The Barometer Online

Issue date: 4/5/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Cory Reed November Papaleo, a graduate student in women's studies and English, is currently aspiring to publish a paper she wrote on MySpace body objectification.

"What you see is what you get," said women studies director Susan Shaw, about November Papaleo's attitude, passion and personality.

Papaleo's first name means "new embers," which is why her parents chose it.

"I was their first child and I was a new beginning for them as a couple - I was a new spark."

Papaleo is a graduate student working toward her master's degree in women studies and English as well as a graduate teaching assistant. Currently she is preparing her thesis paper on Myspace and body objectification.

"I did a class presentation on photos my friends had posted online of themselves," Papaleo said. "The photos were of them almost nude. I compared these photos to ones where young women modeled professionally and the two were very close to the same."

Papaleo went on to get an A on the presentation and thought it would be an interesting thesis paper.

"I am still in the beginning stages, but eventually I want to publish it and then go for my Ph.D.," she added.

Papaleo does not know where she wants to go yet, but she is looking at colleges nationally and internationally.

Along with being a student, Papaleo is currently working on a project called Hollaback Pacific Northwest, which is based on Hollaback NYC.

The Web site states that Hollaback's primary goal is to call out street harassers, critique sexually aggressive/suggestive/sexist clothing, and to reduce sexual terrorism by providing an anonymous outlet to share stories and tales of support.

"There is a program in the women studies department that allows students to go to conferences about feminist organizing in New York and Washington D.C.," Papaleo said. "We spent 10 days in New York and three days in Washington D.C. assisting organizations that benefit women and children."

On this trip the students were supposed to meet the Hollaback NYC panel, but they ended up getting stuck on the subway.

"During this trip we had lots of late night discussions about issues such as street harassment," Papaleo said.

Also on the trip, one of Papaleo's colleagues saw a man, on NYU's campus, wearing shirt that said, "freshman girls - get 'um while they are skinny." After seeing this she asked him why he was wearing it.

Continued...

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