FEMMY for Ms. Congeniality: Kutztown FMLA

For their consistent commitment to serving the Kutztown community and women across Pennsylvania, the FEMMY for "Ms. Congeniality" goes to Kutztown University's Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance.

Before 2008, I didn't know Kutztown, PA existed. Then when I joined FMF 2 years ago as a national campus organizer, our president Ellie was quick to sing the praises of the Kutztown University FMLA.

KU is a medium sized public university about an hour from Philly and Harrisburg. Ellie likes to emphasize Kutztown's roots as a teachers college - an empowering place for feminists to learn and change the world.

The FMLA, led by junior Caitlin Smith, is unabashedly political and does great work advocating for women on campus and in the community year after year. Caitlin, Jesse, and all of the FMLAers are the next generation of leaders for the feminist movement, and I know they will be lifelong activists from whom we can expect big things.

Their list of accomplishments is too long to list - the abridged version includes...

• Bringing iconic feminist Gloria Steinem to campus
• Successfully petitioning the campus president to reinstate sexual orientation in the campus nondiscrimination policy
• Contacting their senators to advocate for health care insurance reform
• Sending a delegation of 8 students to FMF's National Young Feminist Leadership Conference
  
• Pay equity bake sales
• Earth Day festivities
• Take Back the Night & Clothesline Project
• Vagina Monologues
  
• Love Your Body Day bra sizing, tshirts and posters
  
• and much more!

It's been my privilege to work with the FMLA, and I can't wait to see the things they'll accomplish next.

This article was featured in our May 2010 monthly Choices eZine. Sign up for our alerts to stay up-to-date with the latest feminist news and to receive the monthly eZine.

FEMMY for Chicago-area Feminist Alliance!

When I came to FMF two years ago and found out I'd be organizing a group of states in this ethereal region called "the Midwest" on account of my Oklahoma roots, I had to laugh - though I did, indeed, spend 18 years in the Sooner State, the rest of the states on my list - Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana - I could identify on a map, and that was about it.

As I have gotten to know and traveled through the Midwest, with its different political climates and cultural sentiments, I've had the privilege of meeting some of the most incredible feminists the region has to offer. This last Spring, I traveled to the Chicago area, and I was really inspired by the feminist groups I met with there.

Particularly wonderful to see was groups that are taking it upon themselves not only to do a fantastic job with activism on campus, but to reach beyond them into the greater Chicago-area community itself. They're also in the beginning stages of reaching out to each other to form a Chicago-wide alliance of feminist student groups to co-host events, share knowledge, and learn from each other. Super cool!

Here at FMF, we love seeing activists work together to keep from reinventing the wheel each time, so for my FEMMY, I'd like to briefly acknowledge some of the fantastic feminist activists in the Chicago area that are reaching out to each other and the community to work smarter, not harder!

Feminists United at the University of Illinois Chicago - This group, a soon-to-be affiliate (yay!) of FMF's campus program, is living proof that activist groups can redefine their presence on campus! When I met with Jenna Andriano, the leader of the group, in February, I was really impressed with their motivation and desire to ramp up their activism and solidify a relationship with FMF. Though I've only been in touch with this group for a few months, I've been impressed with them already!

The Feminist Collective at Northeastern Illinois University - What an amazing group of women! Though they face some challenges making a name for themselves on a mostly commuter-based campus, these folks have proved that activism can find a home anywhere. Bolstered by support from the Women's Studies department on campus, one of the coolest things about this affiliated group is that they don't limit themselves to on-campus activism. They also actively seek partnerships in the community and are really trying to get the aforementioned Chicago-wide feminist-student-group alliance up and running.

Feminists United at Roosevelt University - Another group that I met with during the Chicago trip, this group is so fantastic! FU won Student Organization of the year at RU in 2009 - how awesome is that? One of the co-leaders, Haley Leibovitz, deserves some special props for her devotion to community involvement. Much like the NEIU folks, this group is bound and determined to not just make a difference on their campus, but in the wider community as a whole, and I applaud them for being so devoted.

Thank you, Chicago feminists, for being so fierce! You definitely deserve this FEMMY!

This article was featured in our May 2010 monthly Choices eZine. Sign up for our alerts to stay up-to-date with the latest feminist news and to receive the monthly eZine.

FEMMY for Cal Poly Pomona's Female Sexualty Society

The Femmy for Best Fight Against a CPC goes to the Female Sexuality Society at Cal Poly Pomona!!

After finding that Cal Poly Pomona was renting out office space to a Crisis Pregnancy Center located across the street from a student dorm, the Female Sexuality Society was determined to kick them off school property.

Led by Jackie Lara, the group began to make a plan of action to expose this fake clinic (misleadingly named "Women's Pregnancy Center"). They were going to find out what kind of information this CPC was telling people; bring attention to the CPC by informing the students about what a CPC is; and talk to the administration about shutting the CPC down, or in the very least have "truth in advertising" policy that required the CPC to provide disclaimers about the services they do not provide.

At a health fair in the dorms, Female Sexuality Society encountered a representative from the CPC on campus property. “[She told me] the ‘truth’ about abortion and the various complications which are ‘always’ associated with them,” Jackie said. They knew then that this was issue that affected the health and well-being of the students at Cal Poly Pomona.

After much hard work with tabling, informing students, getting coverage for their story on the Ms. Blog, Choices blog, and Change.org, and writing letters to the administration, the school finally listened. They said that they would not be renewing the CPCs lease next year. What a victory! Great work Jackie Lara and Cal Poly Pomona! You deserve your FEMMY!

This article was featured in our May 2010 monthly Choices eZine. Sign up for our alerts to stay up-to-date with the latest feminist news and to receive the monthly eZine.

FEMMY for Christy Koester, President, Making Waves

Christy Koester is busy. Really busy. Like many student leaders, Christy manages to juggle projects like a magician -- balancing classes, work, student activities and motherhood every day. When the second leader for Making Waves, an affiliate of FMF's Choices Campus Leadership Program, stepped down last Fall to focus on class and work, an unlikely leader arose. Since becoming President last Spring, Christy has worked tirelessly to give a face and voice (and to find more voices) for feminist activism in a challenging campus environment at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

When did you discover feminism?

I honestly think the first time I encountered feminism was while watching "Saved By The Bell" when I was young. It is silly but TRUE! The character Jessie was always correcting the men around her when they would call women "chicks" or "babes." I adopted her attitude quickly and began to do the same thing myself. I believe feminism has always been a part of me, however being from a small town I had never even really heard the term until college. Years later when I ended up at SIUE one of the first courses I took was Issues in Feminism. There has been no stopping me ever since!

What inspired you to become a leader of Making Waves?

I wanted this group to thrive. For some reason others before me had a tough time making it happen. When I was offered the position I took it over with a knot in my stomach but I ran with it and I am so glad I did.


You seem to have an endless amount of energy. How do you juggle school, Making Waves and motherhood? Are they all connected in some way?

LOL! I have energy? Thanks for letting me know because I am exhausted all the time! Juggling everything has been so difficult but they are definitely connected! I find ways to involve my daughter in the things I am doing and everyone in the group loves her very much, we are like a little feminist family in a way. As an English major I am regularly able to find ways to express my feminist views through the literature and poetry we discuss in class and since I am a Women's Studies minor and work for the Women's Studies and Sociology departments on campus I am able to be involved a little more smoothly.

How would you describe the role of Making Waves at SIUE?

I believe our goal in the past has been to grow while promoting love and activism concerning women's issues. I believe in the future we will continue these goals but will also strive to educate ourselves and the campus about the issues both locally and globally still effecting us today.

What were your greatest accomplishments this year?

Love Your Body Day is always fun. We handed out mirrors this year and told women to "look and see how beautiful you are!" We also finally found a fundraiser to make some money for our group. We had a very large used books sale and made $658! We now have funds to do even more amazing things next year! Our biggest events by far though have been the VDAY events. We just finished The Vagina Monolgues this weekend and it seems we have raised over $1000 for our charities, including VDAY.org, A Call for Help, Oasis Women's Center, and Phoenix Women's Center that will help local women in need.

What were your greatest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Our greatest challenge has been keeping a steady membership base. People get busy and fall off the map but we continue to push forward hoping to keep people interested.

Now that the group has found its footing, what do wish for MW next year?

Making Waves will have The Vagina Monologues in the Spring but we will also bring in some speakers and performers to get more student attention to women's issues on campus. We have also discussed a "gender bending" calender, that challenges societies expected gender roles (men in the kitchen, women working on cars, etc...) as a fundraiser :) Another thing we hope to accomplish this year is volunteering at our local shelters. We really want to be more involved now that we are more stable.

Christy is a senior at Southern Illinois State University Edwardsville studying English and Women's Studies.

This article was featured in our May 2010 monthly Choices eZine. Sign up for our alerts to stay up-to-date with the latest feminist news and to receive the monthly eZine.

FEMMY For The Survivors! Montevallo's Feminist Majority

Many people may not have ever heard of the University of Montevallo in Alabama, and if they did, they would easily assume that this university in a small southern town is far from showing its hospitality to its friendly progressive feminists. But in the depths of southern conservatism lies the mighty force of feminist power. And in University of Montevallo's case, the student-led, Montevallo's Feminist Majority is alive and well, ready to stomp out patriarchy in every corner of the campus community.

The group began in 2005 becoming very active and organized around issues of violence against women, reproductive rights, and dispelling the misconceptions about what it means to be a feminist. Unfortunately, not too long after their launch, they struggled with retaining and recruiting members, fundraising, and developing action ideas that went beyond awareness-rising. These difficulties led the group to become inactive for some time.

Now, under the leadership of Emily Salinas and Chris West, the organization has surged in its membership and captured the attention of its campus media. Over the past year, they've consistently urged the administration to develop a comprehensive sexual assault policy and is currently proposing a sexual assault victims advocate & peer education program. Additionally, FM members volunteer several Saturdays out of the month escorting women entering the New Women All Women clinic in downtown Birmingham.

Last March, FM members drove over 12 hours to Washington D.C. to be represented as part of a southern contingent for the Feminist Majority Foundation's annual National Young Feminist Leadership Conference. Not only did they learn a lot, but they took back with them some very valuable connections.

I'm truly looking forward to see what else is in store for this phenomenal group. Congratulations to the Montevallo's Feminist Majority! You get the FEMMY for being survivors and reviving the legacy of your powerful organization.

Keep that feminist fire burning!

This article was featured in our May 2010 monthly Choices eZine. Sign up for our alerts to stay up-to-date with the latest feminist news and to receive the monthly eZine.