Ani – Men Who Take Up Space
Preferred Name
Ani
Legal Name
Ani Knox
Contact Email
aniknox@gmail.com
Age
19
Gender Expression
Female
Which student are you?
College Student (The World)
Name of School
University of California, Davis
Grade / Year in School
year 3
Location (City, State/Province, Country)
Davis
If you identify with an ethnicity or culture(s), which one or ones do you identify with?
Mixed, Caucasian and Black
What is the name of your legal guardian/parent (if under 18)?
Please provide contact information for your legal guardian/parent (if under 18)
What are your social media accounts (TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook)?
Please select type of project you are entering
Literature/Poetry
What is the title of your project?
Men Who Take Up Space
Please tell us about your submission (maximum 600 words)
I am submitting a villanelle poem; it follows a specific rhyme scheme and stanza requirement. This poem is about how much space men take up, both figurately and physically. The sociologist in me always noticed how men are not afraid to speak in class, share their opinion or spread out in their seat. It always came across sort of entitled to, which it actually is. Men haven't had to fight for a seat because they have always had one and are always free to make themselves comfortable in it. My poem captures how and when I started noticing men taking up space and how they do it so unconsciously. I also tried to capture what this means in relation to me and how I felt growing up.
What is something you learned about patriarchy and what is something you would like to change about what you learned?
I have learned how stuck in a cycle we as a society are. It is hard for men to unlearn this pattern when they aren't even aware of how much it benefits them. I learned how impactful patriarchy is. I would like to change how women feel, I want them to feel just as entitled to a space as a man does. I don't want men to view a woman as less than or inferior. I try to incorporate this into my daily life by speaking in class and making my presence known. I try to take up space.