Communication and Women's Studies Portfolio

INTRODUCTION: Throughout American history weddings have been an integral part of our cultural experience, however women have always received the short end of the stick in these arrangements. It wasn’t long ago that women were expected to marry at a young age because the only jobs available were for men, so a single woman in America had no hope of being able to support herself unless she found a husband. In this paper I will use the film Bridesmaids to analyze the financial and psychological burden planning a wedding takes on women, and how society has come to normalize the extreme stress experienced during the wedding planning process by all women involved. First I will examine the relationship between current hegemonic social expectations and The White Wedding, particularly how these expectations impact women within American society. Secondly I will assess the financial implications of marriage on women, as well on couple’s relationship longevity in relation to nuptial debt stress.

Within the course of Human Sexuality and Sex Education, I studied the impact that effective sex education has on the youth of our society and how important it is to create comprehensive programs within American schools. The two projects I have included here outline the focus of analyzing data as it pertains to populations who have access to sex education, and accurate and scientifically supported information regarding birth control, sexually transmitted infections, and the average age that youth become sexually active. Children begin to understand and explore their sexuality at a young age, so it is important to support programs that encourage them to learn about their bodies in developmentally appropriate ways as this course suggested. Youth Risk Behavior Survey Reactions       When looking at the Youth Risk Behavior Survey as it relates to STIs and sexual health, what I found most interesting, and surprising was the disparities between the number of White students and Black

First Reading Response      Modern communication is taken for granted by people who have grown accustomed to the ability to instantaneously communicate with their friends, family, and business colleagues who live across the country, or across the world. The process of reaching a digital communication age has been an ongoing evolution of print media forms, and the creation of machines that could communicate information across long distances. “What can truly be called mass communication began to emerge in the mid-fifteenth century with the rise of the printing press, which, along with other communication techniques, revolutionized thought and society. The opportunity to print and disseminate words relatively cheaply and easily supported an ever-increasing (but sometimes controversial) democratization of knowledge” (Campbell, Fabos, & Frechette, Gomery, & Jensen, 2014, pg. 5). The media is an integral part of our global society, particular interest has now been paid to the powe

Media Alert                * * * Media Alert * * * MEDIA CONTACT: Victoriahope McAuliffe Worcester State University 508-315-7207 vmcauliffe@worcester.edu ATTENTION: HEALTH GURUS!! WORCESTER STATE WELLNESS EXPO MAKES HEALTH A PRIORITY ON CAMPUS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2017 AT THE WORCESTER STATE WELLNESS CENTER Who:          Representatives from health organizations in Central Massachusetts including:                       AdCare, Massachusetts Brain Injury Association, American Heart Association,                     CrossFit Worcester, Young Living Essential Oils, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, New England                     VegFest, and many more! What:         WELLNESS EXPO                     Hosted by the Worcester State Wellness Center and The Office of Health Promotion When:        Wednesday March 15, 2017, 10am – 2pm Where:       The Worcester State University Wellness Center                     486 Chandler St. / Worcester