Job File

The Undercover Hipster

http://the--undercover--hipster.blogspot.com
th3.underc0ver.hipst3r@gmail.com

Summary
     Responsible, hard-working, well-mannered graduate student seeking internship or entry level position in the Communications, Social Media, Graphic Design, and Photography field. Is creative and friendly. And has own reliable transportation.

Specialties
     • Proficient with Adobe Creative Suite programs
     • Proficient in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4
     • Speaks, reads, and writes French
     • Has own Wacom Intuos 5 Touch tablet

Skills
     • Well-versed in Apple and PC Products
     • Knowledgable with all MS Office Programs, Studio Lighting, and Studio Photography
     • Fluent in popular social media sites and programs
     • Has familiarity with all aspects of theatrical, video, and photography production and design

Experience
Legacy Theatre Stony Creek, CT                                                            Summers 2013, 2014
     Graphic Artist and Social Media Operator Intern - managed the Facebook, twitter, and Instagram accounts for the theatre, created custom graphic designs for newsletters and events held by the theatre

Armed Forces Network (AFN) Stuttgart Stuttgart, Germany  December 2013 - January 2014
     Radio Intern - wrote radio news stories, Public Service Announcements, Local Entertainment Updates, and traffic advisories for largest military radio station in Europe. Guest co-hosted station's morning shows.

Wonderland Productions                                                                     October 2013 - Present
     Founder and Graphic designer - owns and runs an independent production company, creates graphic designs for clients and personalized photography including event photography and custom art pieces.

truthinadvertising.org Madison, CT                                                September 2014 - Present
     Graphic Designer and Social Media Intern - creates custom graphic designs for newsletters, stories, and blog posts for company's website and helps create and design posts for company's social media accounts.

Education
Quinnipiac University                                                                  2014 - Present. Hamden, CT.
     Masters in Sciences in Communication

Goucher College                                                                            2010 - 2014. Towson, MD.
     Bachelor of Arts in Communications
     Dual focus in Social Media and Graphic Design

University of East Anglia                                                                 Spring 2012. Norwich, UK.
     Study Abroad program

Manhattanville College                                                                  2009 - 2010. Purchase, NY.
     Post-Graduate Year

Westover School                                                                        2005 - 2009. Middlebury, CT.
     Liberal Arts and Sciences

Living in Incognito Mode: An Autobiography of The Undercover Hipster

My birth name isn't The Undercover Hipster. My parents didn't have a fascination with detective stories and the beatnik subculture. I came to call myself it because it's literally how I have come to think of myself. How I have come to see myself in this ongoing debacle in a subculture I grew up in.

I grew up a nerd. I grew up playing video games, reading comic books, and watching anything from sci-fi to fantasy to dystopian mutant apocalypse horror. I cosplay and attend conventions whenever I can scrape enough money together. And my fangirling abilities are over nine-thousand. Nerd culture gave me an armada of worlds to escape reality. I have even found family and friends all over the world through being a nerd. 

I have been solid in my identity for a while, but that wasn't always the case. In the past, there have been times when I have faltered. If drama arose in the community, I was the first one out. I would go undercover, donning my best hipster, goth, jock -- really, anything -- persona to escape the canon fire. 

In recent years, I have changed. I thought that by going undercover, I would be safe. But, I was wrong. I realized that doing nothing was going to accomplish just that: nothing. I decided to use my talents of disguise to help. By donning my invisibility cloak, I am able to quickly and quietly collect evidence.

And this is where you find me -- at a chapter in my life where my identity has shifted. Where it's no longer a banal social label, but a badge of camaraderie and change. A badge that has been tattooed on my soul: hidden from view, but burning brightly. 

Why I Do What I Do, Why I Write What I Write

Growing up as a member of nerd culture, I have experienced many things. Communities coming together, aspiring artists meeting their inspirations...people coming together under the wide umbrella of commonality. But, I have also experienced the bad: the hate, the harassment, and the judgements. The base behaviors of members of the nerd community that have scarily become the norm.

Perverts groping cosplayers because they were "showing a lot of skin."
Gamers discrediting female gamers because it's widely know that "chicks are filthy casuals."
People quieting women nerds because "they aren't really fans."

The list goes on.

You may be wondering why I'm writing about this broad, worn subject. Well, my friends, I'll tell you why.

I have experienced this harassment first hand. I have been the target of those comments. I have been judged, quizzed, and scrutinized all because of my gender. But, instead of sitting in a corner and remaining silent, I'm speaking out. That's my reason. That's my credibility.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be diving headfirst into tumultuous relationship of nerd culture and gender. And this blog will be my little blue book whose pages will fill with my experiences. I'd tell you more, but spoilers.  

Gaming & Gender: The Ever Changing Battlefield

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