Meilin Beloney

What’s your favorite class? Why?

My favorite class that I have taken so far is Political Economy of Black Labor with Assistant Professor Kim Cameron-Dominguez. Kim is a fantastic professor whose classes I would recommend to anyone, SOAN majors or not. She is super knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter, which makes the classroom an engaging learning environment. SOAN 373 focused on Black women’s labor, particularly in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the diaspora. We situated our discussions in the context of neoliberalism and globalization.

Aside from reading a lot of theory and ethnographies, a main component of this class was writing our own research papers about a topic of our choosing. I love to do research, so I had a lot of fun writing my paper. Additionally, extensive peer review and feedback from Kim gave me a lot of confidence in my research and writing abilities. At just over 20 pages, it was the longest paper I’ve ever written, but ultimately, I am so proud of the result.

This class was simultaneously my favorite and the most challenging class I have ever taken. It was a super small class, with eight people and the professor, which made discussions pretty intimidating. Additionally, Kim really pushes her students to think critically about topics in a new way. Although this was intimidating, it ultimately led to a very gratifying experience. Taking this class with Kim made me examine questions of labor and Blackness in a completely different light.

What made you want to come to Lewis & Clark?

I always knew that I wanted to go to school in the Pacific Northwest. Being from the Bay Area, I’ve visited the PNW and more specifically, Portland, many times, and have always loved the feeling of being surrounded by nature, trees, and greenery, which you simply don’t get in drought-ridden California. I also knew that I wanted to go to a small, liberal arts college. Lewis & Clark ticked both of those boxes for me, while also offering a gorgeous campus. The deciding factor for me, though, was learning about the five student-led academic symposia that Lewis & Clark puts on each year. I haven’t heard about anything comparable at any other college. It’s funny that I am now a cochair for one of those symposia—we’ve come full circle!

What do you like or find most interesting about your major?

I like that within my major, you can really discuss anything. In various sociology and anthropology classes, I have done research papers on a variety of topics, from identity formation in the Church of Scientology to sex tourism in Brazil. You can apply a sociological/anthropological lens to anything that you are interested in—the possibilities are truly endless.

What do you like or find most interesting about your minor?

One of my favorite aspects about the gender studies minor is that it is interdisciplinary, meaning that I get a variety of lenses through which to view questions of sex, gender, and sexuality. I have had classes taught by history, English, theatre, and sociology professors, which has really broadened my horizons when it comes to gender studies. Through my minor, I have been able to take classes in disciplines that I would otherwise have not had the opportunity to engage in.

Tell us about your support systems and social outlets on campus: people, activities,
clubs, res halls, etc.

My friends are my main social outlet, especially my wonderful roommate. It’s really helped that I am such good friends with my roommate, who I have lived with since the spring semester of my first year. Additionally, I have always had friends in my residence hall, which I see as a testament to how lovely Lewis & Clark students are. A lot of my friends are studying abroad next semester, so we are all living in Stewart right now, which makes hanging out a lot easier because we can casually do homework in the lounge or go to each other’s dorms when we want company.

During my freshman year, I really struggled with how predominantly white the student population here is. Becoming more involved in the Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement (IME) office really helped. IME does a lot of work to support students of color, first-generation college students, and LGBTQ+ students. Going to IME events introduced me to a lot of friends who I hold dear today. I now work at IME as the marketing coordinator and am so grateful for the sense of community that Joann and Erin have cultivated. In addition to IME, I find a lot of support in Queer Student Union (QSU)’s QTPOC Group, a group that a friend and I started where queer and trans students of color can gather regularly and just talk about our experiences.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

I would encourage incoming students to lean on community and support systems, and to not be afraid to ask questions. There are so many free resources on campus, and people are there to help you. In that vein, form relationships with your professors! Go to office hours! One of the great things about Lewis & Clark is that it is a small campus with small class sizes, so it is easy to develop that relationship. Also, support systems here extend beyond the academic—clubs, affinity groups, and offices like IME and the International Students and Scholars office are here to help students form community and feel less alone.

Tell us about the upcoming Ray Warren Symposium. What has your experience as a
cochair been like? How does this event complement your academic experience?

The Ray Warren Symposium holds a very special place in my heart, and I feel so honored to be a cochair this year. I truly believe that the Ray Warren Symposium is one of Lewis & Clark’s most important events because it is the only annual program that holds intentional space for BIPOC scholars, students, and staff to share their work. Amplifying BIPOC voices in academia, particularly at a predominantly white institution, is extremely important to me, and I see RWS as one of the key ways that we accomplish that at L&C.

I could not be happier with how cochairing this symposium has gone so far. I feel so honored to be working with such an incredible group—my cochairs and Kim Brodkin, our faculty advisor, are all wonderful and we gel together so well. I truly feel so lucky, and I cannot wait for the symposium in November! In terms of my academic experience, I feel that the symposium complements my academics very nicely. As a SOAN major, I am very interested in questions of race/ethnicity, racial/ethnic formations, and their impacts on the societal and individual level. I love that the symposium delves into one unique facet of race and ethnicity every year. This year, the theme is all about borders, which I am so excited to learn more about alongside everyone at our various events and keynote speeches!

If you have studied or will study overseas while at Lewis & Clark, how did you choose
your program? What did your overseas study add to your L&C experience?

I am so excited to be studying abroad in Australia next semester! I chose this program because I have always wanted to go to Australia, and I could not pass up the opportunity to live abroad for an entire semester. Additionally, this program spoke to me because we will not be staying in just one location; we will be moving around to different cities and even spending a period of time camping with Indigenous Australians. I feel that this program will give me an opportunity to experience Australia in a way that I would not be able to if I was just vacationing there.

Sociology and Anthropology Gender Studies