Interview with Amiliana Berry

Berry, Amiliana: The Berry, Amiliana: okay, so Brennan, Faith: get started. Brennan, Faith: this interview is with Emiliano Barry. and conducted by faith, Brennan, on

Brennan, Faith: November twentieth. Brennan, Faith: So the first question I have is, when did you come to Towson? And how long are you here for? I came to Towson in fall 2,019 Berry, Amiliana: of and I've been here since. It's now 2023. So I'm going on 5 years now.

Brennan, Faith: Okay, cool And what made you decide to come to Towson? Berry, Amiliana: I was originally a looking to be a biomater. I had started off being in like a biotech program in my school. and I knew I wanted something close for funds, reasons. Berry, Amiliana: After coming and visiting Towson and meeting with a couple of like networks.

Berry, Amiliana: I thought that they have like I love campus life here really bad. I thought it was not too far from home. I'm from Charles County, so it's almost like hour and a half. Berry, Amiliana: and it it just seemed like a perfect match at the time. I got into a couple other schools, but Towson was definitely Berry, Amiliana: somewhere. I wanted to be Brennan, Faith: so. And then how did you switch from your bio major to the women's studies, Major? So I can. And COVID-19 can really beat me up. And I have realized I was like, Okay, well, I need to probably look at other opportunities. Cause graduating in a certain time. Period had always been kind of important to me. Unfortunately.

Berry, Amiliana: my experience as a stem major at Towson wasn't the best. I felt like Berry, Amiliana: It was really hard for like people to be on my side, type of thing like. I remember my first meeting with one of my advisors, and I had different advisors all the time. Berry, Amiliana: But she had told me like, well, if you plan on graduating in 4 years like, you should probably rethink that decision. So I was like, Okay, so once, when exactly so once when the I wanna say I was a bio major for almost a year and a half, and once, when my credits weren't doing what I wanted to do. I was taking 6 classes at a time. I was like, Okay, so I might need to look a different way. So then I went into the public health. Major, and it was really nice. I did like being part of it. However, I'm a working student.

Berry, Amiliana: so I had a friend who was one semester ahead of me. She just graduated. And so I got to see her go through the public health things, and they have an internship semester, basically where you have to do 9 to 5. And it's an unpaid. Berry, Amiliana: And I just can't do that. I have a roof to pay for. So I was like, Okay, so let's let's find something else. And that's when I was like looking up all the majors. I went through every single major at Towson University, and I found the women's and genders. Major, I'm like, okay, like, what is this about? I'm looking at credits. I'm looking at classes and a lot of the classes kind of align with like just who I am as a person. even though I've always been like a medical field type of girl. So then I ended up talking to Dr. Wilkinson. She is amazing, and I was like, Oh, this is the best fit for me, and I've been a women's and genders, Major. Berry, Amiliana: For a year. Now, actually, yeah, okay, well, that's a long journey to get to where you are. Honestly like

Brennan, Faith: that's kinda how the journey is in college, because you go in thinking one thing, and then you have to leave you leave with something completely different than what you were expecting. I never thought people told me that all the time, and I'm like here I am. Brennan, Faith: Well, I'm glad you found this cause. I think it's honestly, it's a very interesting and unique major slash minor. So yeah, so. Brennan, Faith: okay, so the next question I have Brennan, Faith: is, how is, how did your educational experiences and life experiences lead your interest into women's and gender studies? Which is, you kind of already answered it a little bit. But

Brennan, Faith: I guess, like more specifically the experiences you had that made you more interested in this. In the Major. Berry, Amiliana: I will say, like I've Berry, Amiliana: I found myself in a lot of like top conversations just with people in general, where I'm having like these arguments that could be scholarly. But it's just like at that point. It was just opinions. Berry, Amiliana: And I'm just like having a hard way of expressing myself, and like, just with injustices and things of that sort. You know, politics. And I'm just like, Oh, my gosh! Like, I'm not understanding why I'm not like, you know, able. How are you not getting it? Why can't I like translate it. Yeah, put it across. And when I took my first

Berry, Amiliana: Lgbtq class, actually, it had just like taught me. And I was before I was a women's and genders, Major. it had like really aligned with, like so much of the things that I've been trying to say I'm like, Oh, this is what I this is what I've been needing this whole time, and Berry, Amiliana: is I just I've done a lot like I had did a lot with just the medical field in general. So it's like when I find like disparities and things of that sort, like, I'm trying to find a way to help. Like, you know the people who are inconvenienced or like, just have the Berry, Amiliana: I'm gonna use the word disparities again, who have the disparities that you know other people don't have. And Berry, Amiliana: that's what like eventually actually just led me into, especially after taking that class with Professor Honeycutt. I was just like, this is something that I want to do like this is something that like

Brennan, Faith: it just makes sense of who I am. Type of person. I love that. Yeah, I think it's hard to put into words. like, you know, when you are having those conversations with friends like it's really hard to put into words your argument, at least in my experience as well when it's like you don't necessarily have a background in the history of feminism or the history of, you know just these important topics that we aren't taught in high school. Brennan, Faith: So II appreciate that as well. Brennan, Faith: So when you came to the major who do you think offered you like the most support. Berry, Amiliana: It was definitely Dr. Wilkinson. Like I said before, she really is just amazing like I this the program in general, I had just such bad experience before with other advisors, just with like faculty

Berry, Amiliana: where it was like oh, like it everywhere else, was very competitive. Once, when I'm switching to the women's and genders. Major was so inclusive. There's so many everybody. Oh, who I talked to is trying to put me onto something like oh, well, you know, you might like this, and you could do this, and the way that Dr. Wilkinson, like I express my concern for her. I am trying to graduate sooner. You know Towson is expensive. and she's like just laying it out for me, and has already like Berry, Amiliana: giving me ideas on what to do after college when I'm like, you know, what do you do with the women's and genders, Major? Actually, you know. And she she really held my hand. She really helped my hand and really just walk me through it. But it was such a quick process as well Berry, Amiliana: that when she

Berry, Amiliana: she basically designed my course of study for the rest of college. And it's like, and it's just been reflecting each time. And I'm just like, you know, I really shout out Dr. Wilkinson. She's really bad girl. I love that honestly. That's why you needed coming into a new major like, what am I gonna do? I really do appreciate those those teachers and those professors who take the extra step to make you feel comfortable Berry, Amiliana: for sure, for sure. Brennan, Faith: okay. So moving on. Do you identify as a feminist? And Brennan, Faith: if you do, how did you kind of get to that identity?

Berry, Amiliana: I will definitely say I am a feminist? Berry, Amiliana: I almost might say a hard core feminist, if you will. All started with my mom to be honest, my mom was married at the time. She's divorced now, but she like the things that she would instill in me as a child like I did not have the same mindset as other women that were my age, or women who were older than me. Berry, Amiliana: Yeah, you know just simple little quotes. She would tell me all the time she like, you know, men are stupid. And why? What do you mean by that like? Oh, man like, what do you mean by that? But like she definitely Berry, Amiliana: broke my you know, like generational type of things

Berry, Amiliana: that she had to go through to experience and for me to have already have had these thoughts of I'm not have to know, break anything like Oh! Or realign my thoughts for any reason like Oh, no, this is, you know, women are it, or, you know, like we're just it. And then. as you know, I got older, and you know, like certain politics that come about, or just certain things like in middle school, I try to start this like whole little Berry, Amiliana: rally type of thing about the dress code. Berry, Amiliana: I was not liking the Jess code. I was like, listen, we're not doing sexist behavior here. Okay, middle school, like, come on, are you saying like, I don't even have boobs yet, like, let's be thrown. But

Berry, Amiliana: it's like, you know, as I go, like as I just like got older and older. And I'm just like, you know, like getting Berry, Amiliana: push back it. Each time I got pushback. I ended up finding a route of like or finding a new spark or a new passion of this needs to change type of thing. Brennan, Faith: Okay? So through your experiences, you kind of Berry, Amiliana: felt it like.

Berry, Amiliana: get stronger, basically. Yeah, definitely for sure. And then so once you move to the women, study, Major, how did that impact your feminist identity? Heightened it so Berry, Amiliana: quickly, so badly for a point, I will say, like there was a point in time when I first became a women's and genders, Major, where I'm not wanting to see anybody who isn't, who doesn't have any type of you know in in equal Berry, Amiliana: in equal, please.

Berry, Amiliana: I don't know. There we go in qualities. There you go. And it had just like, really Berry, Amiliana: it had just like it was a huge shock factor for me, because, like I had said before, there was just things that I felt or how I just like, I'm like, well, no like this doesn't make sense. And to find out there's history behind this to find out. Women have been doing this for years, and they're educated, and there's like it's Berry, Amiliana: gone again came again. Everybody has different perspectives. They're different names for everything like it. Definitely. It just heightened it off. For me. I was like, okay, like this. Berry, Amiliana: I am a feminist and a educated one at that, like, you know.

Brennan, Faith: so made you like realize, like there's so much wrong. And there's so much I have to learn basic. Brennan, Faith: That's how I feel to just taking these courses. I mean, I'm a women studies minor. So I do know I'm taking a lot of the same courses, but not to the big extent. But it's still like shocking, even like Brennan, Faith: as we experience what we're experiencing today to then see how the same exact stuff happened in the past like we're reliving it. But I think you know through the classes. Hope I'm hoping we can like come up with some sort of, you know solution, or even like small, you know, remedies along the way. Berry, Amiliana: I definitely think we will, especially just I think learning is the biggest thing about it all. Like, you know, there's just so many things that you don't know. And then, until you do know it, you're like, oh, like, okay, like. Now, what can I do about it? Type of thing.

Brennan, Faith: okay. Oh, this is a good question. So Brennan, Faith: in terms of feminist thinkers or writers, or like certain activists. Was there any one that kind of stuck out to you is the most influential Brennan, Faith: throughout your experience as a major in your major Berry, Amiliana: I'm gonna say there's definitely 2 to start off with would be Crenshaw, like I really I give it all like I would say, my terms of feminism or my brand of feminism, does align a lot more with intersectionality.

Berry, Amiliana: So once, when I first learned about that in my L. Dbt, Q. Class way back when I'm just like Berry, Amiliana: just so much, so much of what Crenshaw says I really just align with. And I do think that's like one of the biggest things about being this type of major. You know you. you're learning through what like reflects, you type of thing. Berry, Amiliana: And I'll also say, Professor Professor Gissender. She has put me on to Judith Butler. I've seen videos of them from Berry, Amiliana: like years ago till updated, and I just feel like I've really they're a great example of being able to change your mind, believing something at 1 point, and then believing something else, but still being so educated at every like point in doing so.

And Berry, Amiliana: they just they just taught me so much in the sense of like what feminism actually is like once when you you know, a lot of people hear feminine feminism and catch like a radical type of ideal. And it's like for Berry, Amiliana: that person to like, really just show me like, Oh, like, you know, just because you wanna be a feminist, basically, you can be a feminist for for us all about like how you interpret it and what you like align with in what you wanna work for type of thing. And Judas Butler is

Berry, Amiliana: really great. Well, I have to check them out. II don't even know if I've done enough. Berry, Amiliana: I definitely recommend Judith Butler like they have just so many different interviews, just so much, just so much things to say like I could literally listen to them forever. Berry, Amiliana: So they've though both of them have like had an impact. And how you view feminism, and how you and just how you experience your life in general as well.

Brennan, Faith: Okay? And then so kind of adding on to that. Is there like a specific school feminist thought, like liberal radical Socialist, that you kind of use the most or find the most useful. Berry, Amiliana: Right now, I'm gonna say that intersectionality is the most useful for me. I am still like actively learning about other other feminist thoughts and schools of thought. And really. I agree there's certain points with all of them that I have agreements with and with all of them. There's certain things that I don't. Berry, Amiliana: and it's really something.

Brennan, Faith: it's something like a like, you know, just building your own brand with it. But I will say intersectionality has had the biggest impact in at least what I'm trying to do, like, you know, with feminism myself, and it's one that you that you relate to most as well cause you said in your classes. They kind of like Berry, Amiliana: drew your attention a lot definitely like, I remember my first time, like even learning about it. I'm like, Wow, like it makes so much sense that because of not only this is happening to me Berry, Amiliana: like the reason is like, Oh, like, you know, I'm a black woman. I'm part of the community. The Lgbtq community, you know. Woman. So it's just like, you know, finding all of that. And I'm like, okay, then, actually like listening to people like

Berry, Amiliana: or reading. I should say, like bell hooks. And I'm like, Okay, like, you know, you actually can't have feminism without having each aspect of the different feminisms, or of different intersectionalities in general for you to be able to like move forward in feminism. Brennan, Faith: No, I completely agree. Brennan, Faith: I think Crenshaw was just has an amazing explanation about all of that. Just like connects all the dots like. Brennan, Faith: yeah. So next I want to move on to how your major has affected your involvement, like in on campus activities and like, have you done any more clubs or anything on campus directly, because your major

Berry, Amiliana: to be honest, I don't think it's had much of an effect, and I will say, like just being a student in general. It is. I don't know if this necessarily the Major, or like just the person like I work a lot so clubs and things that sort every now and then. I'll join in like I joined the one like 1,000 has cats next to the math building. I don't know if you've been over there every morning around 8 am. Berry, Amiliana: And they're pretty fat. But yeah, you just go out there. You feed the cats, you know. Everyone's on like low shift. But I will say. Berry, Amiliana: everyone in the women's and genders program like they. They are very opening. They want you to be involved in things of that sort. So I will say, like, you know, I have had multiple opportunities to do more than what I do. I just haven't taken up on them. I see. Yeah, because you work. That's totally Berry, Amiliana: Okay? And then, in terms of courses

Brennan, Faith: which, like which women studies? Course, did you find most like intriguing? And why do you? Why do you think so? Berry, Amiliana: That's a hard one. Hard one. That's hard one. Okay. I think the women's and perspectives was definitely one of my faves for all like, yeah, yeah. And Berry, Amiliana: oh, I'm sad. I can't even remember which, professor it was that I had that taught me that one. But it was just very Berry, Amiliana: I do love to learn like I really do, especially where there's things that's actually changing my thought process like stuff like that. So intriguing to me, and to really be able to think about women globally

Berry, Amiliana: and like, and just how different experiences. And I'm a big person on like non judging and stuff like that like. So it's like for me to be able to like, comprehend exactly why other people, especially other women. Berry, Amiliana: think the way that they do or have the systems the way they do. It was just like it was very eye opening for me. It was so much fun. I'm talking every class there, like the readings are good. It was just a Berry, Amiliana: 2, 31 was Brennan, Faith: definitely one of my favorites. For sure. I'm actually I it's sad. I am sad that you forgot to. I'm interested in what, professor that you had. But that's okay. Cause I also took that course. I found it interesting. But it was definitely a lot of

Berry, Amiliana: information, a lot of information. So it is. I think it is a good foundational class, though, for sure you know Berry, Amiliana: what you like, or just give you like a huge kind of view over over all the time. I think it goes through like all 4 waves of feminists. There's a lot. But Brennan, Faith: I know you talked about Dr. Wilkinson already. But was there any like students or other faculty in the women's and gender study program that inspired you. Berry, Amiliana: Not for sure, like I, said Dr. Wilkinson. She's amazing, you know. Shout out her all my professors so far I actually just adore. I feel like me and Professor are getting along pretty well, too, now, and like I just been learning a lot about her as well like what she's been doing. And

Berry, Amiliana: it's just everyone's so helpful, like everyone's just beyond helpful. This is about to be. I think, my second or third class with Professor Gisson Danner, like, you know, like I just Berry, Amiliana: they they know how to teach. They know how to get like their points across. And it's like, they're also very they're just helpful, like in general. And for students I will say any women's and gender student that I like meet. Berry, Amiliana: They're always inspiring, like everyone has their own thing that they're doing like, whether you're minoring or whether you're majoring. And it's just very like I just love the inclusivity of it. It's like, Oh, well, what are you trying to do like, you know?

Berry, Amiliana: It's just always interesting. Given new perspectives from everybody, inviting and open, and you know, always offering support. Yes, for sure. Brennan, Faith: Okay. Brennan, Faith: okay. So it's kind of more of a broad question. But Brennan, Faith: how do you feel? Women's and gender studies program is relevant to today's society like, it's very broad question. But maybe just focus on one thing.

Berry, Amiliana: I'm gonna say that Berry, Amiliana: it's extremely relevant, especially now in days I feel like I've personally been able to experience the different phases of rights for women and other genders as well like I've seen, you know, the wave of like, you know the Berry, Amiliana: what is it called like, you know, just everyone being more accepting of the Lgbtq community like certain grants being passed. and now like it very much feels like we are back track tracking like just in America in general, like. And I think we just got kinda comfortable, like, you know, cause we're all like oh, well, why would why would anybody, you know, be sexist? Or why would that person be racist like, you know, type of thing.

But I definitely think like Berry, Amiliana: that's kind of shows the relevance like Roe versus Wade just got taken away demolished. And it's like, you know it. Berry, Amiliana: It goes to show relevance, wise like how much Berry, Amiliana: more and what things like we can do type of thing. It's like, you know, like it. Just it shows that there's still opportunities. There's still things to be changed. And there's things that we can do. And there's people who have been here who are much older than us, that have been seen, the cycles of the phases, and what things we can go through, and they can provide us a lot of insight of how to get through it.

Brennan, Faith: Yeah, I think so, too. I think it's very, very relevant. Especially in the past couple years, but honestly, just Berry, Amiliana: relevant. But I do appreciate, like I think the women's agenda study is like. Brennan, Faith: fairly like newer. I think it's a newer Major, it's not like super new. But I believe this year, yeah, I feel like it's very as the program has Brennan, Faith: progress. I think it's gotten more relevant. At least

Berry, Amiliana: I agree. Brennan, Faith: but I do still think it is a smaller major and minor. So do you think like Brennan, Faith: what do you think could be done to attract more people to the major. Berry, Amiliana: Just the program in general, like. hmm. it's so funny, cause I feel like recruitment. I'm kinda good at recruiting. I don't know, like I feel like we

we could kind of do more things in the sense of you know. Toss them always has like Berry, Amiliana: opportunities for you to meet people like I actually had went to one panel, and we had 3 different speakers at the time, and they were all just talking about their experiences. Some people didn't even go to Towson, but their experience as a women's and genders, Major, and these are very successful people Berry, Amiliana: at this point is like, you know, having. I think, just having activ and things so like that to do. And they should be mandatory, like, you know, at least just one per semester that way. You can get your friends to come, and other people can talk about it because it really is like it's a great opportunity you get to network, and you always learn so much. And I feel like Berry, Amiliana: there's nothing that you're not gaining from an experience like that. I also think

we'll talk about like bringing people in. I think, like a social media platform could be like very beneficial type of thing. Berry, Amiliana: Do I know how to go about it. Not at all. I can't lie, but I think the more you can just get women's engenders like just said out loud. Berry, Amiliana: I think the more people will go into it because I didn't know what women's and genders was like. I had to go through all the course lists before I even saw like this was a major. Brennan, Faith: Yeah, no, I completely get that. So you're saying like

Berry, Amiliana: speakers who can come and talk about their experience and also just kind of getting the word out there. That is a major at all. Okay? So I guess my last question, which might seem kind of obvious that I'm gonna ask, anyways, would you recommend, you know other people doing the Major? Berry, Amiliana: Of course I will say, do it Berry, Amiliana: like, if I were to do it again. I would. I would just jump straight into women's and genders like I wouldn't have tried to do anything else like Berry, Amiliana: I definitely 10 out of 10 recommend. It's

Berry, Amiliana: it's too. There's too many people that want the best for you for you not to be able to do your best type of thing like. Come on to come on to the great side, you know. Berry, Amiliana: Okay, I love that answer. I think that's good. Berry, Amiliana: Thank you. Chorus, of course, have a great day.