Finally saw @PictureaSciFilm, very powerful film we should all see. Thanks @UBC for the screenings. Reflecting on all the little "below the iceberg tip" harassment I experienced as a student, esp. during field work, field courses & conferences... /n
...my happiest, most formative moments as a #scientist were in the field. Also my lowest moments of unwanted touches & demeaning or objectifying moments from male colleagues, both peers and my seniors. Hard to say this...most happened @BamfieldMSC 2/n
...that last tweet was very hard to send. I adore @BamfieldMSC; I am one of their faculty champions at UBC, I promote the courses incessantly to my students. I know a lot has changed but in their recent spirit of "looking back" tweets, I want to share two moments there... 3/n
...in 2004, 4th yr @UVic, in summer course @BamfieldMSC. A male PI, long-time BMSC'er, was recruiting MSc stus. Had a promising interview. But turned it down b/c SO MANY PEOPLE made a point of warning me of this man's "gruffness" with women... 4/n
...@BamfieldMSC is in a really small community & this man was a well-known "character". He's ok as a person, just likes to flirt w/ young women, "tell it like it is" & might drink too much, I was told — but DEFINITELY avoid as a PI. At the time, I laughed it off & moved on... 5/n
...which is fine, I shrugged it off and went on to earn a PhD & stay in #science, but why did I have to avoid a graduate program because the PI couldn't treat women like human beings? I wonder now how many other women did he impact in that small bubble of @BamfieldMSC? 6/n
...2nd moment I think about a lot as a #teacher. I taught 2 field courses @BamfieldMSC (my dream!!) in 2014, incl Fall Program #seaweeds w/ @SamStarko while @Martonelab on sabbatical. Loved this time. I don't love certain stories of "the good ol' days"... 6/n
...he implied heavily in a nudge, nudge, wink, wink way, to me & several stus that instructors (men) used to be able to sleep w/ stus (women) & isn't it sad those days are gone. I'd heard these stories before, as a stu @BamfieldMSC... 9/n
...my students laughed it off, I changed the subject. I was enraged. Also paralyzed — what do I do in this situation as a #teacher? My class LOVED their day in the field with this person. How can I call them out? And yes, it was just one evening, one person...10/n
...I've heard this same lament about the lost "freedom" of @bamfieldmsc from other senior male colleagues over the years, mostly as a undergrad & grad stu. I felt awkward then, wondering, "Why tell me this? Are you implying you'd try that now, if allowed?"... 11/n
...either those types of stories b/w a senior scientist & trainee are thoughtless, or calculated — either way, wrong. Haven't visited @BamfieldMSC in 6 years & hope things are different. But as w/other field sites, BMSC is vulnerable to harassment journals.plos.org/plosone/articl… 12/n
There's more to share, but these meagre jumbled Tweets already cost me 2.5hrs & will cost at least a day's worth of anxiety. What I really want to learn is what I could have done in that moment to protect my @BamfieldMSC stus from "good old days" stories. 13/13
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