She is a second-year student in the Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communication program.

Mandy Carter’s talk, “Advancing Each Other: Building Coalitions Across Communities,” is sponsored by the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media, the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies, and the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement, and Center for the Study of Southern Culture as part of their SouthTalks series.

The term ‘that’s so gay’ has become extremely common when talking about anything perceived as stupid or unfortunate. It may seem silly because of how common this saying is, but this can indirectly harm those that identify as gay individuals. By using this word to describe things that are bad or unwanted, the word ‘gay’ is given a negative connotation. Even when this saying is used without direct correlation with sexual preference, it still indirectly criticizes students of the LGBTQ+ community.

There is no doubt that we have come a long way in terms of rights for women when looking at our country’s history. From the #MeToo movement to the Time’s Up movement, there have been many pushes for recognizing the struggles and disadvantages women face. However, when looking at speech and debate programs throughout high schools and colleges, it seems like times have not changed all that much.

Gen(der) Z aims to explore different social issues that Generation Z faces. This blog will be focusing on the issues that specifically affect how gender and sexuality are perceived and addressed in contemporary western society.

President, UM Pride Network

"I am passionate about making feminism intersectional and inclusive, because those who are left out of narratives are often the ones who need the most justice," Paola says. "I also want to see shifts in our sex education that lead to a culture better equipped to manage issues surrounding consent, sex-positive language, and healthy relationship dynamics."

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Community Engagement

"I am most passionate about advancing issues of opportunity and equity for all community members," Smith says. "Typically, I try to understand and influence these issues from both the systems and individual levels of work. Creating curricula and programs that develop active and empathetic listening skills in participants from target and non-target populations excites me. Listening-to-understand is the groundwork that allows individuals from very different starting points share and affirm stories within a diverse setting while also developing the emotional resiliency, trust, and listening skills to explore and address systemic and institutional inequities."