International Women's Day: SL and Announcement

International Women's Day is less than a week away! Everyone, please attend to hear our awesome panel discuss global women's issues and celebrate the worldwide achievements of women. It's going to be this coming Thursday, March 4, 2010 in the Communications building, room 101, from 6-10 pm. There are two ways you can contribute:

1. Suggest questions for the panelists here. We may be able to include these in the moderated section of the panel. If your question isn't included, don't worry. The panel will be open for audience Q&A after the moderated section, so you can show up and ask your question in person.

2. Submit artwork! If you have some feminist related artwork lying around, even an old women's studies project, or dare to create something new, let me know. We will display your artwork proudly at the event. All skill levels may apply, we'll accept everything. If you are a true artist but are too embarrassed to show your art publicly, we understand. Anonymous was, after all, a woman and we would be happy to attribute any of the works we display to her at the artist's request.

Please let me know if you're interested in the above by posting on the blog, emailing me at ross.templeton@gmail.com, or calling me at 941-685-3039. I've been a busy little bee lately trying to round up panelists so I'd love to hear some support. See you on Thursday!

SLP blog #3

YWLP is still going well. Last wednesday we had a little sister meeting where my little and I talked about having a day of crafting with some other little and big sisters. My little is really interested in learning how to knit so this week we're going to meet at a bookstore and knit together. This wednesday there's a big sister meeting that I'll be attending as well. For my service learning paper I think that I'm going to tie YWLP in with the global community by comparing the ways in which young women interact and mentor each other in my own community with the mentorship styles of young women in the global community.

SL Upadate

Amanda and I are still searching for a film to show, but I feel like we are on the right track for one. Also, we are lining up the day that we want to show the film at Stardust. That seems like it would be the best location thus far. Nothing has been set in stone, but that is what we are trying to work on and get moving.

SL Week 3: G.A.P. Protest

Last week, on Wednesday and Thursday, you may have seen the Genocide Awareness Project (GAP) on campus with huge posters, displays and even 2 trucks driving around UCF all in an attempt to compare abortion to historical instances of genocide. Not only were the displays hard to miss, they were downright offensive with images of the Holocaust and lynchings being compared to the supposed aborted fetuses they displayed. This SGA funded event, brought to our campus by Students for Life, was set up on the free speech lawn by the library and in front of the student union and on the stage. The National Organization for Women counter protested by setting up before GAP even arrived, reducing their space to set up displays. VOX was out in front of the union, where we tabled, handed out condoms, stood with signs in solidarity with friends, members and random students to promote that a womyn has a right to choose! We counter protested by being there for the student body, and not engaging with those affiliated with GAP, even though it was difficult at times. I think our composure and attitude allowed students to come up to VOX and vent their frustrations about GAP being at UCF, and it increased our presence, and hopefully our membership, to those who may not have realized that their is a group who advocates for choice. It was encouraging to see so much support for reproductive justice from new faces although it kind of stunk that it took something so obnoxious, racist and misinformed to get a reaction out of the student body. But now we are working to stop GAP from being funded or even allowed back at UCF and with VOX, NOW and individual students support, hopefully we will be successful. (SGA will be having a discussion about GAP and its funding this Thursday, February 25th from 5-7pm so if you were outraged show your support and show up!)

SLP #3

I returned from Nicaragua last night. I ended up with 5 recorded interviews and memories that will last forever. One of my first interviews was with a Deputy in the National Assembly named Evertz Cárcamo Naváez. Evertz was a stoutly man who had the air of combat about him. He was dressed in garb similar to Castro's army fatigues but all of it was grey. The interview took some time to begin since Mr. Cárcamo Naváez also happened to be the owner of Channel 41 in Nicaragua, and some college student from the United States was not his first priority.

Once the interview actually began he was very straightforward and to the point, a no BS kind of guy. However, I knew everything I was getting from him was BS. I asked about programs the FSLN and National Assembly were working on that were targeted at women. He did bring up a law that is being put to a vote in the N.A. that will require all children to be registered with the Nicaraguan government. He argued that this would benefit women because it would provide legal protection for their children should their husbands leave and refuse to pay compensation to the family. I also talked to him about his ownership of a television channel in Nicaragua (only about 10 channels shown in Nicaragua are actually OWNED by Nicaraguans, but that's another rant for another time). I was told that his channel is non-biased and has no political affiliation, and that it even has two shows where female anchors discuss the most pressing issues facing Nicaraguan women.

This did not strike me as anything radically different because I spent some time watching the Nicaraguan television stations and noticed that the voices of the disempowered in Nicaragua are typically represented in the media. The problem comes when those in power respond to the voices.

SL #3

This is for FEB15-19. On Monday we started a fund raiser that I am not sure will work, but if does it will raise lots of money. Each classroom has a water bottle to fill with dimes. If the bottles are filled with dimes it is 92 dollars. So since we have 11 classsrom we have to potentioal to raise over a thousand dollars. I have my fingers crossed that it will work. I hope everyones projects are going well.

Jessica

SLP#2

This is late it is about the week of Feb 8- 12 Well things are going well for our Relay For Life we held a Valentines Day Bake Sale where we raised 453 dollars. We are also getting prepared for the big event at Timber Creek High School on April 30- May1. It is a Medival theme so we are creating our coat of arms. We are going to hold a contest to see which design wins. Well I can see that many of your projects are going well can't wait to see how everything ends up.

SLP 2

Hello!

I talked to Bianca about the Fashion show, and we're going to talk more on Monday. I spoke with my partner, an audio engineer, about the being on hand if we needed a sound person.
I also hung out with VOX at the GAP thing, although I don't know if that counts towards SL.