RAGE TO PAGE WORKSHOP

SABRINA CHAP'S RAGE TO PAGE workshop!!
"The art of self-destruction"
What: Workshop
Start Time: Thursday, December 10 at 7:00pm
End Time: Thursday, December 10 at 9:30pm
Where: Gallatin Lounge (Rm # 522)
To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=194452658455&mid=1886d77G3c32e18eG132de78G7

Dec 2, 2009 Meeting Recap

Hey lovelies,

This meeting we discussed our upcoming movie night/last meeting as well as the Stupak-Pitts amendment to the health care plan. We also discussed some coming events for next semester, such as Women's Herstory Month, Take Back the Night (a night to celebrate survivors of domestic/sexual abuse), and Sabrina Chap's Icarus Workshop.

MOVIE NIGHT next Wednesday, Kimmel 909 at 7 PM- We will be watching "TRANSAMERICA" an electrifying and revolutionary independent film starring Felicity Huffman as a transgendered female. As feminists, we should open our minds and embrace that there are all sorts of women in the world, even those that defy the biological norms.

THIS WILL BE A POTLUCK MOVIE NIGHT - Meaning? Feel free to buy/bring/bake anything you wish and share with the rest. We'll all be bringing something - whether it's a bag of chips, soda or homemade cupcakes, let's get creative and share the love =)

After the movie, those who wish to go with us can join us for a fun night at BBQ! Don't miss it.

STUPAK-PITTS AMENDMENT: Does the public health option mean sacrificing our right to choose? The Stupak amendment makes it seem so. Unlike the Hyde amendment which denies federal coverage for abortion, the Stupak amendment BANS private insurance companies from covering the cost of abortion, which means low and middle class women will have to pay out of their own pockets for a crucial aspect of their health. This affects both women who cover the cost of abortion by partial AND full subsidies. If the amendment does become law, this means future challenges could be posed to birth control/reproductive health care coverage. FIND MORE ABOUT THIS AT: http://www.now.org/issues/health/stupak_facts.html

See you next week,
--Shahida

Very Young Girls Reminder: TOMORROW!

Very Young Girls Movie Screening - RSVP via Facebook

Location:Kimmel 909

Time:7:00PM Wednesday, November 18th

"National Organization for Women at NYU invites you to join us for a screening of Very Young Girls, an expose of human trafficking that follows thirteen and fourteen year old American girls as they are seduced, abused, and sold on New York’s streets by pimps, and treated as adult criminals by police. The film follows the barely-adolescent girls in real time, using vérité and intimate interviews with them as they are first lured on to the streets and the dire events which follow. The film also uses startling footage shot by the brazen pimps themselves giving a rare glimpse into how the cycle of street life begins for many women. The film identifies hope for these girls in the organization GEMS (Girls Education and Mentoring Services), a recovery center founded and run by Rachel Lloyd, herself a survivor of sexual exploitation. Although this event is free, donation will be accepted and greatly appreciated. All donations go directly to the GEMS and the Girls Are Not For Sale campaign! Snacks will be provided! Learn more at http://www.gems-girls.org/girlsarenotforsale.html#Synopsis

November 11th, 2009 Meeting Recap

Hi ladies,

Today we discussed negative and positive media portrayals of women by bringing in images and video clips that revealed/reinforced sexualizing images as well as empowering ones. If you were not able to attend the meeting, or wish to reevaluate them, you can download the pictures here. Just enter the verification code shown. Some of the discussion points raised were:

• In sexualizing images, how can we distinguish between a woman who is taking control of her sexuality versus a woman who is being rendered a sexual object?
  
• Has categorization/objectification of women also been applied to men by powerful female artists? If so, what effect does this have in both reinforcing inequality and also being a reflective tool in "turning the tables" in society?
  
• How has the idea of "real" beauty emerged in popular culture in campaigns like the Dove campaign or in the efforts of plus-size models? Do these efforts have any setbacks? (Dove campaign and airbrushing).
  
• Does rap/hip hop culture degrade women, or does it just reveal the lifestyle of musical artists realistically? (Example: Snoop Dog and the women surrounding him. Are they trophies, or are they the facts of such a lifestyle?)
  
• How has the terminology of rap culture been translated to empower rather than to degrade women? Have women successfully taken "bitch" back or should these terms be avoided altogether?
  
• How does this terminology affect the way women perceive each other and themselves? Are we still "feminist" if we enjoy the music this culture yields?
  
• Are women who surround the powerful rappers in music videos empowering themselves, or are they mere objects on a screen?
  
• Sex trafficking portrayal of the "JOURNEY" art exhibit held on campus.
  

REMINDER: Next week we will probably be doing the "Very Young Girls" fundraising event. Room and other details TBA.

Please join us next week again & remember there is no meeting on the day before Thanksgiving.

Thanks again for an insightful discussion :)

--Shahida

NOW-NYU Love Your Body Day Recap!

Hi ladies,

We had an AWESOME time mindfully meditating, sharing personal struggles with body image, pledging and handing out 300 condoms near the West 4th Station!!! Issues explored in body struggles were: weight, height, skin color, unhealthy diets and self-harm. If you couldn't participate, make sure you pledge to do something to benefit your body this year. It could be as small as getting more exercise, drinking more water, or something even more valuable like abolishing self-destructive eating habits. A simple pledge everyone should make: look in the mirror everyday and tell yourself you're beautiful.

As for meditation, there are plenty of resources online, including NYU's own Student Health Center website on Mindfulness Resources located here. This website includes weekly relaxation classes, meditation mp3s and advice for mindfulness. Even if you don't have time to do an hour-long meditation every day, just taking ten minutes to focus on your breath and body daily literally changes the way your brain reacts to stress. Mindful meditation relieves stress levels over time so you're not constantly overflowing your cup of stress over fight-or-flight responses to obstacles. Remember - mindful meditation is NOT about emptying the mind - quite the contrary. It is about taking the focus back to the present moment by noticing bodily sensations and/or breath. The best thing about mindfulness is that it helps you ENJOY life as it happens, and not dwell on the past or worry about the future.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: THIS SATURDAY from 8 AM-12 PM is your last chance to participate in the PRO-CHOICE MOVEMENT at Dr. Emily's Health Clinic for Women in the South Bronx. More info on location and times can be found here. There are already signs and chants ready for you when you get there :) Julie and other NOW members will be attending, so e-mail them for any other details. Take the 6 train to 149th St and the clinic is right there!

Happy Love Your Body Day -- REMEMBER TO LOVE IT THE RIGHT WAY by being safe and mindful :)

--Shahida

Love Your Body Day TOMORROW!

Hi ladies,

Just a reminder that we will be having our LOVE YOUR BODY DAY celebration tomorrow. A change in plans has also occurred - we will not be doing self-defense lessons. Instead, we will start out the meeting with a ten minute meditation and discussion of how we pledge to love our bodies this year, followed with condom distribution to the public! Meditation helps unite body and mind, lowers stress and helps us become mindful in daily activities. Even if you are a beginner, we will use a meditation guide that can be used by anyone - beginners and experts alike. As you know, engaging in safe sex practices is also another one of the main components of loving our bodies, so we will be spreading the love right after our pledges. :)

Healthy snacks will be served. As usual, Wednesday, 7 PM, Kimmel 909...don't be late and feel free to bring a guest.

:)

--Shahida

Icarus Presentation - October 14th, 2009 Meeting

Hey ladies,

We had our Icarus Presentation by the awesome Sabrina Chapadijev, who discussed the struggles of authors and artists from her book, Live Through This: On Creativity and Self-Destruction and how these struggles embodied the link between self-destruction and creativity. From provacative performance artists like Annie Sprinkle to insightful playwrghts like Carolyn Gage, Sabrina explored how self-destruction should not be labelled black-and-white "bad" - instead, it should be seen as a mechanism of coping. However, she also reiterates that the same amount of energy used in self-destruction can be converted to creative energy.

Important themes/discussion points:

• Isolation - There is solitude in self-destruction, like cutting. But there is also a positive isolation like writing in your room, what Sabrina calls "rage through the page." Putting your pen to the page can be cathartic and less harmful than choosing to hurt yourself.
• Political Consciousness - Tired of how the media is selling papers by the tragedies happening to women all over the world? So is HotHead Paisan. Express your rage at all the injustice against women, and you may just become a homicidal lesbian terrorist, too.
• Shame - We are often taught to feel ashamed about our bodies or who we are. Those who don't fit the superskinny model stereotype, those who are born as men who want to be women, those who defy gender stereotypes are discriminated and criticized on a daily basis, constantly preventing them from pursuing what they want to do. Shame creates self-destruction, and self-destruction creates shame.
• Myth of the Suicidal Female Poet - What do you do when all your feminist heroes all kill themselves? Sabrina discussed how there is a "gang mentality" in self-destruction, in which different self-destructive groups (the alchoholics, the smokers, the cutters) form cliques that cultivate the character of the tragic artist -- as Sabrina put it, "We want to show people that, 'Yeah, I hurt that much.'"
• Power and Control - Yet with that self-destruction comes a sense of power. As Sabrina said, men and women in general react differently to stress: "Guys say 'fuck you,' women say, 'fuck me!'" Males express themselves aggressively, straightforwardly, while females are forced to keep it all within. The pain that women feel thus comes out in self-destructive behaviors such as cutting, which provides a map that provides a physical manifestation of how much they hurt, and also establishes a control they feel they cannot achieve otherwise in life. They feel control over their bodies, they are now the only ones who can hurt themselves.
• Choice - We have a choice. To feel power through self-destruction or through creativity. To kill ourselves or to invent ourselves. To medicate genius or to abolish it completely. The choice, of course, is much more nuanced and complicated than these dichotomies suggest. Do we keep our madness? Do we use it? Each person must make that choice on their own, while being aware that they can replace their self-destruction with their own creation.
• Formation - What is formation? Using our emotional pain as nourishment for our creativity. Formation is the stage in which previous invalidation and pain becomes a pathway to salvation, reflection and modes of expression. As Sabrina puts it, "It's harnessing your rage, realizing it's yours, and finding a way to annunciate it is what saves you." So save yourself. Start today. Instead of cutting, write. Instead of drinking, draw. Instead of dying, live through this.

For more on Sabrina and her book, as well as the authors/artists involved, please visit the websites below:

http://www.sabrinachap.com/LTT - Official website for Sabrina's book.
http://www.myspace.com/livethroughthis2008 - Sabrina's personal blog.

You can also e-mail Sabrina with questions or comments at livethroughthis2008@yahoo.com.

THERE WILL BE A RAGE-TO-PAGE WORKSHOP FRIDAY MAY 2ND! This is an actual workshop which will be interactive. "Nobody wants to talk about it in a real way- why women actually cut, starve or drug themselves, what it feels like, and why it is so socially acceptable to self-destruct. Based on the essays of her newest collection, "Live Through This: The Art of Self-Destruction", Editor/Playwright Sabrina Chapadjiev will be leading a workshop on the themes that surround self-destruction: shame, power, and control, as well as ways to channel self-destructive behaviors into creative ones." More information here.

*Breast Cancer Walk was cancelled.

See you next week and thanks to those who attended this special event!

--Shahida

Reminder: Icarus Workshop Today!

A reminder that today is our Icarus Workshop, a special event with Sabrina Chapadjiev, author of Live Through This: On Creativity and Self Destruction 7 PM Kimmel 909! Sabrina will be leading a discussion and workshop on how we can channel negative emotional energy into positive creative outlets. A great mental health experience for everyone who wishes to come. SNACKS WILL BE SERVED. Bring a guest!

October 7th Meeting RECAP

Hey feministas,

Today we had our awesome second installment of Feminist Music Day and went over upcoming events!

What we have coming up:

Icarus Workshop next Wednesday, 7 pm, Kimmel 909 - There's a summary of this event and more events on this post. However, just to recap for those who don't know, this workshop will be with Sabrina Chapdjiev, author of Live Through This: On Creativity and Self-Destruction, which will explore creative alternatives to emotional and physical self-abuse. As women, we should prioritize our mental health, not always easy to maintain in a society that pressures or degrades us. The workshop will begin with a presentation by Sabrina and follow with a more interactive discussion on how to channel our negative emotional energy into positive, creative outlets. This is for ALL women, despite your history or lack thereof of self-initiated abuse. We have all gone through struggles that have triggered emotionally harmful thoughts. Why not learn how to enhance your mental health and transform your experience? We encourage you to BRING A GUEST to this very special event. Snacks will be served!

Breast Cancer Walk next Sunday at 9 AM -- We have already raised over ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in donations for Breast Cancer!!! Come join us in a memorable walk to celebrate women with breast cancer, or people with cancer in general. We will be meeting in front of Kimmel at 9 AM, then we will take the 6 train to 77th St. If you prefer to meet us at the Walk site from your location, please contact Sarah at seb420@nyu.edu for more information on how you can do so. You can DONATE by clicking here and you can join our NOW-NYU team for the Walk here.

GEMS training last Saturday was CANCELLED. We are still awaiting a response from GEMS with regards to whether we can do monthly volunteering without a training session. As the next training session will be held in December, we are trying to figure out whether we can do anything for GEMS without attending training. More information will be coming from Julie through the list-serv. If you have not joined the list-serv NOW-NYU, please do so as soon as possible! The list-serv is an IMMEDIATE way to get your info on all things NOW =) Pun intended.

Some fabulous NOW members attended The Pro-Life Counter-Protest last Saturday and you can too, this coming Saturday! Just take the 6 train to 149th St. to protest for your right to choice. For more info, contact Julie at jpk297@nyu.edu.

The National Equality March is this week in Washington D.C.! Join the struggle for freedom, including LGBT equality this October 10th-11th. Paradigm Shift is an organization that will be providing buses to this monumental event for only $30 - NOW members who are interested can discuss about sharing this experience together by seizing this opportunity. For some other great deals on bus rides there, contact Sarah or Julie.

Some supplementary events you feminists might want to attend:


The CUNY Grad Center's Feminist Pedagogy Conference on November 6th from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM will explore feminist approaches to learning and classroom strategies. This will create a dialogue between feminist scholars, students and activists. For more info about this conference and location, go to the website: http://web.gc.cuny.edu/womenstudies/wgp/index.html


New York Rally to Protest Roman Polanski's Petition, October 10th, 6pm - Are you outraged at what's happened with Roman Polanski's case? Do you think the petition for his release is a mockery of women's rights and an endorsement of rape? NOW is also encouraging all women and men to join nationwide rallies outside of movie theaters THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10th. The New York Rally will be taking place outside The Film Society of Lincoln Center 70 Lincoln Center Plaza New York, NY and will be happening during the NY Film Fest. It will start at 6pm (not 7pm) in front of the box office of Alice Tully Hall 65th & Amsterdam, New York, NY. If you won't be in the city this weekend, find a participating rally near you on the NOW website: http://www.now.org/lists/now-action-list/msg00403.html. You can also organize your own rally if your city is not listed! More info on the website.

Teaching Sex, Deconstructing Bodies, next Monday from 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm. located at 41-51 East 11th St, room 709 - A presentation on alternative sex education, focusing on feminist sex shops that produce sex-related items in US and Sweden. Also a discussion of how feminist, queer and anti-racist perspectives alter/challenge the way we view traditional categorization of the sexes. For more info, click here.

NYU Amnesty International Candlelight Vigil, 7 pm-9 PM at Washington Square Park - Honor the rape victims of Africa who are used as a tool in warfare by literally illuminating their plight. RSVP/more info on the Facebook page.

Love Your Body Day, October 28th at regular meeting day and time - Celebrate the beauty of your body by doing something physically or mentally healthy! We are still looking for new ideas for this day, but are currently leaning towards Self-Defense lessons.

And last but not least, the Feminist Songs we listened to:

Well, Well, Well by Le Tigre - what's more feminist than a woman taking her sexual power back? The days when women were the passive sexual receivers of a man's pleasure are OVER, ladies. With this rocking song you'll be wanting to show and tell, too...whatever that means.

Double Dare Ya by Bikini Kill - a kickass feminist song which encourages you to be whatever type of woman you want to be.

The Day Bella Abzug Died by Sarah Dougher - a historically conscious feminist song that celebrates the legacy of Bella Abzug, the first Jewish congresswoman in the United States congress, and one of the first to defend gay rights.

Stupid Girls by Pink - a controversial song which can be considered feminist or anti-feminist, depending on your point of view. Feminist in its social critique of the demeaning way the media portrays women, and anti-feminist in its personal vendetta to stereotype certain women/exclude feminine women from the idea of "Feminism." We definitely have to consider that feminism should not degrade or pigeonhole women, or perpetuate stereotypes. So is this really feminist? Up to you to decide. Whether this song makes you empowered or angry, it's definitely one that has to be heard in order to challenge your idea of what feminism really is.


Again, thanks ladies for another great meeting. Next week, we will be having the Icarus Workshop (if you just skimmed through this post, go back right to the top), at the same meeting time and place. BRING A GUEST!

See you next week,
--Shahida

Feminist Discussion Question #1

Welcome to our first feminist discussion forum post! Please leave a comment to respond, feel free to respond anonymously, and engage with each other on the following challenge using your thoughts, experiences and knowledge:

Should women engaged in forced sex work be legally or morally penalized? Should they be treated differently from women who enage in voluntary sex work?

September 30th Meeting Recap

Hey feminists,

We had a fun Feminist Music evening. First, we went over the agenda and upcoming events. If you still haven't yet, make sure to go to THIS POST in order to see what's coming up. Some new additional information/reminders are:

• GEMS Training this Saturday, 1 pm at Bowery Poetry Center, located at 308 Bowery, HAS BEEN CANCELLED. MORE INFORMATION TO COME.
• 40 Days of Life Campaign - A pro-life campaign held from September 23rd-November 1st, which can be intimidating to women seeking abortions, and challenges the idea of "choice" in a woman's reproductive decision. For more information on how to participate and/or promote a counter-stance to this movement, e-mail or talk to Julie Kilger, president of NOW, at jpk297@nyu.edu.
• Breast Cancer Walk on October 18th - Join us for a walk that celebrate the women who face this tremendous obstacle, as well as the people in your life who have had cancer. Click here to sign up for the Breast Cancer Walk -- all you have to do is search for team NOW-NYU in capitals, and you should see our team next to the name of our Vice President, Sarah Betz. Sarah has sent e-mails about this event before so check your mailbox if you're on the listserv.
• Icarus Workshop October 14th, 7 pm Kimmel 909 - Workshop with Sabrina Chapadjiev, author of Live Through This: On Creativity and Self-Destruction, will discuss how women can avoid self-destructive behaviors by channelling their frustrations into creative outlets. Remember to attend this special event!
• Love your Body Day, October 28th, room 909 at regular meeting time - Celebrate your body on this day by doing something physically and mentally healthy. We will be discussing the theme of this day next week. Possibilities so far are: self-defense or yoga. Feel free to share any new ideas come next meeting. We will also be inviting our fellow sisters from Delta Fi Epsilon for this special event, so be prepared to meet some new fantastic ladies :)

Then, we went through some of the songs you gals sent us which represent what feminism means to you, and discussed their importance to the meaning and implementation of feminism. Below are a summary of the songs we discussed so far and the comments we had regarding them for your downloading pleasure:

Flirt by Pussycat Dolls - comments on how women should be able to sexually express themselves without the fear of their actions being misintrepreted, putting them at risk for sexual harassment. simply, women should be able to "flirt" freely without being treated like objects
I'm Just a Girl by No Doubt - the frustrations of being a girl, "living in captivity" and always living in fear of being harassed. with this song, Gwen Stefani makes clear that though she is "just" a girl, every girl can make a huge impact by simply speaking out like she has.
Fat-Bottomed Girls by Queen - a celebration of beauty of all sizes, or an objectification of fat-bottomed ladies? still up for debate and your interpretation. if you choose to go with the former, though, you'll find this a really fun song to listen to -- and will definitely motivate you to embrace that bottom!
I am Woman by Helen Reddy - ever wonder where the phrase, "I am Woman, Hear me Roar" came from? source - this classic song from the 70's brings us back to the good old days when feminism was still a burgeoning "embryo," as the singer herself says. the message? women can do anything - they are strong and invincible. the perfect mood-enhancer for any woman :)
Fighter by Christina Aguilera - who doesn't like a woman who makes her negative experiences an incentive for growth? a great motivating song which belongs on every feminist's playlist!
Superwoman by Alicia Keyes - an amazing song that celebrates the different women out there -- from the career superwoman to the single mother trying to meet ends -- all are superwomen in their own right. reveals that women are capable of fulfilling so many different roles, and despite their obstacles, are able to maintain strength.

Next week we will continue with feminist songs and you will be provided lyrics for purposes of further analysis. Again, IF YOU HAVE ANY FEMINIST SONGS YOU WANT TO BE ADDED FOR NEXT WEEK, e-mail sa1523@nyu.edu with the title, "Feminist Music NOW."

See you next week ladies,
--Shahida

Feminist Music Day TOMORROW!

Hey lovelies,

Tomorrow we will be holding the first part of a special event called "Feminist Music Day." We will be spending the first half of the meeting listening to feminist songs, some of which you NOW members have personally sent to us, and discussing the way they have influenced young feminists like us to think about the power of women and the obstacles they face in everyday life. The second half of the meeting will be logistics, possibly open discussion or more talk about the events coming up.

If you have a last-minute mp3 to send to us for this special event, please send it to sa1523@nyu.edu by tonight, with the subject, "NOW Feminist Music." Thanks!

Food will be served! As always, the meeting is in Kimmel room 909, 7 PM, Wednesday.

See you there :)
--Shahida

September 23rd Meeting Recap

Hey lovely ladies and gentlemen,

This evening we talked more in-depth about the types of activities we'd like to engage in for this semester and also had an open discussion that discussed concerns about sexual double standards, sexual harassment, and reproductive health decisions. The questions/issues we explored and raised were: Should immigrant women be mandated to take the Gardasil vaccine, or is it a personal choice? What are the risks of egg donation, and why aren't women being informed when they donate? How does sexual education or lack thereof in public schools affect the mentality of men and women, and to what extent does it limit their choices? How does segregation between men and women in different countries reinforce that women are responsible for the sexual behavior of men? and Should women who are coerced into domestic trafficking be legally tried?

As a group, we also approved the following activities for the next few weeks:

• Feminist Music Day - September 30th and October 7th, Kimmel 909, 7 PM. We will be using the first half of these two meeting days exclusively for listening to awesome feminist music. Please send one or two MP3s of your favorite songs to me, at sa1523@nyu.edu , with the subject title, "NOW Feminist Music" and it will be added to our playlist for these two evenings. We will be enjoying the music, and discussing the themes. All sorts of music are welcomed, whether explicitly feminist or subtly empowering. REMEMBER TO COME TO THIS WONDERFUL EVENT - YOU MAY GET A FREE CD OF THE ENTIRE PLAYLIST IF YOU DO :)
• Open Discussion Forum - Thanks to the idea of a fellow NOW member, we will be having a weekly open discussion on the NOW-NYU website on topics that regard women's rights and the complexities of gender inequality. I will be posting the topic/question on the website and you are free to respond in a comment. No google account is required - you can also post anonymously if you wish. Feel free to send possible questions to Sarah Betz, Vice President of NOW at: seb420@nyu.edu.
• Important upcoming activities are: the Icarus Workshop, Breast Cancer Walk, counter-protest to the 40 Days of Life Campaign and the GEMS monthly volunteering and training. For more information on all of these or if you just need to jog your memory, see this post.

Thanks to everyone who attended today's meeting and made the discussion so engaging. We look forward to seeing you next week on Feminist Music Day, same time, same place. To a great idea of another one of our wonderful NOW ladies, we might also be having a Bring a Guy to NOW day...more information to come. But either way, feel free to BRING GUYS whenever you want, as we do need both men and women to share their perspectives. FEMINISM IS NOT JUST ABOUT WOMEN - IT IS ABOUT MEN TOO! So let's hear your voices, gents! For those who could not attend this meeting, no worries - you can join NOW anytime. Even if you can't always make the meetings, you can also engage with us on the topics we'll be posting. :)

See you all next week,

--Shahida

September 16th Meeting Recap

Hello NOW chicas (and chicos, if you're out there),

We had our first meeting this evening and it was awesome meeting feminists who have their unique interpretations of what feminism is! Introductions aside, we began the club meeting with a traditional icebreaker, drawing or writing what the F word (no, the OTHER f word - FEMINISM), meant to us. Many drawings of female empowerment commenced. Later, we discussed what NOW had done the previous year, including activism with Planned Parenthood, working to promote Transparency and Gender Equality on campus, Relay for Life, and the Breast Cancer Walk. Finally, as a group we brainstormed the themes we'd like to work on for this year as well as events we have coming up.

For those who couldn't attend, and for those who don't remember, here is a summary of the important things discussed as well as DATES to remember! The following lists can be added onto/modified as the year goes on -- nothing is set in stone, but this is a working outline of the issues we'd like to focus on.

NOW Themes for 2009:

• Health Care Reform
• International Reform
• Equal Rights Amendment
• Women's Mental and Sexual Health
• Sexual Exploitation/Trafficking
• Women in Prison
• Abusive Relationships
• Youth Outreach
• Reproductive Rights
• Sexual Harassment

Upcoming NOW Events and Activities:

• October 14th, 7 pm Kimmel 909 - Icarus Workshop with Sabrina Chapadjiev, author of Live Through This: On Creativity and Self-Destruction, will discuss how women can avoid self-destructive behaviors by channelling their frustrations into creative outlets.
• October 18th - Breast Cancer Walk - Join us for a walk that celebrate the women who face this tremendous obstacle, as well as the people in your life who have had cancer. Click here to sign up for the Breast Cancer Walk -- all you have to do is search for team NOW-NYU in capitals, and you should see our team next to the name of our Vice President, Sarah Betz. Instructions on how to join the Breast Cancer Walk have also been e-mailed through listserv. Please join the NOW-NYU listserv if you have not yet.
• Love Your Body Day - There will be a Love Your Body Day in October in which we will celebrate our bodies through a healthy productive activity such as Yoga, Self-Defense Lessons, etc. Ideas are welcome and more information is to be announced.
• Monthly Community Service with GEMS - We will be doing once-a-month volunteering for Girls Education Mentoring Services, also known as GEMS, an organization which helps young women forced into domestic trafficking to find a safe haven where they can rehabilitate their lives. We have already discussed volunteering with GEMS to help these girls to study for their GED, tutoring them in basic math and science skills. This volunteering will be DONE AS A GROUP, and the training will be held on October 3rd, Saturday 1 PM, location TBA.
• Girls Are Not For Sale Campaign - We will also be participating in this campaign which protests sexual trafficking, by showing a screening of "Very Young Girls." This will be made avaliable to other clubs and organizations on campus and we will be asking for dollar donations to fundraise for this campaign.
• 40 Days of Life Campaign - A pro-life campaign held from September 23rd-November 1st, which can be intimidating to women seeking abortions, and challenges the idea of "choice" in a woman's reproductive decision. For more information on how to participate and/or promote a counter-stance to this movement, e-mail or talk to Julie Kilger, president of NOW, at jpk297@nyu.edu.
• On a side-note, Planned Parenthood is also challenging this campaign, calling it the "40 Days of Harassment" movement and are asking for volunteering escorts to help women seeking abortions into their health without intervention. If interested, click here.
• On another fun side-note, we might be having a day dedicated exclusively to FEMINIST music -- so get your iPod playlists ready...discussion of this event will commence next week :)

Thanks again to everyone who attended the first meeting and contributed some fantastic ideas - you guys are awesome. If you couldn't attend this meeting, NO WORRIES. The next one will be held NEXT WEDNESDAY, room 909 Kimmel, at 7 PM. This is our permanent location & time unless otherwise communicated. Bring your friends -- and if you have any guy friends, let them know there's a place they can meet some really amazing ladies...without much male competition! :)

See you all NEXT WEEK.

--Shahida

REMINDER: First Meeting Tomorrow, 7 PM Kimmel 909!

Hello again returning and new NOW members!

Thanks for all of those who attended the Club Fest! It was a great turnout this year and I hope to see all of you very soon. Get ready for the first meeting of NOW, tomorrow at 7 PM. You can meet us in room 909, Kimmel (our "permanent" location for the year), this Wednesday the 16th for DESSERT and discussion of our mission and goals for the year. We look forward to seeing old and new faces, connecting with our fellow feminists. We will also be touching base with you all about the issues YOU want to work on -- whether it's reproductive rights, economic justice, etc. Remember, this is an INTERACTIVE meeting where we'll discuss the activities for the year -- so feel free to contribute on how you want to define your NOW experience. Come ready with any thoughts or ideas of things we can do this year to make some memorable experiences :)

Can't wait to see you all there!

-Shahida

Club Fest 2009

Hola feministas,

The annual NYU Club Fest is here again and we'll be representing NOW -- make sure to come by our table to get more information about our club's mission and meetings! The Club Fest is from 2:oo PM-7:00 PM, this Thursday, September 10th, at the Coles Sports Center, located at 181 Mercer St. Don't forget to pick up some free candy from us =)

Club Fest is an important way to connect with organizations that you are interested in joining. It goes beyond the listserv and gives you face-to-face action with the representatives of the club itself. So come chat with our lovely ladies from NOW, grab some of the goods (candy and information), and make sure to attend our first NOW meeting of the year, taking place NEXT Wednesday, September 16th, Kimmel room 909, at 7 PM. I will be putting up additional reminders of this meeting as it approaches, and if you see one of our flyers hanging around, be sure to tell your friends to attend!

:)
-Shahida

Congrats!

We had our lovely "elections" -- meaning nomination process. :)

Here are our new officers:
President, Julie Kilger
Vice President, Sarah Betz
Secretary, Shahida Arabi
Treasurer, Nikita Shah

Congrats everyone!

We also discussed the things we thought were positive this year, were negative this year, and the events we liked/disliked. If you have any thoughts, feel free to e-mail us.

Next week we're going to watch a movie and we're thinking about Kill Bill (kick ass woman who doesn't take shit from anyone, who could ask for more hahaha). If anyone has any other suggestions, feel free to e-mail me by Saturday so I can order it from Netflix.

We're having our end of the year NOW get-together at BBQ on May 8th. We'll let you know what time next week.

We're also thinking about doing a feminist book club this coming summer. If anyone is interested, send me an e-mail. We're going to try to meet over the summer or at least do some online discussions (though meeting with one another is preferable). We're going to try to stay active and involved this summer, whether through community service or just meeting and doing the book club.

Hope to see you next week at our last meeting of the schoolyear! :'(
xo,
Sarah

Take Back the Night

Hey everyone.

Sadly, Take Back the Night is cancelled. :( Due to conflicts with park permits we are unable to have Take Back the Night this year at NYU. Thanks to everyone who started sending out e-mails or advertising to other clubs. This has been a wonderful learning experience for us and we now know what we need to get done for next year.

Hope to see everyone at this week's meeting (and come with your picks/nominations for any positions you may want or would like to see others have). Kimmel Room 805 at 7pm!!!

xo,
Sarah

April 15, 2009 Meeting

Hey there everyone. -- Long post so read through it!

We're still unsure about the permits for Take Back the Night so STOP sending out e-mails to people inviting them to the event...

A few people are heading up to Columbia's Take Back the Night TONIGHT to see what theirs looks like, check out what we could possibly do for ours, and to support Columbia in their efforts! You can meet Julie outside of Kimmel at 8pm TONIGHT to make the trek uptown.

We only have TWO meetings left! :(
We'll be discussing some important things. Next week we'll be going over what was effective this year and what was not, what we want to do next year, etc. So please come and tell us how you think things are/were/will be! This is a club that relies on the input of its members! We will also be having a movie night during our last meeting. We're going to try to have a get together outside of the meetings and we'll keep people posted on that.

We're also going to be having elections! Either e-mail Julie or bring something to her at next week's meeting if you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for a position. Our positions are President, Vice President, Secretary/Webmadam, and Treasurer. We have a few different committees as well if people want to keep those alive and well. Don't feel obligated to nominate yourself and don't be afraid not to!

RELAY FOR LIFE: This saturday at COLES!!!! We're in the process of getting things set up for that. But show up by 6pm so that we can participate in the team lap at 6:30. If you're available, come earlier around 5pm to help Julie set up the table, etc. If nothing else, be there for the Luminaria ceremony at 9pm. That's always a very powerful and motivating event. Bring CASH because there are no ATMs at Coles. You are allowed to leave and come back until midnight. After that you are not allowed into Coles until 6am.

The Student Health Center is doing the "Clothesline Project" during which they're going to be making and hanging up t-shirts which express peoples' experiences and feelings about sexual violence. There's a t-shirt "party", if you will, tonight at Weinstein and there's one tomorrow (AKA FRIDAY) at the Student Health Center from 12:30-1:30, which will be hosted by our very own Nicole! Go check it out if you're available.

Next week is Earth Day (Wednesday) where there's going to be a huge vegan sandwhich--not sure where but keep an eye out. Also keep an eye out for the Bare Energy Frolick. ;)

The Activists Network is holding a Socially Responsible Investment Committee meeting next week after the normal NOW-NYU meeting time. It's at 8:30pm and I believe it's in Kimmel. E-mail Julie to find out the location.

I believe that's all for now! Hope to see you at some of these awesome events and to get your input on how things have been going this year!

xo,
Sarah

Today's Meeting

Hey!

Don't forget to bring a t-shirt and $11 for Sue for our NOW-NYU t-shirts!!! If you don't have a shirt (preferably white) that you want to print on, the guy we're taking them to sells them for about $15 each. We'll also be discussing Take Back the Night stuff.

Hope to see you tonight at 7pm in Kimmel 805!

xo,
Sarah

Don't worry!

Hey ladies.

I haven't forgotten anyone or anything! We're trying to get a few details mapped out before I post anything final. I'll keep everyone updated as soon as I know anything!

xo,
Sarah

March 25, 2009 Meeting

Hey everyone!

This was quite the eventful evening! We have some really awesome events coming up soon that we really need help and support on!

We're thinking about raffling sex toys for our Relay For Life table. To sign up for our team (meaning to come hang out with us for a couple of hours and walk and support an amazing cause) go to www.relayforlife.org/newyorkuniversity. Once you're there, search for the National Organization for Women and join our team! We'd love to have you on board.

We also discussed Take Back the Night. We're going to be sponsoring this amazing event to support victims of sexual violence and abuse. We need people to start reaching out to friends, peers, etc. in order to find anyone willing to either play music, read poetry, speak, etc. for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Take Back the Night Event. The date is going to be Tuesday, April 28th, (we're thinking around 8pm). We'll be making flyers, etc. very soon. We really need people to come next week to really get this going and to give out specific responsibilities. We're going to need to do a LOT of outreach, i.e. going to other clubs' meetings (once we get a list of clubs that are OK with us coming to do a little speech/hand out flyers -- that will be coming soon), hanging up flyers all over the place, presenting this to your classes (ask your prof. -- they're usually really cool about doing this before class starts), e-mailing other listserves or mass e-mailing friends from other schools. We will be making a facebook event--once we know certain specific details we can get the ball really rolling. So make sure you come next week! Also start asking around to see if you know anyone willing to perform!

We talked a little bit about the Feminist Majority Conference that Larry, Alex and I attended (I'm sorry if I spelled it wrong!!!). There will be more to come on that next week. It was an awesome conference and we have lots of fun stuff to tell everyone about.

We also had a really good conversation about the Women's Center/Women and Gender Resource Center, etc. We'll bring people up-to-date on that. I'm pretty sure we're going to get a club started that revolves around this whole issue and getting it started. We'll keep people updated on that.

After the meeting we all went out and participated in the NARAL Day of Action. We handed out condoms and emergency contraception information to people leaving and entering the subways. Let me tell you...it was really nervewracking at first but once our fearless leader got us started, there was no stopping us! People really seemed to take a liking to us. We didn't get too many bad responses. There were a couple creepers and a few older women who gave us dirty looks but there were so many people who said thanks and who looked happy or thought it was hilarious. So all in all, it was awesome. We handed out about 250 condoms in around a half hour. CRAZINESS!!!! We're contemplating making this our new community service event (because things have gone nowhere with planned parenthood right now--they're swamped?). It was lots of fun and once you get over the initial embarassment/fear you start to have fun.

Hope everyone's first week back is going well. I hope to see you next week, look forward to hearing if anyone has friends that can perform (preferably sexual-domestic violence related), and am psyched about our upcoming events! We need your support and to see you there!

xo,
Sarah

Welcome Back!

Hey there!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing spring break. Let's hope midterms are done with and people have a little bit of time to relax before finals, etc.

Wanted to let everyone know that we have some exciting events coming up and plenty to talk about at our meeting. If anyone wants to discuss anything in particular, feel free to bring it up or e-mail Julie to have it added to the agenda.

Also, I will be attempting to post the pictures soon of the sex toy workshop that occurred before break! That was so much fun and I want to thank everyone for showing up, letting Larry and I take pictures, and for being such an amazing group! Who knew playing with sex toys in a non-sexual way could be so fun?! :)

Hope to see you at the meeting this Wednesday at 7pm!

Love,
Sarah

February 25, 2009 Meeting

We talked about the Irshad Manji movie screening event and how powerful it was. There were a few of us at the meeting who went and we discussed the movie and what Irshad Manji had to say. What we want everyone to take away from it was the face that we want people to be open to discuss anything that's on their minds.

We also discussed the TBNYU! Occupation. It was a really great discussion. We've decided not to remove ourselves from the coalition. However, we think it's important for TBNYU! to know what members of its coalition think about what happened and any constructive criticisms or things we thought were positive.

We discussed the NARAL petitions, which you can get online at a link in a previous post here.

March 8 is International Women's Day. We will find out more information from Julie as to what is happening on that day.

March 2 (THIS MONDAY!) is the opening event for Women's Herstory Month!!!! Check out the women's herstory month calendar on facebook! (It starts at 7:15)

March 3 (THIS TUESDAY!) is the ICARUS workshop that we're cosponsoring called the (In)Sanity of Gender. This should be a really great event. Come one! Come all! It's Tuesday at 7:00 in room 522 of the Gallatin building.

March 11 (NEXT WEEK) is our AWESOME sex toy workshop. We'll be raffling some lovely prizes. It's at 7pm in our regular room, Kimmel 805.

March 25 is the NARAL NYC Day of Action.

April 19 is Relay for Life (we'll send our more about this later).

And April is also Take Back the Night, which celebrates survivors or rape and sexual violence (We'll also send out more about this later).

I'll post the Women's Herstory Month Calendar a little later.

xo,
Sarah

February 18, 2009 Meeting

Hello everyone.

Here's what happened at our meeting.

We discussed the Vagina Monologues and the OXFAM event. Feel free to ask about those. I'm not really going to go into detail here.

We'd like to remind you to bring in the NARAL petitions for the Reproductive Health Act that Sue handed out the other week. If you don't have one and would like to sign it or have others sign it, you can find it here: www.prochoiceny.org/getinvolved/alerts/00705221.shtml. If the link does not work, please e-mail Sue or let me know.

We also discussed the possibility of doing a NARAL Campus Challenge action, which is either a campaign, event or program in which we get the word out on Emergency Contraception (EC). We haven't decided anything yet but the event should be for March. Start thinking about possible ideas that you may have! We'd love to hear from people!

Also, March 25th (which is a ways away so I will post a reminder once the day nears) there is teh NYC Day of Action with NARAL where people stand outside subway stations all over NYC and hand out condoms and information about EC. You can go to www.prochoiceny.org to find out more information or e-mail Sue.

There is also a volunteer event coming up this Saturday with ACT (Against Child Trafficking), a student group at NYU. They will be sorting clothing for the girls of GEMS (Girls Education and Mentoring Services), which GEMS received from their clothing drive. This is a great event and a time to meet people from other clubs and do something to help out girls from NYC that are victims of human trafficking. It's this Saturday (Feb. 21) from 12-4 at 298B W. 149th Street, New York, NY 10039 (Just east of the corner of 149th and Fredrick Douglass Blvd--Go to www.hopstop.com for train directions). Please try to bring hangers!!! Feel free to contact Ebony Rentas, Chair of GEMS Volunteer Committee. Tell her Chanelle told you about the event.

Last, but certainly not least, is our exciting event for this coming Friday. Julie sent an e-mail over the listserve but here it is as a reminder: NOW-NYU presents: “Are We Global Citizens or Not? An interactive evening with author, activist and NYU leadership professor Irshad Manji”How many times have you been told that “you can’t comment if you don’t represent?” How many times have you said that to fellow activists, believing that we shouldn’t stick our noses in other people’s business? In an interdependent world, is there such a thing as “other” people?Irshad Manji says no; we’re all in it together. That’s what it means to be global citizens. She makes the case in her internationally best-selling book, The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith. Since then, Irshad has joined NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service, where she serves as Director of the Moral Courage Project — a leadership program that mentors students to speak truth to power, even at the price of personal backlash.Her motto: Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is the recognition that some things are more important than fear!In that spirit, Irshad and NOW-NYU invite you to join a vibrant conversation about changing the world. On Friday evening, Feb 20, we’ll screen Irshad’s Emmy-nominated PBS film, “Faith Without Fear,” which chronicles her journey to reconcile Islam with human rights. The film raises questions about freedom, rights, responsibilities and, above all, courage. Irshad will then open up a discussion with all of us. Bring your voices with you.WHEN: Friday, February 20th, 5:30 - 7:30 pmWHERE: Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, NYU; 295 Lafayette St (at Houston), Rice Conference Room; Come to 2nd floor reception and one of the organizers will be on hand to lead you to the room. PLEASE RSVP TO JULIE KILGER (e-mail on the left-hand side of the screen). We need to know how many people plan to attend this event.

Support our lovely lady (and others) at the TBNYU! Occupation!

Love,
Sarah

WHOA NELLY! Go ACTIVISTS!

Hey everyone!

Exciting shit happening over at Kimmel! I know it's a little late but go over to Kimmel to show your support to TBNYU! and budget disclosure/university transparency!!!!!!! One of our loverly members is over yon so go show her your support!

Go to the TBNYU! website for more information and for their list of demands: takebacknyu.com.

I will update everyone on what happened at our meeting last night when I get home later. Just wanted everyone to go show their support for the occupation of Kimmel! 

Love,

Sarah

Women's Herstory Month 2009

Here is the 2009 Calendar of Events for Women's Herstory Month!!!!!

http://www.new.facebook.com/wall.php?id=527326251&banter_id=1381740042&show_all#/topic.php?uid=47579143105&topic=7506

Our events are on March 3 [i.e. (In)Sanity of Gender] and March 11 [Sex Toy Workshop]!!!!

Love,
Sarah

February 11, 2009 Meeting

Hey everyone!

We had a jam-packed (ha ha) meeting tonight. I say ha-ha because we had PB&J for dinner tonight. :) Stupid, yes. Worth it to say, maybe.

Anyway, onto the good stuff.

The Vagina monologues are this coming weekend (13th, 14th and 15th). We decided to go as a group Friday night. However, we will have a table there to get petitions signed and people to sign up for the listserve. We have a couple of people to take care of the table on Friday night. However, if anyone could make the Saturday night or Sunday afternoon showings so that we can have someone at the table, please e-mail Julie and let her know your availability. The show starts at 7pm but if you're able to table, we'd need to there around 6pm. Please let Julie know soon and we hope to see you there this weekend!

We also have a bunch of NARAL petitions for the Reproductive Health Act. This is a really important thing to show support for because, should Roe v. Wade be overturned, New York State is really not as protected as most people think it is. We would love for you to pick one up from Sue or Julie (or anyone else that has them really), get them signed, and bring them back in about 2 weeks (the meeting after next).

We're also now co-sponsoring OxFam's "Raise Hope for Congo" on February 17th at 6pm on the 10th Floor of Kimmel. We'd love for people to come and show their support for this amazing and powerful event. Here's the link to their facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=1075080069&banter_id=1381740042&show_all#/event.php?eid=60223353976&ref=nf.

We had some really nice and informative guests come tonight from the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF)--Emily and Patrice. They are campus organizers from the FMF, which is a Washington D.C. based organization akin to NOW. However, most of their chapters are college groups and work on a lot of international issues. Some campaigns that they are or have been working on are training midwives in Afghanistan to lower the maternal mortality rate (which has spiked to one out of every six women). They have also worked to shut down Crisis Pregnancy Centers ("fake abortion clinics"). We had a really great discussion about these Centers. While it is important for people to feel comfortable going somewhere that they feel can give them other options besides abortion, it is also important to recognize that women should be receiving comprehensive, accurate information on all aspects of pregnancy-related options (adoption, keeping the baby, abortion, etc. etc.). We have more information/handouts on the issue if you are interested in learning more. Back to their visit! They are hosting the National Young Women's Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. (we have flyers for this too). On March 21-22 they are having "From Campus to Congress" where many nationwide feminist on-campus organizations will meet with each other and discuss (things). On March 23-24 they are having Congressional Visit Days at Capitol Hill. They discussed with us that the group rate is $15 per person, not including transportation or housing. However, they discussed some options with us (such as outreach to other groups for possible bus sponsorship), putting everyone in the same room, staying at a friend's house, etc. We can discuss these options more as we decide what to do and who may or may not go. For more information go to their website at www.feministcampus.org/leadership or contact Emily Kadar at ekadar@feminist.org.

They also have internships available in D.C. (and L.A.) during the semester AND over the summer. This would be a wonderful opportunity for many young feminists. They recommended getting applications in by the end of March. For more information or to apply go to www.feminist.org/intern or e-mail FMF at internship@feminist.org (for DC) or internshipla@feminist.org (for LA).

Rachael told us about a trip to Albany that she is going on with her internship organization that she would love to see people at. They are going to Albany to protest/repeal the Rockefeller drug laws, which often only serve to facilitate black men into prisons.

Our exciting event with ICARUS is coming up on March 3 at 7pm in Gallatin, room 522. It's the day after the opening ceremonies for Women's (Womyn's) Herstory month. This will speak to alternative forms of mental health (particularly for those uncomfortable with medications), self-destruction/mutilation, and the interplay between mental health and gender.

Our sex toy workshop will be on March 11 during our regular meeting (7pm in Kimmel room 805).

We are also discussing the event coming up (Time and place TBA) with Irshad Manji, author of "The Trouble with Islam". We will be hosting a showing of her film "Faith Without Fear" which is about reconciling the Muslim faith with human rights. She will then be discussing our right and responsibility as young activitists to stand up for different communities (even if we are not a part of them), and also to be open and courageous enough to ask questions even if we feel they may make us or others uncomfortable. She will be speaking to the question: "What does it mean to be a global citizen?" This event will be on February 20th. We are currently working on finding the space and time. More information will be available soon.

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you at the next meeting and at many of our exciting, upcoming events!!!!!

Love,
Sarah

February 4, 2009 Meeting

Hey. Sorry I've been slacking on posting. This week has been a little weird.

Anywho, Wednesday's meeting we ate food! Woo!

We also had two representatives from OxFam join us to let us know about an awesome event they're holding on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 6pm on the 10th Floor of Kimmel (Rosenthal Pavilion). It's called "Raise Hope For Congo". It's to raise awareness and speak about the violence against women in the Democratic Repulic of Congo. They want to empower women there. They will have speakers from the "Enough" project.

We are also going to decide NEXT week when we try to attend the Vagina monologues as a group.

We've selected a date for our joint workshop titled "(In)Sanity of Gender" with ICARUS -- March 3! Date and time will be announced later.

Also, if you want to sign up for our Planned Parenthood volunteer escorting once a month please go to http://www.plannedparenthood.org/nyc/volunteer-intern-15239.htm , print and fill out the form and put it in our NOW-NYU mailbox on the 6th floor of Kimmel, number 129.

Last but not least, Sue spoke to us about the Petition she has going around for the Reproductive Health Act for New York State which would ENSURE that the NYS abortion laws are updated in case Roe v. Wade were overturned. This is important because in New York State, abortion is still part of criminal law, and is also an EXCEPTION to a rule, not a rule itself. Congress will be in session from January through June so this petition will be important to sign and get out. We will have them at the meetings but e-mail Sue if you would like to get one or know more information.

Hope to see you next week!
Love,
Sarah

Vagina Monologues

So all I've heard about this is from Facebook. Here's the link to the event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=59619315241.

It's going to be happening:
Friday, February 13, 2009 at 7:00pm
Saturday, February 15, 2009 at 7:00pm
Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 2:00pm

Location:NYU's Kimmel Center, E&L Auditoruim

I'm not sure who to contact if you have any questions about it. I guess just go to the facebook event to find out.

We'll probably try to figure out a day that we can go as a group. I'll keep you posted on whether we decide one at tomorrow's meeting!

Come watch a movie and chillax tomorrow at 7pm in Kimmel 912!
Love,
Sarah

First Meeting!!!!

Hello everyone!

Tonight was our first meeting of the Spring semester. We had a pretty good turn-out with some fresh, new faces. :D We hope to see more in the coming weeks.

Next week we'll be relaxing and showing a movie (possibly Saved). If you have any ideas on any feminist or women-related movies that you'd like to watch, contact any one of us and we'll put that on our list of possibilities. We'd L-O-V-E for people to bring some desserts!

This week was full of talk about our events this semester and a little about what we do as a group. Feel free to e-mail anyone if you have any questions about the information I'll be posting below (look to the left).

Anywho, in February we've heard that there WILL be Vagina Monologues. However, we have no idea when, when or who is putting it on. We will be going together as a group so we'll try to keep you updated on that. If anyone has any information on that, please let us know as we'd like to possibly co-sponsor, etc.

March is Women (Womyn)'s Herstory Month. We will be hosting a sex toy workshop (potentially on March 11....) which we would loooooooove people to come to and publicize. Once we finalize the date, we'll make fliers and ask people to hand them out. We will also be co-sponsoring an event with ICARUS called the "(In)Sanity of Gender". Icarus is a great new group that is devoted to health/mental health and alternative options. We'll need people to help publicize that and attend the event as well.

In April we will be hosting Take Back the Night, which is a march for victims of sexual violence. We'll have more information on that and how you can get involved when the date nears. We'll also be participating in Relay For Life.

We'll be doing a movie night with TORCH (Teen Outreach Reproductive CHallenge). They are a subgroup in NARAL that teaches teens comprehensive sex education and helps them teach it to their peers. Date TBD. Contact Sue if you would like to know more information about either NARAL or TORCH.

We have a lot of petitions floating around now that people can get their hands on for the Women's Center (Women & Gender Resource Center). Feel free to contact Nicole if you are interested in helping out or just want further information.

We'll be doing Planned Parenthood Escorting this semester. It's only about a once a month commitment for a few hours, probably on a Saturday. We'll be escorting women to get their services, just helping them to feel safe, especially when there are protesters out.

Hope to see more new (and already-seen) faces at next week's meeting!

Love,
Sarah

Event and Pictures

Hello all!

There are now some of the Love Your Body Day photos of the Wing-Tsun Demo in our slideshow in the lower left of the website for people to peruse.

Also, here's the info for an upcoming event on the 28th. However, I hope people are coming to the first meeting of the semester on the 28th instead!

From Prison to Empowerment: Women Advocates Take on the Criminal Justice System

The number of women under correctional supervision has skyrocketed over the past 30 years, yet women’s voices and experiences are often marginalized in the discussion and formulations of criminal justice policies. This panel will highlight how formerly incarcerated women are advocating to influence and guide public policies that directly affect their lives.

Date: January 28, 2009
Time: 6:30 to 8:30
Location: Rudin Forum, 295 Lafayette St, 2nd Fl, NYC
Food and Refreshments will be served.
RSVP at: www.wagner.nyu.edu/events

Sponsored by: NYU Students for Criminal Justice Reform, Women’s Prison Association, Women of Color Policy Network, NYU Wagner Women’s Caucus, Women On The Rise Telling HerStory (WORTH), and the Women in Prison Project of the Correctional Association of New York


Hope to see people at our meeting this coming Wednesday at 7pm!!!
Love,
Sarah

Exciting Stuff!

Hey everyone!

We have some very exciting things planned for this loverly Spring 2009 semester! Come to our first meeting next Wednesday at 7pm and find out some of these fun things!

We'll also be at the club fair next Wednesday from around 11:00 to 3:00 so tell your friends to stop by or come and visit us if you missed us last semester! We'd love to sit and chat with you for a bit. It's located on the 4th floor of Kimmel.

Also, on February 19th NOW-NYC is giving away its Susan B. Anthony Awards and some of us decided to attend. Feel free to join us. More specific info on that will be coming soon.

We will also have our Women's Center petitions out and posted on the website for people to sign and pass out. We need written signatures as digital ones will not be accepted.

There was also a Roe v. Wade celebration/discussion tonight with NOW-NYC that a few of us went to at City Hall. It was very informative on the things that we, as feminists and as women, need to do and keep doing in order to insure our reproductive rights are upheld or brought to a better standard. (If all of that makes sense).

Some of the things we discussed were repealing the Hyde Amendment, stopping violent protests at abortion clinics, comprehensive sex education, repealing the global gag rule, upholding the Federal FACE law, ending pregnancy discrimination, the right to breastfeed in public, the Freedom of Choice Act, access and care for women with disabilities, reproductive health act, title X, etc. There are still so many things we have to do and to protect! Just because Obama is in the white house doesn't necessarily mean that we can by any means stop fighting or take a break. There's bound to be plenty of anti-choice backlash.

I look forward to a wonderful semester and hope to see some new faces at our upcoming meetings!

Love,
Sarah

First Meeting!!!!!

First meeting is January 28 2009 at 7pm in Kimmel room 805!!!!!

Hope everyone had a great break!

Love,
Sarah