2008 Woodie Awards
NT group shares opinions on equality
Emily McGuire
Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE
|
The forum, hosted by the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, is a place where vice president Brit Schulte said everyone is accepted.
"We strive for equality between everyone," the art history and literature junior said. "We're a safe place, and we just want to present an open forum and for everybody to bring their experiences to the table."
The group continually strives toward complete and total equality for everyone through hosting events to raise money for the causes that members are passionate about to promote education and help fellow women in need.
During October's Love Your Body Day, the members of the organization dressed in revealing clothes in an effort to get women to love their bodies, no matter what their size.
"When you don't like how you look, you have a hard time to view that you're worthy of the things you want," said Ashley Hardinger, an undecided freshman and copresident of the club. "So many women are inhibited by how they view themselves, they're too scared to stand up and state what they want."
Every year, the club puts on a Vagina Monologues production to help stop violence against women and raise awareness. The Vagina Monologues are Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 of every year.
The club proclaims that Feb. 14 is no longer Valentines Day, but "V Day."
"We're reclaiming that day for women and to stop violence," Schulte said.
The spotlight charity this year helps the tens of thousands of women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo who have been raped and mutilated by foreign militia and the Congolese army since war broke out there in 1998.
The organization is hosting Africa Goes Acoustic at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 at Art Six with acoustic music and slam poetry to help benefit the women of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The group also works to make sure that women remain informed about their options and aren't given inaccurate information. Several of the members have their own pet charities, such as Campaign for Exposing Clinics, which exposes fake clinics and crisis centers, and organizations like Friends of the Family.
"I believe in education, equality in education, and everyone getting the correct information and education," said Erin Pack-Jordan, a graduate student in secondary education and copresident of the organization. "I think that empowers people a lot."
The group will host an open forum called "Our Combined Struggle" with the Young Democratic Socialists at 7 p.m. Nov. 20 in Wooten Hall.
The group will also host a benefit Dec. 12 at Rubber Gloves with bands Fire Nation, A Man Damn and Ella Minnow to help raise money for the Texas Equal Access Fund, which helps impoverished women pay for reproductive medical services.
Be the first to comment on this story