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

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

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

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

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

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

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

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

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


Tuesday, September 8, 2009

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