As students register for classes, it’s easy to get wrapped up in all the requirements that accompany degree plans or to fall down the rabbit hole in pursuit of an easy, fun class.

It’s understandable. But students should consider other important classes too — Women’s and Gender Studies and LGBT Studies classes may not be the easiest for everyone, but they’re just as important. These are the classes that challenge perspectives and can push you out of your comfort zone.

Taking one of these classes will give you a breakdown of our modern and past history through the point-of-view of disenfranchised and underrepresented voices. The exclusion of these communities will hinder students from learning about other narratives and issues in the community.

That’s why, as Syracuse University students, we are in positions where we can immerse ourselves in subjects we don’t completely understand.

Margaret Himley, director of LGBT studies and professor of writing studies at SU, said students taking Queer Sexualities classes, or classes within LGBT Studies, will learn about “the lives and experiences LGBTQ people in different historical and geographical contexts.” They will also cover “the processes and the potential violences of ‘regimes of the normal’ more broadly, which affect both LGBTQ and straight people.”

In WGS classes, gender ideas and practices can shape exactly how students perceive the world. The information in these classes are indispensable for criticizing and debating the world around us. As the website of the WGS program notes, “the possibility of understanding and solidarity among women worldwide can only be achieved by an analysis of gender and gender oppression that places both within a global and intersectional framework.”

Some of the LGBT Studies classes that Himley recommends are the introductory classes like QSX 111 that analyze the histories, communities, and politics of gender identity. Classes can also explore the historical significance of queer history, such as QSX 362: Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.

And these classes can cover a variety of credits — WGS 258: Poverty and Discrimination in America, for example, is cross-listed with Economics. There are numerous other classes that you can pick out from. With no shortage of options, it’s a matter about picking one that best fits your schedule.

SU students have an opportunity to learn beyond the scope of their major. It goes beyond classroom learning — it’s a reality experienced by these communities every day. And of course, if one can, they should also take one or more classes of the African-American, Asian-American, South Asian, Native American, Judaic, Latin American and Middle Eastern Studies departments. The intersection between these classes can prompt students, no matter what year or background, to become more of an advocate for others. And after all, as the school’s saying goes, “knowledge crowns those who seek her.”

Minority voices are often washed out of the classroom. There are several ways to break out of these oppressive systems and learn about the history and societies of people who have different experiences.

It starts with the “Add to cart” button.

Lianza Reyes is a junior broadcast and digital journalism major. She can be reached at lireyes@syr.edu.

Published on October 30, 2018 at 10:40 am