Hello, my name is Liz.  I was born and raised in Seattle.  With the exception of my early stint as an Art major, this is my fifth year (or extended senior session, if you will) as a dedicated student of Psychology.

I enrolled in this Gender and Women's Studies course in somewhat of a careless manner: simply to fulfill some substitution credit requirements while keeping my course load manageable.  A two-credit class at four in the afternoon on an interesting subject fit my specifications perfectly.  Actually, this is my first Gender and Women's Studies class, which I just realized in typing that.  However, I have taken a few Communications classes including lengthy discussions devoted to the topic of gender, which I always found quite interesting.  I suppose what interests me about gender is, simply stated, the social construction of it.

Politics to me has always seemed to be very serious, which it is, but I have recently begun understanding the sport of it: the fun and heartbreak that any football (et cetera) fanatic can relate to.  Don't get me wrong - the fun is brutal and not especially easy (the heartbreak is even more so).  But, gosh-darn-it, fun always has a way of gaining my interest.  My interest in politics really began when I started working separately for two women (one a lawyer, the other a writer) who are both fun political junkies (among many other things).  With all the many political discussions that took place within my work realm, I learned a great deal about politics - the serious business and the sport - but I still consider myself fairly politically naive and often fail to keep up-to-date with all the "action."  I volunteer every so often to help out SAFER (Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation), particularly when Colorado voters were considering Amendment 44 and Initiative 100, but that is, other than actually voting, the extent of my active political involvement.

I would say anywhere people are interacting and there are decisions to be made one will find a political environment.  Obviously this includes the government yadda-yadda but my first memory of any "political" experience is probably on my school playground.  There were rules instated by the teacher or playground supervisor, yes, but beyond the control and/or knowledge of these "supreme powers" there were rules created amongst the children and a certain hierarchy existed with a very complex and ever-changing authoritative system.  As haphazard as it was, I would consider it to be political nonetheless.

From this course I hope to gain more political awareness as well as a better understanding of the interactions, for lack of a better word, of gender and politics. 

Ps. Did anyone see Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton (respectively) on SNL?  Well, I didn't but luckily a friend sent me this clip...I thought I'd pass it along...

Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton address sexism on the campaign trail