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.

Alternative Assignment

     The beauty ideal as described in "Beauty Ideals Can Make You Sick" (208) is an idea that all women should be thin, lean, tall, young, white and heterosexual with flawless skin and perfect hair. As far as women of color they should be light skinned and have the same body type as previously mentioned. TV, the media, and the beauty industry all promote these beauty ideals that in term promotes a distorted image of what beauty truly is. This cycle perpetuates the body and beauty image issues that women are concern with. Therefore, and because of this nasty cycle consumerism runs rampant, enabling these companies to portray such images. These ideals for many are completely ludicrous and unattainable. 

     Unfortunately, eating healthy is on average more expensive than the unhealthy option. To fulfill the beauty ideal it is important to eat healthy nutritious foods. In low-income communities it is much easier to and economically safer to choose the unhealthier option. Women who work who would also make dinner for her family do not have extra time on their hands to prepare the healthiest option for their families. These same women are sometimes also not only caretakers for their own children, but in many cases care for other family members. They will prioritize their outward appearance and become the consumer of makeup, clothing, and hair products; instead of taking time to exercise. This motivates such industries to continue to popularize the beauty ideal standards.

         At the culmination of this viscous cycle is overeating. Because these women live busy, and stressful lives they lean to food for a source of comfort. Drugs and alcohol are an inappropriate source of comfort and eating seems to be the most acceptable way to deal with life.

    Beauty ideal standards are so difficult for women to achieve and are not a healthy representation of what women should be most proud of. These standards add more pressure to the adolescent stage of girlhood and continue through womanhood. It is important to remember that true beauty ideals are not cosmetic; they come from the inside.

References:

Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives 4th ed. New York: Women’s Bodies, Women’s Health. McGraw-Hill, 2007.

Service Learning Proposal VOX

Serving Learning Proposal For VOX (Voices for Planned Parenthood)

By: Devorah W., Ashannie C., Chelsea D., Joel K., Zach P., Trinidy M.
September 27, 2012
Meredith Tweed
WST 3015

Community Partner Profile:

Community Partner: VOX, Voices For Planned Parenthood UCF
Contact: Megan Pabian - Leader of communications for Health Services and Anna V. Eskamani - Development Coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando.

Community Partner Mission Statement: “VOX is the Latin word for "voice" and VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood is a nationwide program to energize and mobilize the new generation of pro-choice Americans. VOX aims to educate and inspire a new generation of young adults to advocate reproductive freedom.”

Political and/or Social Basis for Organization:
VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood is a sexual health and reproductive rights group. The UCF chapter focuses on education, access and community.  The mission of VOX UCF is to educate the university community about reproductive health and rights, to translate increased awareness into pro-choice activism on campus, and to serve as a coalition partner to state, national, and international reproductive rights efforts.
Community Partner Needs: VOX needs students to help organize public events, to help educate those who are unaware and give more knowledge to those who are already informed. Along with the needs that VOX already imposes we will be working closely with them to petition for free screening twice a month at the UCF campus, which will in turn help VOX reach out to individuals.

The Proposal:

According to the American Social Health Association more than half of the population will have a Sexually Transmitted Disease/Sexually Transmitted Infection by the age of 25.  Presently it is estimated that 65 million of the American population has a viral STD/STI and every year, there are at least "19 million new cases which some are curable."

HIV testing is readily available on the UCF campus weekly at a low cost although, tests for the other sexually transmitted diseases are offered free once or twice a year. If the screenings were offered more frequently, and information made more available on the prevention and cures of the STD/STI’s, unnecessary spreading would subside. 

Untreated STI’s in women can lead to infertility or cervical cancer such as the Human Papilloma Virus and Chlamydia, which often show no symptoms.  Other STI’s that cannot be “cured” such as Herpes can be managed if detected.  It is estimated that 90 percent of those infected with herpes do not know that they have it.  The CDC recommends that sexually active females 25 and under should be screened at least once a year for Chlamydia, even if no symptoms are present.

Because many young adults are sometimes embarrassed to ask questions and are unaware of STI's there is poor knowledge about the issue and should therefore be implemented any way possible. The reason why the term "young adult" was used is because we are working to create awareness and get these STI screenings on campus, which would be very convenient for individuals. However, STI screenings should not be limited to only young adults it should be conveniently accessible to individuals of all ages.

Plan Proposal:

 As we have identified above the problem is unawareness. Our plan to fix the issue of STI’s on campus is to start with awareness. We will begin by educating UCF of how dangerous STI’s can be when untreated, as well as how UCF only offers two free screenings a semester for a select 150 students. This means that in a campus where we have over 60,000 students less than 1% of students are getting tested at the health clinic for free. As a student we are offered many services for the benefit of our heath, we are offered psychological counseling, certain medical treatments, and many other important benefits, STI screenings should be one of them.  In our proposal we plan to start a petition where we get UCF students and faculty members to sign off on a petition requesting free STI testing once a month at the UCF health clinic. By spreading awareness of this issue and getting signatures we will not only be spreading our mission of free STI testing but also spreading awareness of the importance of STI testing in general, thus more people on campus will be tested. The ultimate goal of our project is to not only raise awareness of how important testing is on our own campus, but how important it is that everyone get tested.

Rationale:

Voices For Planned Parenthood pertains to the subject of Women’s Studies based on the right for women to have autonomy over their bodies; specifically when it comes to reproductive rights. The reproductive rights battle is one that is ongoing and began centuries ago. This issue has caused controversy because of its ties to moral, ethical, religious, and political views.

The monumental trial of Roe v. Wade in Texas essentially legalized abortion and was a huge step forward in the women’s reproductive rights battle. The reaction from Roe V. Wade created a powerful pro-life movement, one that stifles the reproductive rights for women. Because of the trial women’s healthcare status was changed to include emotional, physical, psychological, and familial aspects of a women’s life.

Action:

 Presenting a petition demonstrating the need for comprehensive STI testing- testing that includes chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes types 1 and 2, HPV, and HIV- on campus at least once a month propels our plan into action. While it is true that the Health Center offers free STI testing twice a semester and Planned Parenthood offers testing at their health centers for an incredibly discounted rate, the reality is however, there are students who live on campus that do not have access to transportation; the reality is, there are students who have never heard of Planned Parenthood. When UCF offers testing only a few times a year, the reality is, students are not being given equal access to the comprehensive healthcare they so deserve. In order to complete our project, we will need pens, petitions, and passion. The individual group members responsibilies/tasks will be to reach a quota per week in the number of signatures in order to successfully manage our project.

We will start by creating the petition. After writing the petition we will go into highly populated areas around campus (the gym, student union, memorial mall, outside of classes, etc) and try and grab people’s attention so that we can get as many signatures as possible. After getting signatures we will present the petition to the administration. Even if our petition is unsuccessful it will raise awareness to the issue of STI testing on campus and the students will start to understand just how important it is that we have free testing available on campus.

Timeline:

October – December: The month of October is GYT: Get Yourself Tested month and in honor of this we will begin collecting petitions in order to reach the goal of getting free STI testing on campus twice a month. This is in partnership with MTV, the Kaiser Family Foundation, the CDC and Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and other national partners.

 Works Cited

American Social Health Association. (1998). Sexually transmitted diseases in America: How many cases and at what cost? Research Triangle Park, NC: American Social Health Association.

"It's Your Sex Life." About GYT. MTV Channel, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. <http://www.itsyoursexlife.com/gyt/about/>.

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives 4th ed. New York: Women’s Bodies, Women’s Health. McGraw-Hill, 2007.

Word Count: 1247

Introduction Post

Hi! 

      My name is Devorah I am a Junior at UCF majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies: Womens Studies Track, and I am from Palm Beach Gardens. I love reading, hanging out with my friends, watching mindless television, and traveling. After graduation I plan on going to nursing school, and one day becoming a midwife. I am interested in women's issues, specifically women's health. 

     Although this class is required for my major, I also think it is important to learn about the Feminist movement and what is truly stands for. Sometimes the term can be intimidating or carry heavy meaning, but it is clear how much we take Feminism for granted. Without the movement, women in America and all over the world would be in a very different place. Women's studies offer the opportunity to learn and have a complete understanding of the differences between women and men so relationships between them are fair and mature. But, there is much more to women's studies than just Feminism. I would like to learn about women's roles in society, and throughout history, and how it has changed. 

     I think activism is the only way that change can be made. Regardless of cause, activism and leadership changes the way things are done, and the way people think about certain things. Without outspoken advocates certain things like women's rights, marriage equality, and civil rights would not have progressed as far as they have today. 

      Gender roles, balance and equality are important aspects of life and serve a prominent role in how we conduct ourselves. In everyday life, gender is something that I may not be conscious of but affects everything I do. For example, I think that I feel slightly more casual and comfortable with someone who has more feminine characteristics. A gay man or a female counterpart are usually people I feel more comfortable around; an alpha male is someone who I would be easily intimidated by. For example, I naturally feel more comfortable around female professors, and are usually more professional around male professors. These are the small, but important aspects about gender that affect my everyday life. 
    I am not sure if there is one person who has influenced my opinion on men and women's behavior, but when I hear of women who break typical gender associating roles I am surprised and proud. Personally, I think that it is really great when I hear about or meet women who study or work in male dominated areas. Women engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and doctors have broken the mold of what we typically think of when it comes to those fields. 

   Have a great semester!