Daily Divulgences

BLOGVOICE: OUT Book Review

2010-01-29T15:41:00.000-08:00

OUT By: Natuo Kirio

A Book Review by: Junko Yanagi, WRC Intern and Blogger

ISBN：1-4000-7837-7

OUT was awarded the Grand Prix of the Mystery Writers of Japan in 1997-the Asian equivalent of an Edgar award. The story begins when a young mother kills her husband after years of enduring his abuse. She had been working at a lunch-box factory in the suburbs of Tokyo and had confided in her co-worker that she could no longer endure the domestic abuse forced upon her by her husband. She admitted to having killed him out of defense the night before and asks her friend to help her cover up her crime, out of fear that she couldn’t convince a patriarchal judicial system to view the murder as an act of defense. At that time, main character

of this novel, Masako, her co-worker, planned to cut up the body in the bathroom of her house and throw away as garbage—what ensues provides the basis for a story of a surreal quality. Yet, while this story may seem strange or eccentric, but it is also a story of women asserting their power and defending themselves against the violence done unto them. The reason these four women were involved in such violent series of events is because of their own deadlock as women of the working class and their oppression as women in Japan. These women had always been eager to escape the oppression forced upon them in their daily lives and it was their frustration that facilitated their committing such a serious crime.

Welcome Back to a New Semester

2010-01-29T13:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome Back Spring 2010
to the Women’s Resources Center

Welcome to spring semester 2010 at the Women’s Resources Center. The WRC will be celebrating our first birthday on February 22nd (stay tuned for birthday celebration information) and we’re delighted to be serving students in services, programming, scholarships, and events. We were very busy our first fall semester on campus and we’d like to take this time to share with you some glimpses into just what was cookin’ at the WRC.

First and foremost, the Women’s Resources Center is the powerhouse on campus for sexual assault prevention education. We hosted over 200 FYCARE (First Year Campus Acquaintance Rape Education) workshops for freshmen students, led by trained student facilitators on sexual assault and prevention.

The Women’s Resources Center welcomed a new Coordinator of Sexual Assault Education, Jennifer Scott, this past fall and her efforts with classes have been tremendous. We here at the WRC are extremely proud of the strength and energy that Jenn has brought to the program!

The WRC welcomed another new kid to the block, WRC Program Coordinator Rachel Storm. Her work meant the WRC was aflutter with programs and events, including Knit Happens (a bimonthly knitting circle), Writ n’ Rhymed Poetry Open Mic Nights, the Dish It Up Lunch Series, House Concerts, local student art exhibitions, and a documentary film series.

Our Dish It Up Lunch Series featured topics ranging from “Women in the Military”with Srgt. Geri Underwood to “Celebrating Female Sexuality” with McKinley Health Educator Kim Rice. We went from serving lunch to approximately 25 students to over 45 by the end of the semester--a tight but cozy squeeze for our humble center!

A very remarkable accomplishment is our recruiting of over 40 volunteers to help us conduct programs, plan events, and support staff in the office. Our volunteers have taken on projects ranging from organizing the growing WRC library, to the expanding upon the [WRC Clothesline Project via hosting workshops wherein t-shirts can be made documenting personal stories related to gender violence.] We are forever grateful to our amazing WRC volunteers for all their hard work. (Eager to learn more about them? Check out a full list of their names and bios on our website!)

And like with all things, we both celebrate joys and weather our sorrows, this past semester was the last full semester we’d have our secretary, Bethany Socie and our graduate intern, Megan Paceley, working with us full time. Bethany will now be the secretary for the LGBT Resources Center this upcoming February and Megan earned her masters in social work this past December and will no longer be interning with us.

Although we are sad to see them go we are so excited for them to go on and experience new things. We wish Bethany all the best in her new position and are so proud of Megan for her accomplishment, and we collectively shout to her “good luck exploring the infinite abyss!”

It has been a real pleasure working together with students, faculty, and staff this past semester and we’re looking forward to an even more fantastic semester this spring 2010. Welcome to a brand new semester. Please stop on by the Women’s Resources Center, take your coat off, and relax. We are eager to be your home away from home.

Happy New Year,
UIUC Women’s Resources Center

P.S. For more information about the WRC and what’s happening in our space, please take a gander at our:

WRC Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Champaign-IL/University-of-Illinois-Womens-Resources-Center/164120746133?ref=ts
WRC Blog:http://dailydivulgences.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-08-12T08:20:00-07:00&max-results=7

BLOGVOICE: Gender Inequality in Sports

2010-01-29T11:18:00.000-08:00

Gender Inequality in Sports

Jini Hernandez, WRC Intern and Blogger

Over winter break I started to play basketball with my sister. She’s a sophomore on her high school Varsity team and pulls double duty as Captain of the JV team. She has been into basketball since the 6^th grade and practices at least 4 hours a day during the week. Basketball is her life. I’ve always been into athletics but I was specifically trying to get more into basketball since I wanted to support her. This is why we started playing and doing drills at my mom’s school and in our house. A week or so into my break we decided to go to our local public park to practice.

The field house was open but when we asked the guy at the front desk if we could use the gym we were told we couldn’t…because there is only one day a week women could use the basketball courts and that wasn’t the day. I was stunned, I grabbed the facilities schedule and sure enough the days were separated by who could use the gym. Certain days were for tournaments (all male), other days specifically said Men’s Basketball, another day said 5 on 5 teams but then had Men Only written in a column off to the side and then there was one day a week set aside that said co-ed basketball.

The first thing that popped into my mind were the Jim Crow laws of the South, while obviously not as severe I did not expect to see this level of ignorance at a Chicago Park District, a public place that my taxes helped pay for. How is it that no one has noticed or complained about this before? I know a lot of people would probably say "well women don’t play a lot of basketball so it’s not necessary to have anymore co-ed basketball." I dare them to say that to my sister’s face, or better yet her whole varsity team…

I could understand having a time set aside in the gym specifically for men. However, if you are going to do this it is only fair to have the same amount of time set aside for women. Honestly, it surprises me that there aren’t more women fighting for a time on the court specifically for females, simply because it is pretty intimidating to walk onto a male-dominated court and play like you’re no different than they are. So I give my sister and all female basketball players respect for doing that on a daily basis.

I cannot understand how today we still have public facilities like basketball courts separated by gender. I cannot express how angry I was when told, “no you can’t use this court because you’re a woman.” It’s hard for me to think that my sister who has made this sport her life will be denied places to practice because of her gender. I know how hard she practices, and for people to tell her she can’t use the local basketball courts because they don’t think women play ball, they’re not just being sexist they’re denying how hard she’s worked to gain the skills she has. They are denying her passion.

The Women’s Resources Center Wish List

2009-09-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

The Women’s Resources Center Wish List:

Any help in locating these materials will be greatly appreciated by all of us here at the WRC!

Staff & volunteer picture board (cork board?)

Camera (to document programs/events at the WRC)

PA system (for Writ n’ Rhymed Open Mic Nights)

Oreos (for children’s activity)

Big bowls (for food at programs)

Small table with drawers (for the bathroom)

Dishes: plates, cups, utensils (to be more eco-centered)

Drying rack for dishes (to be more eco-centered)

Knitting needles (for Knit Happens)

Baby wipes

Desatin

Small trash can with lid (for diaper disposal)

Art & crafts supplies (for children’s activity)

Construction paper (for children’s activity)

Felt (for children’s activity)

Fabric paint (for our Clothesline Expansion Project)

Blank T-shirts (for our Clothesline Expansion Project)

Internship Opportunity: Women’s Resources Center seeks Graphic Design Intern

2009-09-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

The UIUC Women’s Resources Center, under the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations , is seeking a student with graphic design experience interested in building her/his portfolio through working in creative marketing for our events and programs. Experience with Adobe Photoshop, Publisher, and Dreamweaver preferred. Interested students should contact Rachel Storm, Program Coordinator at the WRC at: rstorm2@illinois.edu and include (as an attachment) two examples of their portfolio work as well as a resume.

Check it out: LGBQQ Women's Therapy Group

2009-08-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer, and Questioning Women’s Therapy Group
This is a therapy group for lesbian, bisexual, queer, and questioning women focusing on the various issues that impact LBQQ women’s lives. The LBQQ Women’s Therapy Group is an opportunity to decrease the alienation and isolation of being a LBQQ woman in a majority heterosexual environment. Whether you’re out to everyone or just to yourself, this group is a safe space to find support and learn more about yourself.

Leaders: Anita Hund & Megan Paceley
Time: Tuesdays 1:00PM-2:30PM

Therapy groups at the counseling center are a form of psychotherapy, focusing on developing insight and behavior change. Five to eight group members meet with one or two group therapists once per week for 1-and-1/2 hours per group session throughout the semester. A "group screening" with the group therapists is scheduled prior to a group member joining. The group will close when there are 8 members.

Open only to UIUC students.

For more information, contact Anita at ahund@illinois.edu or 333-3704 or visit the Counseling Center’s Groups website at http://www.counselingcenter.uiuc.edu/?page id=59.

The IMC's Super Summer Skillshare

2009-08-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hey Daily Divulgences readers,

The IMC (Independent Media Center--located in the old Post Office Building in downtown Urbana) is hosting their own "Super Summer Skillshare" Program, as previously mentioned in an older post! The program offers free lessons from other local "experts" (people like you!) and gives you a unique opportunity to learn something brand new. Click on the picture above to check out their flier and see what's coming up for this weekend!

All the best,
WRC Staff

The WRC presents: 50 Things to Do in C-U

2009-08-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

WRC Challenge: Document yourself doing all 50 of these things and we'll give you a prize!

U-C IMC Skillshare

2009-08-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

U-C IMC Skillshare

Want to receive notification emails of upcoming skillshares? (we won't add you to any other lists), please email community@lists.ucimc.org

IMC Super Summer Saturday Skillshares

The IMC celebrates summer with skillshare events through August, ending with a day-long skillshare extravaganza. Every Saturday in August from 11am-2pm, come learn something new (please bring a snack). We will finish out the summer on Aug 29th, with a full day of skillshare workshops and lunch.

What's a skillshare? It's an space/place where we learn from one another- a place for sharing practical skills to live more happy, creative, and sustainable lives. Learning is plentiful, happens everywhere, and doesn't need to come with price tags or expert degrees. We are all teachers. We are all students. We want to live with enthusiasm, so let us learn with vigor!

Got a skill to share? We need you to support this project by offering up your skills. You don't need to be a seasoned teacher- this informal setting is a great way to share your wealth, and we're available to answer any questions. Sign up by contacting community@lists.ucimc.org or reply to this email for more info!

Skillshare Schedule!

Date: 8/15
Time: 11am-2pm
Location: Stage/Sound Board
Sound System Operation - Rory Durkin
This skillshare will go over the functions and method of operation of the live sound reinforcement system at the UCIMC. This system is similar to those found at concerts, festivals, night clubs, and other live performance environments. We will start with the basics, and hopefully all of those boxes, buttons and knobs will seem a little less mysterious by the end of the session.

Date: 8/15
Time: 11am-2pm
Location: IMC Production Room
Detwelvulate! - Jacob Barton
A tutorial in exploring alternative tuning systems on any musical instrument, by way of playing technique, instrument modification, and even building new instruments. Conceptual tools offered for confronting imperialist Western-music monoculture. Musical experience helpful but not necessary. Bring voices, instruments, and other music-making devices. Detwelvulate!

Date: 8/15
Time: 11am-2:00pm
Location: Sun Room
Alexander Technique - Joe Grohens
The Alexander Technique applies to the problems that come from spending long hours at a desk. And I would talk about how Alexander Technique works - how Alexander Technique practitioners work with their clients, what happens in a session, etc. Please bring a yoga mat if you have one!

Date: 8/22
Time: 11am-2pm
Location: WRFU Studio
WRFU DJ Training - Jacob Barton
Interested in having your own weekly radio show? Or just a one-time fling? Get some hands-on practice using the station equipment.

Date: 8/22
Time: 11am-2pm
Location: TBA
Collage - Rachel Storm (tentative)

Date: 8/22
Time: 11:30am-2pm
Location: TBA
Hopi Technique for Spinal Alignment- Nancy Melin, LMT
Participants will experience and learn to do the Hopi Technique for Spinal Alignment from the Healing Touch program of energy healing by performing it on each other. This technique aids in the relief of back and neck pain, headaches, and other ailments resulting from poor alignment.

Date: 8/29 (Skillshare Day)

Time	Skillshare	Presenter	Description	Location
9-11				Library
9-11				Stage
9-10	Homebrewing Basics	Chris R.	Learn about the basic process of making your own beer at home, how long it takes, costs, and what equipment and ingredients you'll need to get started.	Lounge
10:30	Hopi Technique for Spinal Alignment	Nancy Melin, LMT	Participants will experience and learn to do the Hopi Technique for Spinal Alignment from the Healing Touch program of energy healing by performing it on each other. This technique aids in the relief of back and neck pain, headaches, and other ailments resulting from poor alignment.	Stage
10-11	Vermicomposting	Chris R.	Get started with worm composting! Starting a vermicomposter is an easy way to compost food scraps and recycle shredded junk mail. A great way to get awesome compost for your garden!	Lounge
11-12	Running live sound for concert	Stephen F.		Stage
11-12	A History of Cooperatives in East Central Illinois	Michael Feltes	What do you think of when you hear the word cooperative? Something like Common Ground? Cooperatives take many forms, but are all united by their basic economic structure: businesses begun by a group of interested people where no one person or bloc may hold a majority share of the company, decisions about the business are made as democratically as is practicable, and profits are either reinvested into the business or distributed to the owners. Credit unions are formally organized as cooperatives, as are many of the businesses that support agriculture. Some well known consumer brands are run cooperatively: Ocean Spray, Ace Hardware, and Land o' Lakes, among others. Coops have a long history in East Central Illinois, dating back as least as far as rural electrification in the 1930s. Learn what coops have already done in our home and dream about what they can do going forward.	Family Room
12-1	LUNCH

1-3	Basic Backyard Chicken Care	Maggie T.	Basic chicken care for city dwellers: egg production, feed, coop set-up, space needs, lifespan and if folks are interested butchering information.	Lounge
1-3	Zine Making	Chera K.		Library
1-3	Interview Techniques	Carly N.	Carly share insights about conducting interviews for various media and will use audio and print examples to demonstrate (in her humble opinion) what makes for a great interview and what makes for a bad interview. A how-to guide will be provided.	Production
1-2	Basic Bike Maintenance	Bike Proj. volunteers	The Bike Project's main purpose is skill sharing and its done 5-6 days a week at our volunteer staffed hours. You can find the latest hours listed on the website - www.thebikeproject.org.	Bike Project
3-5	Comic Book Making	Damian Duffy		Library
3-5	*COUCH Orientation Session (Community of Urbana-Champaign Cooperative Housing)*		These workshops will be focused primarily on education for new and returning members of COUCH, the umbrella organization of housing cooperatives in Champaign-Urbana. Everyone is welcome. We'll be focusing primarily on understanding the current structure of COUCH and its partner organizations like NASCO Properties, as well as discussing how to work together democratically to run a household well and resolve the inevitable conflicts that arise in a positive manner.	Stage
3-5	Human Rights: A Tool for Grassroots Organizing and Active Learning.	Vanessa M.	This Skillshare will start with a brief introduction to the Human Rights Mobilization Project, based in Northeast Thailand, and how the project has so far transfered to the grassroots movement opposing mountaintop removal coal mining in Kentucky. We will do a short activity to familiarize ourselves with the United Nation's relatively radical document the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. These first aspects of the Skillshare should serve as a base for us to discuss our opinions on the potential intersections between human rights, education, and grassroots movements and will hopefully inspire us to form a solid working group for applying our ideas to Urbana/Champaign.	Family Room
3-4:30	Recording & Editing Audio	Stephen F.	Learn the basics necessary to produce news content for radio, blogs, and podcasts	Production
4:30-6	Soundbites	Jacob B.	Make a 30-second (anti)commercial for radio airplay. Laptops welcome.	Production



6-8	Socializing

WRC News of Interest:

2009-08-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Daily Divulgences readers,

Here are some news stories that deal with issues related to gender. Please pick and choose some to read through and discuss. Use our comment section to discuss some of the stories that strike you the most. This is a space for dialogue and discussion. Let the critical thinking begin!

With love, the Women's Resources Center

The Story: Offers of help are pouring in for an eight-year-old Liberian girl disowned by her own family in Phoenix, Arizona, after being raped by four boys.

The girl is under the care of the Arizona Child Protective Service (CPS) because her parents said she had shamed them, and they did not want her back.

The Story: Daily News staff writer Rosemary Black discusses the research revealing that the majority of women believe it to be neccessary to take a spouses last name---even in a time of supposed "women's liberation." She questions whether women can be liberated but still expected to take their (hetero relationships only here) names. Read more.

The Story: A Sudanese woman charged with dressing indecently for wearing trousers has been prevented from travelling abroad.

The Story:Women's boxers compete in 13 weight classes at their world championships. If the International Olympic Committee's executive board decides Thursday to add women's boxing to the 2012 Olympic program, they will compete in, at most, five weight classes.

The Story: French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s call this summer to ban b urqas, the full-body covering for Muslim women, has generated much heat but little light. This controversy is just the latest episode in the messier conflict over French identity and social cohesion.

By condemning burqas as a symbol of male oppression, however, Mr. Sarkozy ignored these underlying issues and may end up pushing some women further to the margins of French society.

The Story: A Congolese girl, age 9, details her rape by a Congolese soldier to Sherrlyn Borkgen, a wedding photographer who won the ShootQ Grant, which allows photographers to travel to document a social issue.

The Story: French Muslim woman wearing 'burkini' banned from Paris swimming pool

The Story: Kate, a feminist and eco-friendly fashion designer, has had some recent health problems, which you can read about in detail here — and, being a small business owner, her lack of health insurance has left her pretty broke. But she’s an amazing, motivated woman and she’s pulling through, and trying to raise some funds at her eco-friendly, feminist store, AuH2O

The Story: Venice's first female gondolier pushes off into uncharted waters!

The Story: Sotomayor very excited about her achievement states, "It is this nation's faith in a more perfect union that allows a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx to stand here now," Sotomayor said, a line that drew sustained applause from the appreciative crowd." Read more.

Enjoy, Daily Divulgences Readers!

Jessica Hopper to Visit the WRC!

2009-08-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

WRC Event: Jessica Hopper @ the Women's Resources Center
Noontime, 28th of August (Friday) 2009
Lunch and Chat!

Meet Pete of Campus Anti-War Network

2009-08-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

How was C.A.N. born and how long has it been a part of the UIUC campus?

The question of “when” CAN was born is sort of multifaceted. It is both a national organization and a local one, and while I have been around since the formation of the local chapter, my knowledge of the birth of the national organization, in February 2003 before the war began, is not as solid, so I’ll stick to the story of the local CAN chapter.

CAN started here at U of I in the winter of 2006-2007, when a few members of the International Socialist Organization who had heard of and worked with CAN at other campuses (Marty Smith, a member of the ISO and also Iraq Veterans Against the War, foremost among them) put out a call for the formation of a chapter here, with the short term goal of getting people out to the January 27, 2007 march on Washington DC. We were able to organize a car and van convoy of about 20, 25 people, and marched with the 250,000 estimated people (numbers range from 100,000 to half a million) on the Mall and Congress that Saturday.

From there, our numbers were slightly in flux for the semester, although we had a core of 4 people who met in the second floor of the Undergrad Library. We were an official group, but we didn’t know the importance of many of the resources available to RSOs – such as reserving rooms! We had a slow time building knowledge about us, since we missed the all important Quad Day, and we were getting started in the middle of winter. But that spring, we were able to organize and fill a 50 person bus out to the anniversary protest in DC, which was remarkable considering there were 4 of us (and help from our allies, especially the ISO and the Campus Greens, both of whom we still have good relationships with).

As a side note, nationally CAN had a bit of a rebirth in October 2007. Not to get too bogged down in internal politics, CAN has a national coordinating committee which is intended to oversee the national workings of the group – organizing days of action, putting out press releases, and keeping the chapters in some sort of contact with each other. We’re not a very top down organization, but we do have some infrastructure at the national level. However, in 2006-2007, many of the members of the national coordinating committee graduated or dropped out, and CAN as a national body sort of limped along. Then in October 2007, we had our first National Conference in two years, held in Madison, where we not only elected a new coordinating committee, but also developed a new set of points of unity and generally revitalized the movement in a huge way.

2.) What are the main goals of C.A.N.? Do they change?

CAN has a national points of unity, which are thus:

“The Campus Antiwar Network stands for the immediate withdrawal of all occupation troops and private contractors from both Iraq and Afghanistan.

We demand that the United States government provide economic reparations to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

We also demand full physical and mental health benefits and educational funds for all military personnel regardless of discharge status.

CAN is committed to building a movement based on grassroots, democratic, and independent organizing that actively opposes all forms of racism, Islamophobia, sexism and homophobia.”

Locally, we are also committed to helping the people of Palestine, although there is dissent even in our chapter about the best solution that that particular hotbed of violence – the classic debate over a one-state or two-state solution.

The inclusion of Afghanistan in our points of unity came about this past October (2008) at our National Conference in Chicago, and the Palestine issue was formally adopted by our chapter this past January, although we had long been operating with it as an implied principal.

3.) What was C.A.N.'s greatest accomplishment of 2008 and what do you look forward to this semester?

Well, kicking the CIA off our campus was a big plus. They came to recruit people, and due to the media we were able to bring out – the DI, and maybe a member of the IMC – they canceled their session (due to CIA policy about not holding such a session when there is media around). We’ve picketed CIA events in the past, but this was the first time we were able to get them to leave before they were able to recruit people. It was a contentious victory – I think I was an editorial in the DI over a week after it happened condemning our action – but we stand by our decision to demonstrate outside both CIA and military recruitment efforts, and pass out information that they would probably like to bury under the rug.

For the upcoming semester, I’m not really sure what we have in mind. I know there have been talk of a divestment from Israel campaign in conjunction with Students for Justice in Palestine, but I don’t really know how much work has been done on that. Since we are a very grassroots organization, one thing we like to do is find out from new members at the start of the year what kinds of things they might be interested in working on, and what they think of when it comes to antiwar activism – or activism in general.

4.) What organizations share the C.A.N. mission and what organizations have you subsequently collaborated with in the past on various projects/events?

Locally, we have a ton of amazing ally organization. Members of the International Socialist Organization were the catalyst to founding the local chapter here, and we have a number of members of the ISO also playing roles in CAN – although I should note that we are in no way a socialist organization. The Campus Greens have also been our long-time ally here, and we have a sort of tradition of organizing a protest around the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq in March with the Greens. We’ve also worked well with the Graduate Employee’s Organization, and they’ve helped us out in return. More recently, we have established good relationships with Amnesty International, Four Walls and a Roof. We also have a long-running tradition of working closely with Students for Justice in Palestine, and the Muslim Student and Arab Student Association, although recently we’ve lost some of our key contacts in the latter two organizations due to graduation. We hope in the future to outreach to the various LGBT and Latino groups on campus, and we’ve had some success with the latter in the last few months on campus.

There IS, contrary to what many students might think, a vibrant activist community on campus. The important thing is really to make the kind of personal contacts and relationships it takes to bridge the gap, and get the entire progressive community out to an event. When a coalition of groups this past April held a demonstration in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act and a Vendor Code of Conduct here at U of I, almost the entire core of CAN was at the rally, even though the event was not specifically “antiwar”. We recognize that a united progressive front is necessary, and while we may focus on our own issues, it’s important to help our allies with theirs. That’s why we’ve tried as much as possible to outreach to other groups, get involved with their projects, and get then involved with ours.

5.) Some of us know C.A.N. as the organization that doesn't believe in centralized power? Why is that and what does C.A.N. do to structure itself in place of individual "leadership" positions?

The issue of centralized power and leadership is actually a question that CAN has been juggling for the past year or so. Due to our small size at the start, we never really felt the need for any sort of real, official leadership; we were tight-knit, and able to keep each other responsible. We had the two positions required by the RSO office – President and Treasurer – but the role of “President” was just on paper.

During our second year, we played around with the idea of a steering committee – a few people who would make sure things got done, and while it worked well for some time, eventually it kind of fell apart. However, it wasn’t a hug eblow to the organization from a logistical standpoint. We’ve had some floundering, trying out different techniques, and this winter I think we found a good balance between “leadership” and accountability. We elected people to head up certain areas – such as media or email and web – so there is accountability and so that people can make sure things get done, but without any sort of hierarchical structure; everyone is equal in CAN.

There have been problems with the way CAN has been organized, of course, especially during the semester when we were sorting out different ways to organize ourselves. A few dominant people – myself included – tended to dominate both discussions and also the logistical ends of organizing, which led to a bit of a power consolidation, which we’re working to break away from, by getting people to step up and take on more responsibility, but with the help of those who were doing it before. For example, I used to be the person who sent out emails and reserved rooms, not because I had been elected to that position but because I just did. We changed that, elected someone to do it, and hopefully we’ll continue the trend of teaching newer people the things that older activists take for granted – how to reserve space, how to write a press release, things like that. The important thing it to ensure that the organization can survive the graduation of older members, and continue to thrive.

6.) What campus-specific issues are taken on by C.A.N. in addition to larger anti-war endeavors?

Unfortunately, we haven’t worked incredibly closely with some of the more immediate issues that confront us as students. We’ve helped out the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and Vender Code of Conduct (VCC) people by showing up at their rallies, and we’re often found at other events – especially GEO events. Hopefully, we’ll be able to change that this upcoming semester.

We do take pride in being in close contact with the community group Anti War Anti Racism Effort (AWARE) which meets on Sundays at the IMC, and many of our members have contacts at the IMC, or even volunteer there.

7.) Has any C.A.N. member been arrested in the past? What precautions does C.A.N. take to protect it's members during collective activism or anti-war protests?

From our chapter, no one has been arrested. At the Republican National Convention last September, three members of CAN (two from the east coast and one from Ohio) were arrested, and a number of members, both from our chapter and nationally, engaged in the direct action street protests which the mainstream media described as senseless vandalism and “violent”. Not only were acts of vandalism incredibly rare at RNC, but the only violence was from the police against the peaceful protesters. There more people getting beat or tear gassed by cops there just for taking to the streets outside the officially sanctioned area than we’ve seen in America since the equally brutal RNC protest in New York City in 2004, where people broke free from the “freedom cages” to express their discontent.

A few members have also been arrested in New York for school occupations or lock downs in solidarity with Palestine, although they were working with other groups at the time. However, CAN supported all the actions our members have taken apart in thus far, especially when it comes to taking back our schools through occupations.

Nationally, the issue of tactics at protests is a tricky one. Some people are opposed to “direct action” tactics – that is, anything other than permitted protests. Others in the organization are in favor of a diversity of tactics – the acceptance of both permitted marches and asymmetrical forms of protest, whether it be a banner drop (which we did on May Day here two years ago), an unpermitted march, or a lockdown outside an important location. Our opinion is that our members should do what they feel comfortable doing. At the RNC in September, some of our chapter’s members marched with the CAN contingent in the permitted march, and others risked arrest by engaging in the direct action street protests, but neither begrudged the other group, and both represented CAN exceptionally well – I was, and am, incredibly proud of CAN’s showing at the RNC. Those who do engage in direct actions due tend to try to keep their activities separated from those who don’t feel comfortable with such actions through either a separation of space or of time, in order to make sure everyone feel completely comfortable demonstrating their discontent in their own way. And while it is not required, all of our members practice non-violent forms of protest no matter what they are doing.

8.) When C.A.N. members spend time together outside of meetings, what do you all do together?

What do all college students do? Well, we actually break the mold a little by having banner making get-togethers, and very often politics is the dominant topic, but we party with the best of them when we decide to. We have some people who are very active socially as well as politically, and some people who are there mostly for the politics, and whom we see rarely outside meetings, tabling the Quad, or protests. However, we all get along with each other very well, political differences aside (we pride ourselves of having a pretty broad spectrum of political views, from liberals to lefties, socialists to anti-authoritarians).

9.) You, Pete, are a familiar face at campus protests and anti-war rallies--what keeps you going?

Good question. I really have no idea. There are times when I can get dissuaded and feel kind of burned out – which is an all-too common affliction for many activists – but then we have a really great meeting, or an invigorating protest, and I’m back.

Cory Doctorow wrote, “I think to be an activist, you have to be an optimist and a pessimist. You have to be an optimist in that there are things that you can win and if you do, you’ll get somewhere wonderful -- and a pessimist in that you have to think it’s not a foregone conclusion and you have to fight for it,” and I think that sums up my opinion on the matter pretty well. You can’t let things get you down, and you have to channel the negative energy, all the anger at the current state of the world, into something constructive and positive. Otherwise, there’s just apathy, or worse, a jaded quality that defines many of the Gen Xers who came before us.

Also, I tend to get really stoked by protests, demonstrations, and actions. It focuses my energy and drive, and being in a mass of people, taking to the streets and showing our discontent at the shape of the world, our determination even in the face of repression, and defiance of the status quo, it really gives me energy and drive. I may be physically exhausted after marching for hours, but I am completely rejuvenated mentally, spiritually.

10.) Some say traditional modes of protest no longer resonate with America (since some consider the protests of the 60s and 70s to have failed). Do you agree? Where do you see the future of anti-war activism?

In a sense, those people are right – we’re never going to have the same numbers we had then, but it’s not because people don’t care. There are many more outlets people have now, many more chances to be activists – online petitions are now a dime a dozen, and they allow people to let their voices be heard while also not being too involved. It remains to be seen just how effective such petitions are, but I do think that they are an important new part to the landscape of activism.

As for critics who claims that the protests in the 60s and 70s failed, I would have them revisit history. We pulled out of Vietnam due in large part to the massive protests, the total abandonment of the war by a large and important part of the citizenry – those who were being enlisted or drafted to fight it.

But protest in and of itself cannot make change. It takes a multifront effort, both in the streets and in the halls of Washington, and using all the nonviolent tactics we have at our disposal, in order to enact change. Politicians are not deaf to their constituency, but they are also not blind to the money of the lobbyists. We need to make sure that our collective voice is louder than the money of the vested interests. Protests are a vital way to do that, but they should not be the only way to do it.

I think that President Obama did a fantastic job of energizing and empowering the people who support him, but his supporters cannot allow him to rest on his laurels. We must constantly push Obama – provide the constructive criticism he needs to be able to say that he has a mandate from the people to end the wars, provide single payer healthcare, stand up for workers rights, the rights of women, of the LGBT community, and of undocumented immigrants. THAT is why protest will continue to matter in the 21st century.

Any final thoughts?

Well, people might get discouraged that we are NOT in the environment of the 1960s, and they might think that they cannot change the world. I think that with the world in the shape that it’s in – especially regarding the environment – that the sort of individualistic apathy of the 1980s and 1990s – the Gen X mentality – is increasingly anachronistic. We are going to have to start thinking beyond ourselves, whether it be by creating strong community based efforts or large national or international movements dedicated to fighting for people’s rights, health, safety, and prosperity. We will be struggling against both those who cleave to a short-sighted view of the world – the get rich quick mentality which arguably caused a large part of the current economic crisis – and against the apathy or objectivist mindsets of many people who ask either “What’s in it for me?” or “Why does it even matter?” We need to help people achieve a sense of empowerment, and an altruistic mindset allowing them to look beyond their own small world and tackle, as individuals, collectives, or organization, the problems in the world.

Student Spotlight: Kaytlin Reedy

2009-08-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

Kaytlin, what are you majoring in and what brings you to that major?

K: I'm majoring in Psych and Gender and Women's Studies...I'm in psych because that's what I came into college KNOWING that I wanted to help people and by the time I realized that I could major in Gender and Women's Studies and do the same thing, I had 3 classes left to take to finish it. GWS was another story - I kind of stumbled upon it by taking a class here and there and having a cross-curriculum teacher here and there (like Karen Flynn who taught one of my psych classes but also teaches GWS classes). I was already really passionate about sexual assault education so it seemed to fit really well. And hopefully I'll be able to use both majors in social work/sexual health education.

What else takes up your time during the school year?

K: Now that the women's resource center is established, I have loads of free time. Not really, but it seems like it. I am also a First Year Campus Acquaintance Rape Education (FYCARE) facilitator - which is run out of the WRC and I was (and hope to be again) a part of the Vagina Monologues. I also try to support groups like MASV and Greek WRITES. And I work in a lab researching Domestic violence. Outside of these heavy issues, I also teach LAS 100 classes, which are orientation classes for freshman.

With school just beginning, tell us what you did this past summer.

K: This summer, I was “support and gear” for my best friend who rode his bicycle from Southern Illinois to Colorado which entailed camping for 21 days with 2 boys. I also got my wisdom teeth removed - which is always a good time. Other than that, I just hung around Chambana going from the Women's Center to the Psych building.

As an employee of the UIUC Women's Center and the activist leader in the fight for its founding, what is your favorite thing about our new Center and what do you hope to see there this year?

K: What I love about the Women's Center is having a place on campus I know I can go and see a friendly face (like Bethany, Pat, or Rachel) and also knowing that I can get homework done there because it's generally pretty quiet. This year, I hope that more people utilize the space. This past semester was pretty slow because it was brand new and a lot of people still didn't really know it was there, but hopefully with some awesome programming and more awareness of its location (thanks hopefully to Cocomero) we'll see some more traffic.

Favorite spot to study on campus. Go!

K: The Women’s Resources Center by far!

...favorite spot to not study on campus. Go!
K: Also women's center but also I love the Quad either at night or on a sunny day when people have their puppies out… mostly because I can't have a puppy!

What are some issues facing students on and off campus that you are most passionate about?

K: Violence against women...of course. but also racism is a huge issue for me. it's an issue I wish I were more involved in on campus because it is such a huge issue both on and off campus but alas!

What publications do you read regularly?

K: I'm a huge fan of Bitch magazine and BUST and I catch my news on cnn.com. Other than that, my reading is pretty reserved for class readings and feminist-y novels and memoirs.

What words do you live by?

K: Maybe these aren't really words that I live by, but everyday I ask myself if I've laughed and if I've made someone smile. If I haven't then I try to make that my goal. I tend to define success as being able to laugh myself to tears at least once a day. I haven't quite gotten there yet, but hey, who's really successful at 21? Most people are just on their way to success and that's where I am, too!

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Book Review: A Woman’s World

2009-08-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

In five years, equipped with a pair of scissors and a bottle of glue, collage artist and writer Graham Rawle artfully pieced together Woman’s World by “stitching” together over 40,000 tiny fragments of text from a pile of women’s magazines from the 1960s in order to introduce readers to Roy Little and his sister Norma Fontaine, a woman whose femininity has been almost entirely constructed out of the dish soap words and images she encounters in the popular women’s magazines of her day.

Having written the story he’d wanted to tell in a Word document, Rawle allowed the magazine clippings to give it new life and the result is a long and intoxicating mix of cutesy feminine ideals and an increasingly sinister secret. This ransom-note, eye-candy of a novel is seemingly from another planet and the mixed fonts, tiny pictures, and various sizes of text (often used to add emphasis to a particular word, such as “woman,” which is always emphasized in one way or another) refuse to be ignored.

Rawle’s genius is typified as it becomes apparent that format and fiction are mirror-images of one another in Woman’s World, and readers slowly come to understand that the oddly housebound Norma Fontaine isn’t quite the fashion-forward cover-girl she appears to be, but the cross-dressing alter ego of her ‘brother,’ Roy, and a product of his own obsession with the femininity propagated by the very same publications that Rawle uses to give her story life. In our contemporary world peppered with tanning beds and breast implants, Norma’s struggle to be the perfect woman isn’t trans-specific at all, but rather a satirical look into productions of femininity everywhere. Norma is a troubled actor, center-stage in the daily performance of her own “authenticity,” whether she’s window shopping or dusting:

“…it was difficult to concentrate on the job at hand, being all too aware that anyone passing by on the street would probably catch sight of my legs perfectly framed in the window. I couldn’t be sure, with my head right up against the ceiling, but I judged I was at about the right height to create the image of a stylish young woman, as seen from the waist down, like an advert for a skirt in a mail order catalogue.”

As the story progresses almost kitschy soap opera style drama ensues as Roy struggles to keep Norma out of his love affair with post office worker, Eve. Roy and Norma’s daily lives weave in and out, and although most strangers seem to take Norma for some kind of circus-freak, she attracts the unwelcomed attention of “photographer” Mr. Hands, who attempts to sexually assault her during an alleged photo shoot. The novel takes a ghastly turn when Norma, struggling to resist the rape, cuffs her aggressor with the pointed heel of her stiletto, leaving him a motionless pile on the floor. Rawle’s one part murder-mystery, one part cultural critique never loses its ability to impress—the literary maturity, the dark themes, the silly language all mix together in a perfectly maniacal cocktail of surreal taste:

“I don’t know how long I stood there. My brain had dislodged itself and become a slice of peach slithering about on a spoon. I screwed up my eyes and tried to breathe steadily. A rushing sound in my ears swelled into a mighty roar, like all the winds of the world blowing through my head in one gigantic hurricane.”

I can’t, myself, imagine another crossroads of art and writing quite like this one. Reading the quilted prose of Woman’s World left me in a state of awe and unlike anything else I’ve ever laid eyes on, as the characters in this novel are brought to life, so too is the author himself—the reader can picture him, hunched over his cluttered desk, picking the glue from his fingers and bandaging the papercuts, as he and Roy both created Norma, “a spring lamb taking its first confident steps, with a hop and two skips, […] on top of the world, armed with [her] feather duster, looking down on all creation.”

Reviewed by Rachel Storm, WRC Program Coordinator and Editor

[Note: This review was first published on "The Front Table" the book review blog belonging to Seminary Co-Op Bookstore in Chicago.]

Honoring Our Native Hosts

2009-08-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

As some of you may already know, there has been an art installation called “Beyond the Chief” on Nevada St. by artist and University of Oklahoma professor, Edgar Heap of Birds. The installation, comprised of metal signs that read the names of the native tribes that once called these lands their homes, became the target of several acts of vandalism during the past six months.

On Saturday, June 13th, the Ho-Chunk and Peoria signs were stolen by Mark Nepperman, a May graduate of fine and applied arts. Nepperman asserted that he’d made a poor decision, but that the vandalism was not a “hate crime.” Whatever the case may be, it is hard to turn our eyes away from the ways in which communities of color on this campus continue to be marginalized.

We at the Women’s Resources Center condemn this act and all other acts of vandalism that “Beyond the Chief” has endured. We see the struggle to overcome racism on campus as a integral part of our own Center’s mission and will continue to work to raise student consciousness of the issues faced by our brothers and sisters in this community. We stand in solidarity

Welcome, Bienvendido, Willkommen!

2009-08-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another year at the University of Illinois! What you’re reading is a brand-spankin’-new publication put out by our UIUC Women’s Resources Center, which was born last February, located at the corner of Green and Wright St., on the 2nd floor of the Freestar Bank. Of course, this means we’re also conveniently located next to C-U’s latest dairy craze, Cocomero. So, grab a yogurt and come visit us!

The Women’s Resources Center, like most all cultural houses on campus, is a home to everyone. We have big plans for this year (especially being that it is our first full year on campus) and hope that you’ll get involved in making the Center the site of some of campus’ greatest events, art shows, discussions and activism. How do I get involved, you ask? Why, keep a firm grip on this newsletter (or, if you’re reading it online, bookmark that thing, fast!) because this is your window to our WRC world.

The WRC is a wireless hot spot on campus and a place for you to hang out and enjoy good conversation and feisty events. And the Center isn’t just for women, no sir. The Center is a place for people of all genders and we’re dedicated to making it a safe space for everyone. So, come on by and hang out with the volunteers, the staff, and students!