Thursday, March 25, 2021
Marsha P. Johnson was born a biological male in 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Johnson began to wear dresses at the age of five, but her childhood was fraught with homophobia from her mother and local youths. Johnson moved to NYC at age 18 and came out as gay and transgender. She coined the name “Marsha P. Johnson” when she started doing drag, and said that the P stood for “pay it no mind,” a reference to her gender being fluid. Johnson was one of the first drag queens to perform at the Stonewall Inn and was alleged to have helped start the Stonewall Riots, with some saying she “threw a shot glass at a mirror… screaming, ‘I got my civil rights’”, and others saying she threw a brick at a police officer. After the riots, Johnson marched in the first gay pride rally and co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) organization, along with the STAR House, a shelter for gay and trans street kids. Johnson struggled with severe personality shifts that some said were from schizophrenia throughout her later life while living on the streets of NYC, which perhaps is why activists were reluctant to credit her for her role in sparking the gay liberation movement. Shortly after the 1992 pride parade, her body was found in the Hudson River and ruled a suicide, but a police investigation reclassified her cause of death to “undetermined” in 2002.
WRC Women’s History Month presented by Olivia Cox
- If you are planning to take the STAMP test this year and you are not already registered, or if you are unsure about your registration, please open the following flyer and fill out the application form as soon as possible.
The Amherst Center Cultural District (ACCD) is transforming downtown Amherst into an art gallery. You are invited to showcase your works of art throughout the town center in windows on streets, walkways, and municipal areas in downtown Amherst. Installations will be on view for 3 months, from June through Labor Day Weekend. Windows Into Art 2021 Application
As a part of Social Justice Month, the International Students Club is leading a guided discussion about Asian-American racism and children’s education in developing countries on Tuesday, March 30th from 12:00-12:45. Mark the date! With cases of violence against Asian-Americans on the rise and the pandemic posing as a severe obstacle to developing countries’ education programs, discussing and debriefing these issues is SO important. Come! This may count as extra credit in your English and History class too, so ask your teachers! Email Rebekah Hong (hongr@arps.org) or Mira Setty-Charity with any questions about either the club or the discussion (setty-charityma@arps.org).
- Non School Sponsored -AMHERST RALLY to STOP ANTI-ASIAN HATE on Saturday, March 27 at 1pm sponsored by the UMASS Amherst Graduate Employee Organization and AAPI Community Members & accomplices Amherst Common, Amherst
This week's tip: FIND SOME JOY!! What is JOY? Think about this for a few minutes. One definition of Joy is "A feeling of great pleasure or happiness" Well, that sounds great, doesn't it? When was the last time you took a minute to notice something joyful? To feel something joyful? To share that you are JOYFUL with those around you? Our challenge for you is twofold: Make a list (in your head or on paper if you can) of a few things big or small (5, 8, 10?) that bring you joy! Next, find ways to seek some out! Notice the impact on your mood, your energy, and even possibly your motivation.
Check out these article with some great tips to discover/rediscover joy in your
daily life & how joy positively impacts your body and brain
1. https://www.healthline.com/
health/affects-of-joy#3.-Your- autonomic-nervous-system 2. https://www.prevention.com/
health/mental-health/ g33002023/how-to-find-joy/ BONUS: If you do make a list, share it with us at petersk@arps.org so we can highlight what BRINGS JOY to folks in our community!Yearbook-
· Yearbook pre-orders are only open until APRIL 1ST. Order yours now at arps.picaboo.com! If you are a senior and are having trouble affording a yearbook, contact Miss Garrity.
· Families and staff can submit "parent ads" to thank or congratulate students, staff, or faculty. Every ad purchased helps a senior on free/reduced lunch get a yearbook! Submit your ad at arps.picaboo.com!
· All students should submit a portrait to the yearbook through the MyYearbookPhoto app! If you are having trouble uploading your image to the app, you may email it to Miss Garrity at garrityc@arps.org. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT A PHOTO, YOU WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE YEARBOOK.
· In addition to portraits, we are still looking for candid images to fill our yearbook! Send us photos of you with your friends, family, pets, and projects! Send us photos of your silver linings, your clubs, your joy, your genius! Photos can be uploaded at arps.picaboo.com or emailed to garrityc@arps.org.
- The ARHS Theater Company is proud to announce AUDITIONS for both THE SOUND OF MUSIC, this year's musical - and our annual STUDENT-WRITTEN PLAY FESTIVAL! Both productions will be done entirely outdoors and with COVID-safety protocols in mind. One audition sets you up to try out for one or both productions. Exactly 0% previous background or skill is required.Head over to the musical website at bit.ly/arhssom21 for all the details on auditions, which will run on Tuesday, March 30 and Wednesday, March 31. Sign-up sheets for both productions are up and waiting for you on the musical website.Come be a part of something big and happy. See Mr. Bechtold with any questions: bechtolj@arps.org.
