Interning at the WGSS Center at SUNY Old Westbury: Alexandra Markey

Photo Credit: SUNY Old Westbury WGSS

Alexandra Markey, a sociology major at SUNY Old Westbury shared what it’s like to intern at the Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Center (WGSS). 

Initially, sociology wasn’t something Markey considered studying. She began her college career as a business major. But since she’s the person paying for her education, she decided to study something she found interesting. “I want to learn about something I’m actually interested in, not just like doing business because my family wants me to,” she said. The idea of learning about people grasped her interest, so she made the change. 

As a sociology major, Markey takes a lot of “method” classes or the rules and methodology behind sociology. In her classes, she learns how to compute data and create a complete report. A lot of the courses that Markey takes or plans on taking in future semesters also involve the history of theorists like Karl Marx and Durkheim.

In a perfect world, Markey said she’d work for the United Nations to create peace and help countries in need of humanitarian aid. She said, “what I’ll probably really end up doing is social work, and for like, domestic violence.” 

During her internship hours at the WGSS center, Markey attends meetings with other interns or members of the center. The group also partakes in activities, like going to the museum, reading manifestos, posting upcoming events on social media, and talking to each other. 

Markey said the goal of the WGSS center is to provide a safe space for people to study or hang out at. She said she wished more people knew about the center because anyone can stop by the center, regardless of their major. “We’ve got some people coming and it’s been nice,” Markey said, but she said during campus tours, the school should tell the incoming freshman about the center. 

At the end of the semester, WGSS interns have to come up with an “impact project,” centered around their interests. For Markey’s impact project, she decided to center it around food injustice. On April 24, during common hour, students and interns sat outside of Woodlands Hall 1 in the grass to create a new community garden. They painted buckets fashioned as planters with festive and colorful designs. The group planted chives, lavender, peas, arugula, kale, and peppers while Markey discussed the impact of food insecurity. 

While students painted and listened to slow tempo Indie songs, Markey talked about her impact project. She shared with the group that the lack of food security is a global issue that affects women disproportionately to men. She explained that women experience increased poverty rates, limited access to resources, and social and economic disparities which renders them susceptible to food insecurity. To help combat the issue, she said that people can support organizations dedicated to gender equality and food security through donations, volunteering, and advocacy. 

It took Markey a while to figure out what she wanted to do for her impact project. “I wanted to do so many different things,” she explained that she struggled to narrow her ideas down. She finally came up with the idea of her project after watching a video on “Cancer Alley.” 

Cancer Alley is an 85-mile stretch of communities along the banks of the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. There, residents live near fossil fuel and petrochemical operations. Markey explained that many people living in the area get cancer or suffer from reproductive issues. “It’s crazy how different someone’s life can be so different,” compared to an area like Long Island where Markey said, “you’re surrounded by trees and grass and nature.” 

The goal of her impact project was to bring awareness and educate people on food insecurity. To Markey, it’s important to address food insecurity because not only is it a feminist issue, but it’s also an environmental issue. She said a lot of the residents that live in Cancer Alley don’t have the resources to move, but she said they shouldn’t have to move. “I think everyone should have access to whole foods.”