There are several dead men named as the “father” of different areas of medicine, but the most shocking is the father of gynecology: Dr. J. Marion Sims. This man was an American slave owner who practiced medicine in the mid-1800s.

Among his many medical experiments and achievements, Sims is widely recognized for his development of gynecological practices that are still in use today. Yes, this man is responsible for an early form of everyone’s favorite, the vaginal spectrum. Useful as it is, I wonder if a better, more comfortable alternative could be found if women had been present in the medical establishment from the beginning.

Dr. Sims misdeeds only begin with the spectrum. He experimented with new surgical solutions to a condition called vesicovaginal fistula, which is a particularly nasty condition that can happen during extended childbirth. He is credited with finding the first surgery that consistently repaired vesicovaginal fistula, something that generations of doctors had tried to solve. However, this important breakthrough in surgery was possible because Dr. Sims experimented on slaves who were subject to his trials without their consent.

Of the fourteen slaves he did experimental gynecological surgery on, he named three of them in his records: Anarcha, Betsy, and Lucy. All three of these women suffered from vesicovaginal fistula. Dr. Sims operated on Anarcha over thirty times. It is important to note that Dr. Sims did not use anesthetics in his experimental surgery, even though they were available at the time.

According to Harriet A. Washington’s book about the history of medical experimentation on black people, Dr. Sims would never have been able to conduct so many experimental surgeries without exploiting slaves, because no white women would have agreed to it. Also, Dr. Sims believed that black women could endure more pain than white women, which is a dangerous and untrue stereotype that still exists today. This is one of the reasons why he never used anesthetics during his experiments.

The idea that black people can endure more pain than other groups comes from the history of undervaluing black people in America. Slave owners perpetrated the idea that black people could work harder and for longer because they are biologically different from white people, who could not withstand the same work.

Like many other manifestations of racism, this concept that black people are somehow unable to feel pain persists. Many white medical doctors believe that black people are biologically different from white people and allow this belief to inform their medical practice. The result of this, among other things, is that black people are substantially less likely to receive pain relief medication than white people.

The story of Dr. Sims and how he was named the “father of gynecology” is one of anti-blackness. It is important to know these stories that create the foundation for medicine, politics, and other areas of our lives. Without an uncensored understanding of how the modern systems of oppression were formed, it is unlikely that we can move forward and create real change.

Genuine Justice is a column about reproductive justice focusing on current events, historical perspectives and systematic racism in women’s healthcare.

The post Genuine Justice: The Father of Gynecology???? appeared first on KRUI Radio.

In an interview with NPR, Spalding discussed the ideas behind her newest creation “Emily’s D+Evolution.” As a child, she was Emily to many people, and this connection to her youth fuels the music on this album. “Emily is exploring these … means of expression that I was curious about as a kid … that I never pursued or developed.” She spent much of her younger years as a musician perfecting her technical abilities and learning the specific details about her music and instruments, and now she has incorporated things like acting, dancing, costumes, and other creative outlets into her newest album.

The first track, “Good Lava,” shocks listeners as different from Spalding’s previous work. Incorporating rock styles into the song, the impure guitar riff and the free vocals paired with tight background vocals creates an interesting dynamic of messiness and clarity.

Her inspiration behind the song came from a story her mother told her about tapping into the potential of troubled students, and finding a “boiling and burbling” energy in all of us that yearns to be free in a powerful release. I LOVE THIS ALREADY.

“Unconditional Love” is a slower, more relaxed song that complains of the emptiness of cliche love stories and how relationships often consist of just going through the same motions until the inevitable breakups. However, Spalding (or rather, Emily), proposes that we “change the whole story of love” and stop acting out predictable roles. It’s a sweet song that already provides a stark contrast to the first song of the album.

The next song, “Judas,” reflects some possibly unpopular opinions in her lyrics, where she sympathizes with Judas and other marginalized people society may deem as criminals or sinners. In her verses, she uses an intriguing talking-singing-rapping style to tell stories of people who have been forced into unfortunate circumstances by other peoples. This becomes clear when she sings “forgive this innocent wrecking ball” and the background vocals sing “man-made.”

I honestly have no idea what “Earth to Heaven” is about. You all can make your own theories by reading the lyrics, but I really enjoy the irregular rhythms and strange background vocals.

“One” has my favorite chorus of the entire album. Each chorus sounds like the climax in a power ballad; with the powerful background vocals, epic drum and guitar riffs, it’s all so great. At this point in the album, I don’t feel like Esperanza/Emily is repeating styles and every song brings something new for the album.

Although she used her childhood name and attitude for inspiration, “Rest in Pleasure” is a super sexy song. The background vocals and chorus sound like a person making pretty sensual noises, and the rest is pretty easy to deduce from the lyrics “Now what are we gonna do/With our two fiery souls?”

I think “Ebony & Ivy” might be my favorite song that she has ever created. Her smooth vocals paired with gritty guitar riffs, and the SUPER political nature of the song just makes magic. The song title refers to a book published recently about the entangled nature of the remnants of slavery and academia/higher education. Spalding and her background singers open the song by quickly speaking in unison about how universities were built on slavery and anti-blackness and it’s amazing and powerful.

At this point, I’m wondering how the album can get any better after the past few songs. However, as she always does, Spalding brings unique, dissonant melodies to the next song “Noble Nobles.” Emily returns with her powerful political music and criticizes the contradictory nature of historical figures and their beliefs. “Talking founding fathers with a free philosophy/That don’t mention me” refers to the empty words the Founding Fathers wrote about all people deserving freedom, but leaving out all women and all people of color.

She reflects the contradictions musically when her background vocals sing a beautiful harmony, but end the musical phrase with a dissonant combination of notes, just like her lyrics “Noble nobles with a savage means.”

I’m not sure who the subject of “Farewell Dolly” is, but again, Emily discusses historical injustices and seems to refer to how women had no property or wealth unless they became widows, and how men did not care for their rights. Always using her platform to be badass and political.

“Elevate or Operate” is pretty weird. The song begins with a childish, circus-like theme and then transforms into a volatile conversation between two people. The lyrics may help you more than they helped me understand the song.

The penultimate song, “Funk the Fear” is basically a message to listeners to carpe the hell out of that diem. It’s a pretty great song, and I kind of wished she made it the last song of the album until I heard her choice.

“I Want it Now” is definitely a tribute to the lovable, humble, Veruca Salt from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl. This relates to her childhood inspiration for the entire album, but somehow she makes it sound a lot better than the little brat in the book.

By now you’ve realized I’m a little impartial to everything that Spalding creates, and by that I mean I love her. However, the album is seriously really good. She creates a balance of political songs with fun, lighthearted music and the artwork is beautiful. Listen below, and check out her website for more information!

The post Album Review: “Emily’s D+Evolution” by Esperanza Spalding appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Many may know D’Agata from his books “Halls of Fame,” “About A Mountain” and most importantly, the trilogy of essay anthologies: “A New History of the Essay,” where you can find The Next American Essay (2003), The Lost Origins of the Essay (2009) and The Making of the American Essay. He is also currently the Director of the Nonfiction Writing Program here at the University of Iowa.

I had never been to Prairie Lights Bookstore before but knew of how well respected it was by the Iowa City community. I was very much surprised to arrive when the door opened at 11:30 am to find that almost all the seats were taken. Ten minutes before the readings were supposed to begin it was standing room only, and even then people will sill cramming in.

Another aspect that caught me off guard was how wide of a demographic that showed up. There were groups of students studying English here at U of I but there were also many senior citizens that had made it to the scene and even grabbed the first few rows!

After an introduction from a Mission Creek staff member, John D’Agata took the podium and read an excerpt from one of his favorite essays about Ansel Adams and the birth, life, and death of a photograph. John described how throughout the essays a common theme is taking reality and shaping it how an author feels and gifting the reader that experience.

Following the main act was Richard Preston who read aloud an excerpt from EB White’s One More to Lake. Before he started, he gave a reader’s discretion to the audience that he was going to compare non-fiction writers to rats. Now of course, I was confused. I’m not an English major and did not understand the comparison he was trying to make but apparently I was the only one who felt this way because

everyone erupted in laughter after he said that.

He went on in detail to say that writing non-fiction is an infinite maze and the writer is the rat in this labyrinth. As a rat spends months and years in this labyrinth finding new passages and opportunities to explore, so does a non-fiction writer weaving in and out of new ideas and the creative information they uncover throughout their studies.

Kerry Howley was up next. As she was finding her page to read, she discussed what the anthology of essays meant to her: “these books comprise a community though time.” The English Mailcoach by Thomas De Quincey was her choice of essay. She explained that this essay made it to her top favorites because of how it answers the ridiculous questions in life while also supplying a good laugh along the way.

Fourth was Charles D’Ambrosio who recited In the Fifties written by Leonard Michaels. Throughout his time in the front of the room he compared an earthquake with its cracks and shakes to the trilogy that this whole reading was about. He went on to say, “There is so much to be found in non-fiction that this essay is just a huge fault in the non-fiction world.” In the Fifties was a captivating narrative that lightened the mood receiving a few head nods and chuckles from those who came to the event.

Lastly, was Inara Verzemnieks who is also a professor at the University of Iowa. She took a personal road with what essay to share today, Signified by Susan Steinburg, and told the story how when she was a student this was on her reading list of literary pieces to read and was so inspired that she made it a mandatory

read for her students. She even threw out the fact that one of her students was so touched by the piece that they got a tattoo inspired from the essay and joked that she was excited to see if anyone would leave Prairie Lights and would get one as well.

The reading concluded with a Q & A. During this segment of the event I learned that it took John D’Agata about two decades to compile “A New History of the Essay.” He shared that both the first and second installment took him roughly three years each to put together with the third one coming in around five years total. Of course, add years of editing and perfecting he spent most of his time post-college piled high in these anthologies.

I think something that will stick with me the most was what John D’Agata said at the end: “An Essay doesn’t make a promise. It doesn’t make any guarantees. These essays are fun and intriguing to read because it’s someone’s mind on paper and you get to live that as you read it and see how the author revolves throughout the essay.”

One of the most relatable questions that I thought I would share with you was asked by a older lady asking how to approach the essay as a first time reader. John D’Agata recommended paying attention to the voice, how intimate it can be and the personality that comes to life in each essay. It’s a mind on a page and it can become very personable.

This was my first time ever attending an event hosted by Mission Creek Festival and although I never would have seen myself going to a literary event, I can honestly say I’m excited to go next year and continue to expand my knowledge.

So I leave you with one question: when is the 2017 line up going to be posted? Am I right?

The post Mission Creek: A New History of the Essay @ Prairie Lights 4/9/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

However, based on my experiences this past semester, I think we should reevaluate.

Regular readers of this column will recall my TA who felt inconvenienced by my request that he call out racist comments in the classroom. That’s just one example of people around me who choose passivity instead of action.

Last month, I sat through an entire lecture about the Harlem Renaissance for an English class and my professor (who has been published and received awards for her work) did not use the words race, racism, black, or African-American the whole time.

Her lecture erased history. Her decision to use call the Harlem Renaissance “a distinctly American movement” represents an unwillingness to factually describing the time period as a movement to demonstrate black excellence. She intentionally avoided using any words that related to race! She’s complicit in a larger problem that plagues our world: historical revisionism. This issue has become apparent in Texas, Japan, South Korea, and so many other places. In this country, this problem usually happens with nonwhite history, like my English professor propagating lies about black history. So much for progressive.

Several other experiences revealed to me the saddening truth about academia.

I recently turned in a final paper for a class in which I researched and explained how our usage of language always already privileges a male viewpoint, and provided ample support from reliable sources, but I still lost points for “absolutism.” I also cited a scholar’s interpretation of a poem, and wrote that I thought it was flawed and misguided. Then I lost points for claiming that a scholar could make such a mistake.

Because of my status as an undergraduate student, my professor seems to indicate that I am barred from criticizing scholarly work and drawing conclusions that disrupt the status quo. If we claim that certain people’s opinions are inviolable or invulnerable to criticism, how exactly are we supposed to evolve and better the world?

Apparently, we’re not.

The fact that academia is still dominated by older white men displays the unwillingness of people to accept other viewpoints that don’t comply with heteronormative expectations. If people were truly invested in the narratives of people of color, non-heterosexual people, and other groups, then the population of scholars would not be so homogeneous.

This graphic displays the lack of diversity in college faculty. Even in schools where nonwhite students hold the majority, the faculty remains mostly white.

These inequalities extend to gender, too. The graph below displays the imbalance between men and women in various faculty ranks nationwide.

Why do I and so many other marginalized people often feel alone in raising these issues in classrooms and academic spaces?

The idleness and passivity of my peers reflects a deeply-rooted privileged mindset that allows people to watch these injustices happen instead of fight back.

Police kill innocent black children and are not punished, much of congress wants to defund programs for women’s health, white men who terrorize the world still evade the label terrorists, and this dumpster fire of a human being is leading in the polls for president.

That’s why I become so angry when the school I attend and the people in authority take every opportunity to shut down my small acts of resistance. People say college is about learning to change the world, and even in the smallest instances, my attempts were denied. My experiences and those of so many other people of color and marginalized populations demonstrate the clear illusion of progress in academia.

Let’s work together to change that.

Refuse to be content with our society.

Voice your opinions and debate your superiors.

Write provocative papers and ask pressing questions.

Be critical of yourself, your peers, your relationships, and communities.

Work to decolonize your mind in every instance.

Let’s transform academia from a stifling atmosphere into a space that fosters revolutionary thought.

The idea of “decolonizing our minds” comes from writings of the author, feminist and social activist bell hooks. She encourages us to critically examine every thought and action, free ourselves from the coercive ideologies, and overcome the impacts of structural oppression. This monthly column will analyze spaces and times where and when we can pause and make strides in this arduous process, and also highlight figures who are helping us to decolonize ourselves.

The post Decolonize Your Mind: Resist Every Day appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Written by Tom Stoppard in 1993 and directed by Ariel Francoeur, Arcadia is set in the early 19th century as well as “modern-day” – 1993 in the first production. The play switches perspectives every scene, signalling the time switch by either playing classical piano music or modern British pop music.

The play revolves around the inhabitants of a house in the UK in both time periods with the modern group studying the passions and scandals of the historic group. As the play progresses, the time periods begin to bleed together and characters from both periods end up in the house at the same moment; as a rule, each character is only aware of the characters that are in the same time period as themselves. This provided a really interesting scene dynamic as the dialogue and blocking flowed seamlessly together. By the end, the audience was left with a sort of cliffhanger in the form of dramatic irony; the audience knew what happened after the lights went down, but the characters were blissfully unaware.

Clocking in at 2 hours and 44 minutes, the pace of Arcadia  was a godsend. For the most part. the plot didn’t drag at all. I was surprised when intermission came and I realized an hour and a half had passed. The second half didn’t fly by so quickly, but it was good enough to keep me in my seat.

Speaking of the second half, there was a beautifully choreographed waltz-scene that completely stole my heart. Two characters from the 1800s and two characters from the “present” waltz around on stage, never encountering the other couple but always spinning perfectly around each other. The space on the set was used well and liberally, and there is no question about the talent of the actors and choreographers who worked on this dance.

On the subject of the space and major talent – the set was beautiful. The only set was a large sitting room with a long table, a chandelier, and large windows and doors to the garden, but I was in love with it. I was ready to move in right then and there. Major props to the set designers and anyone else in the crew that worked on the set.

Another great feature of the show was the transition music. The classical music was nice; it wasn’t laughably old, but it also set the mood and clearly indicated where and when the next scene would be taking place. The modern British pop had the same effect, but was – in my opinion – a lot more fun to listen to. I was especially pleased when  Kate Nash came on, but that’s probably due to a) I enjoy Kate Nash as an artist and b) I was relieved to finally recognize a track that was being played between scenes. Overall, the music was a great addition and did its job as a transition method.

As much as I appreciated the show, I wasn’t crazy about a couple of things.

For me, the main downfall was the dialects. This play takes place in the UK so, obviously, all of the characters were speaking in British accents. Here’s my problem: the accents were either overdone, incomprehensible, or all together distracting. I had a really  hard time following the dialogue – and therefore, the plot – because I was struggling to understand what many of the actors were saying. When I could hear them, a lot of what I heard was extremely overdone. This was especially true of the actors portraying characters living in the 1800s. There was too much pomp, too much gusto, and way too much emphasis. I was unable to take anything seriously because all I could think was that I was at a Harry Potter reenactment and everyone had learned a different accent.

The one character I was really impressed with was Lady Croom. As soon as she walked onstage there was no doubt about it; she owned the space. And she does; in the play, Lady Croom basically “rules” over the estate and has a lot of power and influence over the other characters. However, just because this is what the character is supposed to do, it doesn’t mean the actor will portray it. But perfectly portrayed it was, and with a controlled accent to boot.

Overall, the show was enjoyable. I didn’t really like sitting in a theater for nearly three hours, but after the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Hunger Games franchises, you begin to get used to it. That being said, there wasn’t nearly enough action for me to be on the edge of my seat for those two hours and forty-four minutes. However, it was well paced for a play. While I wish the dialects had been better done/less distracting, I applaud the cast and crew for a well done performance.

To keep up with the UI Theatre Department and find tickets and showtimes, visit their website.

The post Theatre Review: Arcadia appeared first on KRUI Radio.

As we are all unfortunately aware, one of Iowa’s greatest and most recognizable athletes in any sport is currently battling stage four cancer. We all hope for the best, but as is often the case, life can grievously be too short.

With tragic news comes incredible opportunity. Let’s create a moment – a happy ending to a sad plot. Before the inevitable happens, we can give generations of audiences, an assortment of a surrounding cast, and the two main characters a moment none will forget.

Here’s the script:

Roy Devyn Marble unveils his father’s jersey hanging high in the rafters, before pulling his dad in for a long embrace in front of a cheerful, applauding crowd, sending one last thank you to one of a program’s greatest.

Tears will be shed, by both Marbles and adoring fans, as all realize the past struggle that still haunts.

Stories will be exchanged from generation to generation about their favorite moments from each Marble, as no players in Hawkeye history have impacted such a vast age gap. Parents will insist Marble Sr. is the best – children will refute.

Goodbyes will be whispered, as this could be the last time Iowa City will salute its top player.

What the Marble name has meant to Iowa’s basketball program can’t be understated. The elder Marble led the Hawkeyes to a 30-win season, an Elite Eight and four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, cementing his legacy with records scattered throughout the books.

The second stayed true to his commitment in order to give life to a program desperate for revival.

The reasons to keep the Marble name off a hovering jersey are clear. The issues in his past are tough to swallow, numerous in quantity and reveal a set of flaws that a program may not want to be associated with.

But this isn’t Pierre Pierce. By all indications this isn’t a bad man. Marble never hurt anyone but himself. His issues are publicly known, but a private problem.

Having bad associated with the Hawkeyes is something to avoid. Having troubled isn’t.

Despite those troubles, he never abandoned his Hawkeyes, just as the Hawkeye fan base has remained faithful to him. Autograph sessions are the norm whenever an appearance is made, and Marble has never seemed shy about expressing his love for the university.

Iowa can’t wait too long to show the love in return. Nothing in this situation would be more hurtful than having to hear Devyn Marble represent his father years down the road and be forced to say “I wish my dad could be here.”

We have the opportunity to avoid that forlorn line.

Let’s give Marble the stage one more time to tell us how much we meant to him and his family, to say how Iowa is his adopted home state, and how he will always be a Hawkeye. Then, right before he takes his final bow, we throw vocal flowers onto to the stage to show him how much more he has meant to us.

And then the credits roll.

The script is written, actors chosen and now the audience is waiting for this Hollywood moment to premiere.

Iowa just needs to produce it.

The post Roy Marble Sr. Needs a Hollywood Moment appeared first on KRUI Radio.