own confidence in these spaces.”
Kahn also received the help and support of countless faculty members including Dr. Sushmita Chatterjee, Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies; Dr. Ellen Lamont, Department of Sociology; and Dr. Teresa Roach, Department of Sociology.
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About The Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies Program
The Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies Program is an interdisciplinary academic field that critically engages beliefs, attitudes, assumptions, and norms about gender, women and sexuality
and their intersections with other axes of difference including race, ability, nationality and class. GWS is housed in the Department of Cultural, Gender & Global Studies. For more information see https://gws.appstate.edu.
About the Department of Cultural, Gender & Global Studies
The Department of Cultural, Gender and Global Studies offers degrees in global studies, interdisciplinary studies and gender, women’s and sexuality studies. The department is also home to Watauga Residential College, an interdisciplinary, alternative general education program. The department promotes creative and imaginative engagement in cross-disciplinary investigation of complex systems and problems. Learn more at https://cgg.appstate.edu.
By: Howell Keiser
April 24, 2018
BOONE, N.C.
Sope Kahn, winner of the 2017-18 Frances Holland Black scholarship
Sope Kahn, winner of the 2017-18 Frances Holland Black scholarship