College Feminists Connect!

Action: Marriage Equality

On Tuesday, Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota’s (PPMNS) Board of Directors voted unanimously to oppose the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage that will go before Minnesota voters next year. 

As you know, in May of this year the Minnesota House voted to place a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the 2012 ballot, even though Minnesota law already bans same-sex marriage. If voters approve the ballot measure, discriminatory language against same-sex couples will be enshrined into Minnesota’s Constitution.

Planned Parenthood works everyday to ensure the health and well-being of all Minnesotan families because we know that strong families are fundamental to strong communities. But, communities can only flourish when their members are treated equally with fairness and respect.  We believe that people should be free to make life’s most profound choices about health care, childbearing and relationships – and that all people, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, have fundamental human rights that must be respected and responsibilities that must be exercised.

If you agree, consider writing a letter-to-the-editor (LTE) for your University or College paper saying so!  Together we can spread the word that the majority of Minnesotans don’t approve of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and the legal recognition of same-sex couples. 

LTEs are a quick and easy way to make your voice heard in your community.  Want to write and LTE but not sure where to start?  Write Sam at scarolus@ppmns.org and she would be happy to send you sample letters and talking points. 

Together we can make a difference!

Action: Break-Up to Make-Up Drive

Drop Dead Gorgeous Org is looking for volunteers to help with their annual Break-Up to Make-Up Drive. Drop Dead Gorgeous Org's mission is to instill leadership skills and self-confidence in young girls on a domestic and international level. The idea is to unite all girls even if they are not close in location to inspire the next generation of girls. Drop Dead Gorgeous creates projects that tackle issues that all at-risk young girls face in underprivileged communities here and developing countries abroad. Issues such as self-esteem, education, teen pregnancy, dating abuse, gender equality and women's health. Below are examples of the alarming statistics that the current generation of young girls are facing.

In November, they are focusing on: violence against women. Domestically, they will continue their annual “Break-Up to Make-Up” Drive which collects packaged un-used cosmetics to be donated to a women’s shelter for women and girls that have escaped from abusive relationships. Internationally, they have honed their focus to helping girls in Tanzania, Africa that are constantly faced with opposition which threatens their chance of getting a proper education. 

The "Break-Up to Make-Up" Drive was started in 2010. Last year, Fort Hamilton High School, Madison Boys & Girls Club, and Bloomingdales Cosmetic Department were the biggest contributors and the items were donated to Safe Horizon. This year, the drive is expanding greatly and needs volunteers. Drop Dead Gorgeous Org asks that volunteers set up donation boxes in their school, workplace, community center, etc. If you intend to set-up a donation box you will be sent: posters, donation cards, a decorated box, stickers, etc. This year, the donated items are going to Women In Need Shelter in NYC. If you would just like to make a donation that too would be greatly appreciated. All contributors to the drive's success will be featured on the organization website and entered in the raffle for an awesome prize! To get involved contact Andrea Rivers or call 646-623-0608.

College Mom

For over a year now I have been addicted to MTV's Teen Mom. Every week I settle in and watch four very different women cope with all the issues of parenthood, relationships, and college. A large part of why I am drawn to Teen Mom is because I have known several teen or early twenties moms who have gone through the same issues those women face. I can relate, mostly, to their experiences.

Farrah, however, is in a very different situation than the other moms. Her daughter's father, Derek, died before Sophia was born. Throughout the entire series I have watched Farrah struggle to raise Sophia, go to school, work, and cope with the untimely death of her boyfriend. Honestly, it's been a pretty sad journey. I've cried with and for Farrah many times - I cannot even begin to imagine the emotions she feels on a regular basis.

And she tries so hard to get over Derek and be a good mom. So, when she made her decision to move away and complete her bachelors degree in another state, I thought it might be an excellent experience for her to get away from a place where she is so connected to Derek. And then the issue of Sophia arose. Who will care for her? How will Farrah pay for daycare? Is it good for Sophia to move away from her grandparents? So many questions - and then Farrah's mom came up with a plan - why not leave Sophia with her?

And this is the part where everyone freaks out. As Farrah's therapist put it, "You're asking a mother to leave her child?" Interesting how this action could be equated with sub-par parenting. As Farrah's mother explains, it would not make Farrah a bad mom if she left Sophia in the care of her grandparents. Perhaps what Farrah needs is solitary time away so she can heal, so she can accept that Derek is gone, so she can be a better mom by devoting more energy to Sophia and less to her feelings of loss. Is taking time to make you better bad parenting? I think not.

After much deliberation, and a candid discussion with Sophia, Farrah decides to move to Florida on her own. While some might think this decision is selfish or an example of bad parenting, I think Farrah made an excellent decision for herself and Sophia. Kudos to Farrah for realizing she needs her time and taking that time will make her a better person, and parent, in the long run. Not to mention the fact that getting a bachelors will provide multiple economic benefits for Farrah and Sophia. Not many young parents have the opportunity Farrah does and it's fabulous she has chosen to take advantage of it.

So, YAY FOR FARRAH. Way to be the best mom you can. -Jen Kaltveit

Feminist Boot Camp

Soapbox recently announced that they have combined their Feminist Winter Term and Feminist Summer Camp programs under one name: Feminist Boot Camp. Feminist Boot Camp is an intensive week-long program designed for university students and anyone interested in meeting with progressive leaders and national feminist organizations. This program emphasizes career development and will include opportunities to network with people in the forefront of feminist activism.

Want to attend? Sign up now for Feminist Boot Camp Winter 2012. The dates are January 4-11, 2012 in New York City. Many students have received both college credit and financial support from their university for this experience. Soapbox offers ideas on how to get funding for the week at Feminist Boot Camp.

How Are You Recruiting Your Future Feminists?

With every new semester comes the excitement of new classes, new faces, and more chances to participate as an activist on your college campus! This is an exhilarating time of the semester, as students are feeling re-energized and invigorated, and aren’t yet burnt out from huge amounts of tedious homework assignments (although, it won’t take long, but I’m optimistic.)

Over here at St. Cloud State University, the Women’s Center is eagerly planning our approach on acquiring new students that are interested in participating in our feminist community. Not only are we reaching out to the feminist minded students on campus, we are also attempting to create an awareness of the Women’s Center. Surprisingly, most students at SCSU do not even know that there is a fully staffed Women’s Center available to them on campus.

On the basis of how we are planning on getting the word out on campus, the University does much of that for us. Every Fall and Spring semester, the University puts on what we call a “Main Street” event. For those unfamiliar with this event, it’s where the entire campus basically advertises every single student organization, campus department, and off-site/community resource that a student will ever need. It is quite a huge event, one that takes up most of the available space on campus. The Women’s Center has participated in this event every year, and is very well known for the women’s symbol pens we hand out (trust me, you WANT a Women’s Center pen – you are not cool without one, I swear). 

 

American Association of University Women Campus Action Projects

This year’s CAP grant program focuses on the issues raised by AAUW’s upcoming research report, Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment in Schools.The report includes nationally representative data about the sexual harassment that occurs in grades seven through 12. To put research into practice, teams of student leaders and campus faculty nationwide may apply for up to $5,000 to design and implement programs using recommendations from the report, found in the request for proposals. Project goals may include raising awareness about sexual harassment or improving schools’ prevention methods and responsiveness to sexual harassment. Applications must be submitted by October 21. Applicants will be contacted by December 2. AAUW college/university partner members receive preference.

 

UofM Women's Center Seeking Name of Outstanding Women Faculty

The University of Minnesota's Women's Center is in the process of naming an award and are seeking names of outstanding UofM women faculty from the past. Please send the names along with a few sentences describing their major achievements to pegquist@umn.edu by October 3.