I had the honor of sitting down and talking with one of the most loved women on campus, (probably right behind Ms. Killings), Professor Pamela Robbins. Pam has gained quite the following at FSU because she is known for being a #WokeQueen. However, I wanted to talk to her about things she doesn’t discuss in the classroom.
Her Campus: Looking back on your college experience, what advice would you give yourself today? What advice do you have to give young college-aged girls?
Pam Robbins: Okay, so what would I tell little Pammy? Back in 1990 when I first started at FSU? The first thing I would say is you are going to be okay. You are also loved, and you have to remember that you are loved by people because college campus life can ruin your self-esteem. You can get into bad situations, things can happen, and you think the world is over, but you’re going to be okay. Now, I was not a very good student when I attended FSU with my BA. I barely got into Florida State, actually. FSU’s requirements today? – No, I would have never gotten in. So, I was not a very good student. I wasn’t even very good in history classes. I couldn’t write well, I didn’t test well, I was all in all a bad student. I also did not necessarily go to every class that I was supposed to go to. I am telling young Pammy that this is wrong. I’m telling you to go to class.
I am also going to say that the stuff you hate you are going to end up liking later. History I now despise – because now it is just a job. Just now that you may not enjoy it now, but leave yourself open to the possibilities of liking something in the future, because you may actually meet somebody that likes something, like engineering, like my husband, and [I used to think] engineering is horrifying, but NOW I can box girder with the rest of ‘em. I could just use these words and turn people on all day, or maybe that’s just my husband.
The other thing I would tell young Pammy is that you’re fucking hot, and you need to actually pick and choose your men. Don’t be happy that men [pay attention to you because I was all that and a bag of chips and I didn’t think that at the time, so I went out with horrible men that did horrible things. I regret every minute of all of that and I wish I could go out and shoot them right now. (No I really didn’t really say that, but I do, I would seriously murder them. But not really. For the record I am NOT a murder.)
But I think our Culture is all about demeaning women. As I get older, I get more mad and madder. And I personally have never experienced anything – never any sexual harassment, never had a professor be inappropriate- but I knew I was lesser because I was a girl. And that is just not right, and that just sucks. If I could go back I would say fuck all that, because you are awesome and you can do whatever you want. Don’t let any guy tell that that is not true, including your father.
Pam teaches a class called “Protesting with Song in America” so naturally, I asked her to put together a playlist. Some songs bring her back to her years spent at FSU, while others are songs that she insisted I needed to know and commentary.
LIL PAMMY PLAYLIST
Songs I was listening to my first year of FSU
- Pictures of You – The Cure
Huge fan of The Cure and anything 1980s alternative
- The Dance – Garth Brooks
One of the best love songs ever
- Head On – The Jesus and Mary Chain
My favorite group in the 1980s
- My Own Worst Enemy – Lit
Because I was
- Someday- Mariah Carey
She was so nice and pure then…
- Regret- New Order
Any song with the word Regret in it is great, but this is the beset
- Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town – Pearl Jam
This song speaks to me, but is also poetry
- Cuts You Up- Peter Murphy
What a VOICE! Lead singer of Bauhaus, but just great on this
- Rhythm Nation – Janet Jackson
The woman was the queen of the 1990s
- Something Happened On the Way to Heaven- Phil Collins
Just a fun little ditty
- Silent All These Years – Tori Amos
Listen to anything of Tori Amos. Her album Little Earthquakes is a revelation
- Until The End Of the World – U2
U2 was a great band. Period. But this really gets my Catholic side. Its about Jesus and Judas. WOW!
Songs You Just NEED to Know
- Mississippi Goddam – Nina Simone
Or anything by Nina Simone
- A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
As many students know, I love Sam Cooke, but this is his best. Taken too soon.
- Proud to Be Black – Run DMC
Run DMC is what I think of when I think of Rap Music. Legendary.
- White Rabbit – Jefferson Airplane
Just a perfect song – lyrics, music, her voice…
- Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler) – Marvin Gaye
Again, many students know I love Marvin Gaye. Anything from this album (What’s Going On) is golden.
- Masters of War- Bob Dylan
This is a song that means as much today as it did in 1963
- The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Gil Scott-Heron
Ditto
All images courtesy of Pam Robbins