Wednesday, September 30, 2009

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

No comments: