Environmental Scavenger Hunt

For the environmental scavenger hunt I decided to find out what my ecological footprint is. In other words, how many planet Earths is required to provide myself with the resources I use every day.

The ecological footprint required some information about my everyday life. Things like, how much processed foods do I eat every day, how often I use public transportation, how often I drive a car, and how much waste I create.

I was surprised to find out that if everyone lived like myself, it would take 6 planet earths to provide enough resources for everyone!  Additionally, to support my lifestyle it takes 26.8 global acres of Earth’s productive area. That is 30.4 tons of carbon dioxide.

I was very surprised to find out how wasteful I am. I thought I was an incredible earth conscious individual, and someone who values the environment. If I use 6 planet earths with my waste, I cannot imagine how many planet earths wasteful people use.  After doing the footprint test I will definitely try and be conservative with my waste, and be even more conscious about how I use the environment.

Ecofeminism stresses the important connection between women and the environment. Feminists care deeply about the environment, because the environment directly affects the lives and health of women. The exploitation of the environment is connected to the exploitation and abuse of women. There is a shared view that believes that the oppression of nature’s natural resources and the oppression of women have commonalities linked through patriarchy. Women play a very important and crucial role in the management of the environment. When women are ignored the environment gets ignored too.  If there is pollution of reproductive toxins that endanger a women’s ability to have children this is of concern to feminists. being of women, and feminists care about the environment because women depend on the environment.  

Election Day Campus Engagement

I was so excited to be voting in my first election, but I realized that I would have to vote absentee because I am living away from home. A few weeks before the election I sent my ballot in, and realized that November 6 would be a very anticlimactic day for me. I would not be voting, and I would not receive an “I Voted” sticker. Fortunately however, because class was canceled I got to volunteer at the polls. I have been doing service-learning work with VOX throughout the semester, specifically encouraging people to vote No on Amendment 6.

Election day was a little different than what normally happens when people volunteer to work for the No On 6 Campaign. I was stationed at the arena on campus and was first asked to hand out literature to voters on the dangers about Amendment 6. The line to vote on campus was hours long, and students who wanted to vote waited for hours and hours in order to vote.

I walked up and down the line many time handing out pamphlets and answering questions about the amendment.

Voters waited patiently to vote in the heat, and became restless and uncomfortable. There was a DJ on site playing music to excite voters and keep them entertained. We knew that these voters needed to be excited so we grabbed some posters and began dancing to enthuse bored voters.

It was really fun and I felt that we were making a difference and encouraging students to keep voting was really important. I was really impressed by all of the students who voted, and chose to stay in hour-long lines to choose the next President of the United States.

Even though I did not get to vote on Election Day, I still feel like I made a difference. Keeping young voters informed and excited was a key part in this election and it made all the difference, and No On 6 was a success! 

Service Learning Post #2

Activism:  On Tuesday night we had a VOX meeting to discuss what we should be doing during election month. This is a really exciting time to be apart of VOX considering the Presidential election is in less than a week, and women’s health is such an important part of this election. On the ballot will be Amendment 6; an amendment that will allow politicians in Tallahassee to interfere with personal health decisions that a women makes with her family and her doctor. If a pregnant women’s health was at risk, Amendment 6 could ban insurance companies from covering the cost of medical coverage to end the pregnancy. Additionally, Amendment 6 could leave a women and her family in dire economic conditions if her medical insurance refuses care for her during her pregnancy.

            At the VOX meeting we discussed that it is important to continue our phone banking efforts, create posters, and hand out flyers that advertise the dangers of Amendment 6. We also discussed the magnitude of this election for women and how important it is that everyone votes. In an effort to get more students to the polls we will be bussing students from campus to specific voting locations so students do not have to find rides, or worry about transportation to and from the polls.

Reflection: VOX and the No On 6 Campaign have stressed the importance of defeating Amendment 6 on Election Day.  Amendment 6 could keep women from the health care that they need in order for them to have a healthy and successful personal and professional life. A women’s economic viability is vital to her personal and professional successes. “Several factors have made a imperative that more and more women are income earners. Rents and housing payment, medical insurance, and the cost of college tuition, for example, have increased…Juggling the conflicting demands of paid work and family responsibility is a defining life experience for many women (Making a Home, Making a Living 306)”. If a woman is forced into motherhood her economic status will ultimately suffer, and for many women this can lead to poverty or other negative socioeconomic consequences. In this difficult economy it has become even more important for a women to have an income. It is important that a woman have reproductive autonomy for her economical and professional life. Amendment 6 is dangerous and could take these important decisions away from a woman and her family, therefore making more women vulnerable to poverty and the inability to reach her own personal success. “Even with a college education, however, and equivalent work experience and skills, professional women are far less likely than men to get to the top of their professions or corporations. They are halted by unseen structural barriers (Making a Home, Making a Living 310).” Having a family sets a woman back professionally. If it is her decision to pursue a career over family it is her right to do so. Amendment 6 may force women into having a family when that is not what they are ready to do.

Reciprocity: Although I have spent a lot of time dealing with VOX, and the No On 6 Campaign I feel as though they have educated me about topics that I was unaware about before.  While campaigning against amendment 6 I feel as though I have a gained an education about women’s reproductive rights and justice that I did not have before. I also learned about the voting process, and met many other volunteers who are great activists. Through the education that I received about Amendment 6 I became more knowledgeable about the topic, and in turn educated voters who needed some more information. It was personally a beneficial experience, as well as hopefully being beneficial for other voters.

Works Cited

Making a Home, Making a Living (2005). Women's Lives Multicultural Perspective. McGraw Hill.

Campus Engagement #2 YAYA

For my second campus engagement event I attended a YAYA movie screening of Pueblos Hermanos/Brother Towns.  YAYA is the Youth and Young Adult Network of the National Farm Worker Ministry. YAYA is a network of young people who work to change the oppressive conditions of farm workers. YAYA stands in unison with the farm worker community, actively campaigning for better working conditions and a more distinguished lifestyle for farmers and day laborers. 

Brother Towns is the documentary of two towns that are alike and connected by immigration. Jacaitenango, Guatemala and Jupiter, Florida are described in this documentary.  The film discusses the motivation for immigration, and how families physically immigrate to the United States. In the film the town of Jupiter is exposed as being a town with a large number of immigrants. As news of the immigrants spread through the town many become agitated and feel as though their town is being invaded. However, others feel as though the immigrants should become a part of the community. 

Before this event I was not familiar with the mission of YAYA or their cause.

After viewing the documentary and having a discussion afterwards, I felt that I was much more knowledgeable about the immigration problems that so many people face in the United States.  

  America boasts about being a melting pot of cultures, religions, and heritage, however there are many who take issue with how people choose to come to the Unites States. Most of these families or “illegal immigrants” undertake treacherous conditions upon their travel to the Unites States.

At the meeting, we discussed the language that is used when speaking about these groups of people. They are normally referred to as “illegals”, or “aliens”. These derogatory terms affect the way people view and treat families who come here without documentation. I never realized that language was so important and had such an effect on so many people and families. After noticing how I speak about immigrants I will watch what language I use from now on and not use such insulting words.

Going into the YAYA event I was really curious about what the event would be about. I am really appreciative that I gained a basic understanding of some of the problems that day laborers, immigrants, and farm workers must deal with. I am glad that I went to the event and I am so lucky to have been briefly educated by students and people in the community who are very passionate about such important topics.

Campus Engagement #1

         For my first campus engagement event I attended a lecture given by Gloria Steinem. I had heard of Gloria Steinem before, and I was really excited to hear her speak. She is so iconic and I can’t believe that I had the privilege of hearing her in such an intimate setting. After the even I told my parents who I had heard speak and they were even more excited than I had been. As this is an election year, and the election is only a few weeks away Ms. Steinem began her lecture by discussing her role as a political activist for women’s rights. She explained that “women did not leave the Republican Party, the Republican Party left them.” This was an interesting remark that she made, as most people do not associate women’s right with a conservative movement. However, she explained that over time as the Republican Party moved farther right so did their opinions on women’s rights. She went on to discuss the importance of voting, and the importance of activism in general.

Ms. Steinman also gave the analogy that this country is like a bird. Men and women represent the wings of the bird; and without one or the other, the bird cannot fly. She spoke beautifully about her experience as a feminist and her journey through the world of women studies. Ms. Steinem also briefly mentioned sexually violence, and harassment. She said that the most violent countries are those that are most violet towards women. I was glad she discussed violence against women as it is one of the most important topics.

She spoke about her childhood and how at a young age she was fascinated with sex and gender. She began a question and answer period where people in the audience stood and asked her questions. Everyone was so excited to be in the same room as Gloria Steinem, you could tell by the smiles and the energy in the room. Audience members asked questions that were all over the place. Ranging from how to change the stigma of feminism, and how to be a campus activist.  

Gloria Steinem is a true legend. She has done more for women’s rights and gender activism than almost anyone else. She is a celebrity in her own right, and she represents intelligence, grace, and acceptance. Hearing Gloria Steinem speak on my own college campus is something I will always remember.

BODY IMAGE MEME

    

             I chose a picture of John Mayer to use as a feminist meme. The original image had no text; it was simply an image of the singer. John Mayer is a sexy rock star that many men and women are attracted to. He has been known to womanize, have incredibly gorgeous girlfriends, and has even admitted to be a shallow guy. Beauty Ideals are the physical characteristics that John Mayer looks for in a woman. Features like being thin, tall, white, and attractive are physical characteristics that Mayer would consider to be beautiful.

            Obviously, John Mayer would never date anyone who does not possess these physical qualities, but in this meme he offers a different message.  Here, John Mayer critiques the incredibly unrealistic beauty ideals, and lets his fans know that he doesn’t require or believe in these qualities. He wants women to believe that they are unconditionally beautiful, and that the media forces these beauty ideal upon woman. He also addresses the affect that the mass media has on the consumption of the beauty ideal. This is the belief that it is mostly the media that forces these beauty ideals upon young, impressionable teenage girls.

            I wanted the image to be very easy to understand; targeting an audience of woman who can only dream of being beautiful enough to be with a rock star. I also added three of his song titles into the meme in order to further target his fan base. John Mayer is the perfect example of someone who strictly abides by these beauty ideals, and his revolving door of super model girlfriends proves this. Even though beauty ideals are ridiculous and probably cause more harm than good, they are unfortunately the contemporary definition of beauty.

Works cited

. "John Mayer ." Oh No They Didn't. N.p., 15 2012. Web. 16 Oct 2012.

Service Learning Post #1

Service Learning Week 1

Activism: On Thursday night I participated in the Vote No on 6-phone bank. This event was sponsored by Planned Parenthood and the Vote No on 6 Campaign. Along with several other volunteers we were shown how to actively and positively call registered voters and advise them on the dangers of Amendment 6. This amendment has to do with political intrusion between a women, her doctor, and her family. Before I began calling I was nervous and anxious, but I was surprised to immediately feel comfortable with what I was doing. I must have called 60 homes in one night, and by the end I felt incredibly accomplished. Some people refused the call and were rude; but surprisingly most of the people I called responded positively to the information they were receiving. I was also surprised to hear men who were interested in the amendment for the sake of the women that they cared about. Next time I phone bank for Amendment 6, I think I will add to my dialogue that this campaign is non-partisan. I think that is an important piece of information that should be communicated to callers so they are not automatically turned off by my call.

Reflection: This weeks service learning activity was directly associated to women’s reproductive health and health in general.  This weeks reading discusses the fight for women’s liberation, which has been associated with control over reproductive rights. Reproductive Justice was introduced in the reading which discusses a broader analysis for reproductive rights. Amendment 6 attempts to place politicians in the examining room with the female patient. Based on economic, social, and institutional status politicians can influence which women are suitable to reproduce. “Reproduction is not just a matter of individual choice. Reproductive health policy affects the status of entire groups. It reflects which people are valued in our society, who is deemed worthy to bear children, and capable of making decisions for themselves. Reproductive decisions are made within a social context, including inequalities of wealth and power.”  This amendment is a dangerous form of sexism, which could limit the reproductive health possibilities for women who are in a lower socioeconomic class. Reproduction should have nothing to do with status, wealth, or race.

Reciprocity: On Thursday night I was really excited about the work I was doing with Amendment 6. I feel as though I can have a direct impact on voters and Amendment 6. However, I also received a lot in return. I gained an education about Amendment 6, the voting process, and met many other volunteers who are great activists. Through the education that I received about Amendment 6 I became more knowledgeable about the topic, and in turn educated voters who needed some more information. It was personally a beneficial experience, as well as hopefully being beneficial for other voters.

VOTE NO ON 6!

Works Cited

http://www.votenoon6.com/. In BY VOTE NO ON 6 COMMITTEE.

Reproductive justice: Vision, analysis, and action for a stronger movement. In (2005). Women's Lives Multicultural Perspective. McGraw Hill.