MATCH is Back: Planning Meeting 2015/16

This past week, M.W. Bychowski and Samuel Yates met to assess the accomplishments of the previous year and to plan events for Fall 2015 - Spring 2016.

Previously, monthly reading groups have proven a successful way to collect together scholars interested in topics related to crip and queer theory. We remembered the Low Theory discussion where MATCH affirmed through J. Jack Halberstam's Queer Art of Failure that philosophically rich cultural studies does not require participants to been fluent in a wide range of jargon or have the whole bibliography of theoretical texts under their belt. In that spirit, we planned that the MATCH meeting for October 2015 would be a return to the basics of Crip/Queer Studies by reading together a chapter from Robert McRuer's seminal book, Crip Theory.

Moving forward, one program that has been batted around in the past is finally coming to light. In order to improve academic praxis as well as theory, MATCH will be running seasonal American Sign Language (ASL) and Braille 101 Workshops in the Fall and Spring respectively. The purpose of these workshops is not to profess or learn mastery of these critically important languages but to increase exposure and familiarity. The exact form and schedule of these workshops are still to be determined but should begin in some form by the end of the Fall 2015 semester. We look forward to igniting interest in crip and queer studies at the George Washington University and beyond!