Kristen Wendt

Kristen is a senior communication major, sociology and psychology minor from Villanova University. Kristen's interest in social justice began shortly after arriving at Villanova in 2009. She has participated in many different volunteer opportunities like Special Olympics, Bigs and Littles, and an after-school program in Philadelphia during her time at Villanova. She has also participated in multiple service break experiences to Kentucky, Alabama, and Costa Rica to confront issues on everything from homelessness to environmental sustainability. Kristen was a Program and Research Intern for the SISGI Group for the summer of 2012, and will continue to write articles on issues of advertising, the media, gender, and education. Follow her on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/kwendttt

Most commented posts

  1. Olympic Coverage: Let’s Hear it for the “Girls” — 9 comments
  2. Girls’ Self Esteem Peaks At Age Nine — 3 comments
  3. The Gendered Nature of the English Language — 2 comments
  4. The Modern Day Feminist: Doorholding 101 — 2 comments
  5. Gender & Media: Behind the Weight Loss Craze — 2 comments

Author's posts

Jul 17

A Culture of Violent Masculinity: Part One

Take a close look at the following numbers: 85% of murders. 90% of violent, physical assaults. 95% of domestic violence. 95% of dating violence. 95% of child sexual abuse cases. 99.8% of those in prison convicted for rape. What do all of these statistics have in common? They’re all committed by men. For too long, …

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Jul 12

The Positives of a Little Negative Stigma

What the Anti-Smoking Campaign Got Right If there’s one thing that the United States has gotten right, it’s smoking. Or the lack of smoking, to be more exact. I first realized this while studying abroad in Italy last semester. While I was in Italy, I was shocked by the amount of people who smoked, and …

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Jul 10

What About the Boys?

It’s not just the girls. Boys also are influenced by the images they see in the media. When you look at the numbers, it’s clear that girls’ body image in the United States is in grave danger. 42% of first, second, and third grade girls want to lose weight.  More than 50% of ten-year-old girls …

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Jul 05

The Gendered Nature of the English Language

I was watching my sister write thank-you cards the other day, when she came across a card from an older couple that she didn’t know very well. She stopped, realizing that she didn’t know how to properly address the envelope. I checked online and discovered that traditional etiquette dictates that a formal invitation or card …

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Jul 03

The Commercialization of American Schools

The reality is that many schools have money problems. Big money problems. Across the country there are major budget cuts and layoffs. Financial issues have been the main topic of conversation in schools for years. A recent solution that many schools have adopted is to allow companies advertising rights within the school, in exchange for …

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Jun 29

Redefining Beauty: It’s Time for a Change. It’s Time for a New Standard of Beauty.

Did you know that 80% of ten-year-old children are afraid of becoming fat? And that around 90% of 15-17 year-old girls want to change at least one aspect of their appearance? Or that girls are three times more likely than boys to have a negative body image? What’s the reason behind these startling statistics? The …

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Jun 28

What Makes an Athlete a “Woman”?

It’s officially less than one month until the Olympics. Twenty-nine days to be exact. (Not that I’ve been counting…) Ever since I’ve been young, I’ve loved the Olympics. From the moment the Opening Ceremony starts, I’m glued to my television set- through all the events, the award ceremonies, and straight through to the Closing Ceremony.There’s …

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Jun 26

Sports Mascots: They’re Not All Fun and Games

Mascots, mascots, mascots. They’re everywhere. High school, college, and professional teams alike circle around their beloved mascots during the “big game” as a beacon of tradition, hope, and luck. Some mascots are funny, and some are plain strange. (There’s such thing as a banana slug? And a dancing tree? Check out UC Santa Cruz and …

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Jun 21

Simply Divine: The Sweeter Side of the Chocolate Industry

  While chocolate might taste sweet, it’s history is anything but. There is a long history of exploitation and unethical practices surrounding the West African cocoa beans used by “Big Chocolate” corporations such as Hershey, Kraft (which recently bought Cadbury), Nestle, and Mars. There are news reports of unfair pricing. Poor working conditions. There are …

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Jun 19

Spread the Word to End the Word

There’s a moment in many social situations when you simply don’t know what to say. Someone has misstepped their boundaries, violated your beliefs, and you don’t know how to respond. The moment hangs in time, as an internal battle rages in your mind. Should you stay silent, stewing in anger? Do you say something? Is …

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