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As student affairs professional I believe it is imperative that we create an environment where students are able to process the messages that society continuously feeds them. Creating a safe and comfortable space for our students to come to us and providing them with the tools necessary to process this in a positive and constructive way is vital. While many of these negative messages can be deeply rooted in ignorance, education is the key to creating societal change.

As student affairs professionals we should work with our students to provide them with the resources, understanding of language, and security to dispel some of these stereotypes, accept the levels of truth behind them and own them in a positive manner, and simply share their positivity with others.

Spending a short and very important time of their lives within our institutions, these students will go on to be the educators, business women and men, inventors, and leaders within our society. That notion allows me to understand our roles as student affairs and educators even more.

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Like many of us, I have been exposed to a multitude of messages from society about what is socially acceptable for women, men, their sexuality, and the definitions of beauty, sexy, handsome, masculine, and feminine to name a few. As mentioned in the welcome, I am truly humbled and blessed that I am able to have conversations about what it means to be a woman, a man, and establishing a sense of security as it pertain to sexuality. These conversations have not only taken place recently in classes, but to an extent throughout my upbringing. My parents instilled fundamental lessons, ways of thinking, acceptance, and perhaps most importantly the power of love.
I don't mean love in sense of romanticism as much as I do about the power of love for humanity as a whole. Each of us has embarked on this journey of life in very unique ways, which has influenced who we are to the core, the ways in which we think and process things, and the way in which we interact with others. Based on my love for humanity and experiences throughout the past 23 years, I choose to see the positive side of what these messages sent, I try to see opportunities for growth and conversations that can be had within each of the messages I have included within this compilation and others that may have slipped my memory and those that I am sure I will be presented as time continues on. Within messages from SO·CI·E·TY about WOM·EN and M·EN section it was crucial to include the messages about body image. Although an area where a majority of emphasis is placed on women, both women and men are exposed to and at different times may begin to internalize some of the negative ideologies and messages about what one's body should look like. Similar to many individuals this is an area that I have at times struggled with throughout my life and one that I continue process and challenge myself upon. Through my experiences I have learned to accept and love my body for what it is and ignore the message that I need to be an hourglass figure, or that I need to dress a particular way in order to be sexy or attractive thus having this perfect life that these messages often portray! As I continue to learn new things and grow as a person, I will continue to look to have a positive outlook on life and find the good within these societal messages and.... (see picture below).

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messages from SO·CI·E·TY about SEX·U·AL·I·TY...

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messages from SO·CI·E·TY about SEX·U·AL·I·TY...

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(Press "source" to view in its entirety.)

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See what Grisell Laureano (isbel) has discovered on Pinterest, the world's biggest collection of everybody's favorite things.

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(Press "source" to view in its entirety.)

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See what Grisell Laureano (isbel) has discovered on Pinterest, the world's biggest collection of everyone's favourite things.

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(Press "source" to view in its entirety.)

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See what Grisell Laureano (isbel) has discovered on Pinterest, the world's biggest collection of everybody's favorite things.

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I find myself blessed and humbled by the fact that we are able to discuss a range of topics and their effects on us as well as with the students we interact with on a daily basis. This virtual board is an actualization of my thoughts on the many ways in which society communicates its positive and negative messages in subtle and overt ways. I hope you enjoy it!!!!

Suggestions: to see the entire board, zoom out. You will be able to click on each of the pins or individual postings to see and read more.

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The Meriam-Webster dictionary defines society as such. Social constructions are based on what society determines them to be. When it comes to creating equality, and more equability within gender and sexuality, do we have an "enduring and [cooperative] social group"?