Women Center: WCU: Calendar

♀♀♀ WCU Women's Center Calendar March & April 2008♀♀♀
All programs are in the women’s center, 2nd floor Lawrence, unless otherwise indicated.
Interested in a Women’s Center program but unable to attend? We are happy to provide information one to one or organize a special program for your group or organization. All programs in Lawrence 220 (The Women’s Center) unless otherwise indicated.
Whatever you do this spring, don’t miss Lunafest on March 23 and 25!!!!!

M. Mar. 3	Safe and Superb Spring Break 6pm
M. Mar. 17	What’s at the End of Your Rainbow 6pm
W. Mar. 19	Belated Celebration Of International Women’s Day 1pm
Sun. Mar. 23	Lunafest Breast Cancer Benefit Film Festival, 2-4pm Sykes Theater, reception to follow; tickets at the door or in advance, Sykes ticket window or 610 435 2266, $3 w/ any student ID, $5 all others; see p. 2 for info about a special opportunity for student groups purchasing blocks of ten tickets.
M. Mar. 24	Menstrual Monday 6pm
Tu Mar. 25	Lunafest Breast Cancer Benefit Film Festival, 7:30pm Schmucker 190, tickets at the door or in advance, Sykes ticket window or 610 435 2266, $3 w/ any student ID, $5 all others; special opportunity for student groups purchasing blocks of ten tickets (p. 2).
Th. Mar. 27	Vote Run Lead: expanding women’s involvement in the political realm 12:30&2pm
M. Mar. 31	When You Least Expect It 6pm
M. Apr. 7	Supporting a Survivor You Know 6pm Discussion and opportunity to make a T-shirt for the Clothesline Project for yourself or someone you know (see below)
M. Apr. 14	Clothesline Project 10am -4pm location TBA
M. Apr. 14	Conversations in Color - a facilitated conversation focusing on lowering barriers and building connections among women of all colors 6pm
Tu Apr. 15	Clothesline Project 10am -4pm location TBA
W. Apr. 16	Speaking Up about Peer Harassment 12 noon
W. Apr. 16	Take Back the Night Rally & March challenging violence against women 7:00pm, location TBA
M. Apr, 21	Savvy Travel Tips for Women 6pm
M. Apr. 38	Women’s Center Pleasure Hour Returns 6pm

What better way to celebrate Women’s History Month than by coming to Lunafest where you will enjoy the 2007-2008 award winning short films by, for, and about women and also contribute to two great beneficiaries, the Breast Cancer Fund and Chester County Fund for Women and Girls. Plus you get a free Lunabar!! On Sunday after the films we will enjoy a reception where we can visit and talk about the films. What fun!!!

The Clothesline Project: Mon. & Tues. Apr. 14 &15
Take Back the Night: Wed. Apr. 16

Help us to reject and prevent violence.

The Clothesline consists of various colored T-shirts representing many different violent crimes committed against women. If you, or any woman that you know, has been a victim or survivor of a violent crime, and you would like to design a shirt in your/her honor/memory, we encourage you to contact the Women’s Center. T-shirts can be created with complete confidentiality. T-shirts will be displayed from 11-4 both days. Location for the T-shirt display will be either in Sykes or the Academic Quad depending upon the weather. We always need extra hands to help put up and take down the shirts and also folks just to be there as monitors and provide information and supportive presence for those viewing the shirts.
Take Back the Night will begin at 7:00pm on 4/16, location TBA with speakers from campus and the community. We will march through campus and into town and will conclude with a vigil and a “speakout” where those who feel the desire to “break their silence” will be given the opportunity to do so.
Details on these events and volunteering are available at the Women’s Center, 2nd floor Lawrence Center—610 436-2122 or e-mail to the center’s director, Robin Garrett rgarrett@wcupa.edu
**** A good way to get connected into these events is come to a Women’s Center Club meeting any Monday in March and early Apr. at 6:00pm.

Special Lunafest Opportunity for Student Groups
Purchase a block of ten tickets in advance for Lunafest; bring the receipt along when you come to see the films and be entered in a drawing for a $50 donation to your group’s budget. Any student group or organization qualifies (ex: residence halls, student organizations, athletic and intramural teams, clubs and so on).

From the director:
            Ah yes, March, Women’s History Month….. When it comes to equality for women, much has been accomplished in the last century and a half. The first wave of the modern women’s movement brought advances, such as the right to vote and to own property separate from one’s husband if a woman chose to marry. The second wave brought other advances, such as avenues for legal redress from sex discrimination in education and the workplace and the recognition of marital rape. So much progress has been made that some people believe sexism is a thing of the past. If that’s what you think, think again. We live in a time of increased understanding about how women and men both are constricted by rigid definitions of acceptable gender roles. One good way to learn more about sexism, past and present, is to take courses in women’s studies. Another is to visit websites such as:
www.understandingprejudice.org/links/sexism.htm
Other websites you may find helpful related to women’s, men’s and gender issues: www.endabuse.org       www.adiosbarbie.com   http://www.mrcforchange.org/
I encourage you to learn on your own and talk with others about the nature of sexism today both in our nation and the world as a whole. Important aspects to think about include internalized sexism and how sexism links up with other members of the “ism” family like racism, heterosexism, looksism, classism, ableism and so on. If you can’t find anyone in your circle of friends and acquaintances to share meaningful conversations on these topics, come by the women’s center, 2nd floor of Lawrence. Good conversation guaranteed.
            Keep thinking, keep talking, and keep growing!!

Robin Garrett,

The Women's Center offers assistance, resources and information on issues and concerns such as relationship problems, sexual assault, sex harassment, and empowerment of women for both traditional age and returning women students.
We offer programs on many of topics, both fun and serious, and are eager to develop new programs of interest, so we welcome your suggestions.
Volunteer, internship and practicum opportunities are available. Call us at 610-436-2122, drop by the 2nd floor of Lawrence to find out more, or e-mail to rgarrett@wcupa.edu.

Annual State System Undergraduate Women’s Summer Leadership Institute
Sunday, June 15-Friday, June 20,2008

Each summer two or three carefully selected women students from WCU join other students from around the state system for a wonderful, free, weeklong leadership-training institute. Each year our students return enthusiastic and excited about the experiences they had. The application process is not difficult.
Who should apply: Any sophomore or junior undergraduate woman with a 2.50 GPA interested in further developing her leadership abilities. Applications are due Fri., Mar. 28 and are available in room 238 Sykes or by e-mail from Robin Garrett, rgarrett@wcupa.edu. Still have questions? Get in touch with Charlie Warner, 610-436-2117

An exciting opportunity for
volunteer training & academic credit
WCU is again offering a course this summer in victim advocacy. The Nursing Dept., with the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County is offering a one week course for three credits during the August post session. The course will provide introductory training for anyone wishing to work with victims of family violence and specifically to volunteer with DVC.
This course is open to any student and will be especially useful for anyone in any area of the helping professions with majors such as social work, nursing, criminal justice, health, psychology and education. It will provide a useful foundation for anyone wishing to volunteer or intern with the Chester County DVC.
The course is listed on MyWCU under Nursing as: Topics in Nursing: Domestic Violence Victim Advocacy, NSG318 sec 40
(satisfies the nursing elective and is cross listed with women’s studies)

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If we wait until we are unafraid to speak, we will be speaking from our graves. - - Audré Lord

The trouble with the rate race is that even if you win, you are still a rat. - - Lily Tomlin

Ugly is irrelevant. It is an immeasurable insult to a woman, and then supposedly the worst crime you can commit as a woman. But ugly, as with beautiful, is an illusion. - - Margaret Cho

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

- Eleanor Roosevelt