Social Workin'
by Claire DeWind and Kate Panning
Name of song: Social Workin'
Topic: Celebrating the profession of social work with a focus on social work students
This is a social work take on Beyoncé's popular track, Flawless. The song is divided using short excerpts from speeches given by our rockstar professors, Mary Carlsen and Susie Smalling.
Lyrics:
Bachelor of Social Work, comin' comin' down
I'm learnin’ now, empathic statements on the ground
B-S-W, I'm learnin’ now
Learnin' learnin’ now, process recordings all around
I know when we were first years here
We dreamt of helping the whole world
Don't forget it, don't forget it
Respect that, bow down oppression
I took some time to live my life
Switching majors caused a little strife
But we finally found our place here
Respect that, bow down oppression
Bow down oppression, bow bow down oppression
Bow down oppression, bow bow down oppression
Social work values, so-social work values
Generalist practice, bow down oppression
I'm out that B-S-W, graduating now
I'm learnin’ now, license exam is coming ‘round
Studyin’ social work, I'm learnin’ now
Learnin’, learnin’ now, practice behaviors all around
Mary Carlsen:
Please don't not take the time to be someone who peels away difference. It's holding to this idea that my greatest difference from you is perhaps my greatest gift to you. And you in your 20s, stay activists, don't become "passivists."
Susie Smalling:
I know this is a lifelong journey of learning for me, and I'm very honored now that I get to share that journey with students and watch them move forward.
You wake up, helpin’
Post up, helpin’
Ridin' round in it, helpin’
Flossin' on that, helpin’
This agency, helpin’
My agency, helpin’
This class, helpin'
My class, helpin'
I woke up like this, I woke up like this
We social work, students tell 'em
I woke up like this, I woke up like this
We social work, students tell 'em
And we just wanna advocate
Right now, right now
And we are gonna advocate
Right now, right now, right now
Profs taught me active listening
Classes had me make a genogram
Practicum was quite a spin
Cohort showed us that fictive kin
We wake up, swerkin'**
Post up, swerkin’
Riding round in it, swerkin’
Flossing on that, swerkin’
This SOAP note, swerkin’
My SOAP note, swerkin’
This right, swerkin’
Our fight, swerkin’
I woke up like this, I woke up like this
We social work, students tell 'em
I woke up like this, I woke up like this
We social work, students tell 'em
Susie Smalling:
And thank goodness students
Mary Carlsen:
Stay activists, don't become "passivists"
**Swerkin' is our shortened version of "social working."
Claire DeWind and Kate Panning are social work students at St. Olaf College and will be graduating with their BSWs in Spring 2015.