Southern Highlights

 

 

Volume 9 Number 7 April 2011

Shaping the World One Woman at a Time

 

 

 

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION

Our Women’s History Month collaboration with Austin High School was a great success again this year! Honors American History teacher, Andrea Malo, did a wonderful job motivating her students to complete projects on the topics that we chose for this year:

• Profile and describe the struggle for the vote for women through the eyes of one of the leaders of the women’s suffragist movement.

 

• Trace your family history. Research and describe your family’s arrival in this country emphasizing women’s roles.

 

• Write a short historically accurate play explaining the fight for women’s suffrage. The play should be 5 to 10 minutes in length and could be about any aspect of the women’s suffrage movement.

The project judging took place on March 3 and we owe thanks to Peggy Benzkofer, Dorothy Krob, Mary Lou Nelson, and Joyce Goetz for reviewing the projects and giving their feedback to Andrea Malo. All these members enjoyed the interaction with these students and they want to act as “judges” again next year. Winners of this competition were announced at the AHS all school assembly on March 9. Winners were:

 

Women’s Suffrage Performance–Jessica Bakke, Sydney Ogilvie, and Laura Siegfreid

 

Family History—Karyn Potach

 

Women’s Suffrage Biography—Alex Thorson and Patrick Wagner

 

These students were given cash prizes by our branch.

 

Austin High School principal, Brad Bergstrom, had asked us to use our all school assembly program this year to motivate diverse students. Kudos go to our branch member, Dani Heiny, for arranging the panel and leading the program for the assembly on the topic, “First in my Family to Attend College”. Dani worked with Miguel Garate to find diverse students who could tell their stories of the obstacles that they had to overcome as the first in their families to attend college. Dani prepared a power point presentation to highlight her introduction to what AAUW stands for and to introduce each of the panel members. Powerful personal stories were told by Dani, herself, our branch member, Yesenia Mendoza (Mexico), Miguel Garate (Mexico), and Riverland college students, Worku Fufa (Ethiopia), Josephina Saryee( Liberia) , Wendy Torres (Mexico) and

Estrella Gutierrez, Mexico.

 

Branch members in attendance found this to be one of our very best assembly presentations! We hope diverse students were inspired to think college is possible and to know that help toward that goal is available. We hope all students were inspired by the value these panel members put on education.

 

Peggy Benzkofer and Carolyn Bogott, Co-chairs of Women’s History Events

 

 

 

 

Panelists Garate, Torres, & Gutierrez

 

 

 

Panelists Saryee, Mendoza, and Fofa

 

April Program – Honors Students to Present Their Winning Women’s History Month Projects

 

Don’t miss our April meeting as it is always one of everyone’s favorites of the year! Austin High School’s Honors American History teacher, Andrea Malo, will be bringing the student winners from the Women’s History Month Project Fair that our branch sponsors each March. The project topics this year were profiling one of the suffragists to whom we owe our right to vote, writing a drama about the suffrage movement, or tracing the student’s ancestry emphasizing the women in the family. Our meeting will be Tuesday, April 12th at 6:30 PM at Riverland Community College in the East Building, Room C107.

 

Bring a friend and we’ll see you there!

 

 

 

 

Library Used Book Sale

 

There are a few schedule updates for the sale. Set up time on Wednesday afternoon, May 11th is open for extra help. Thursday set up will begin at 10:00 AM. It is so important that we are set up and ready to go when the sale begins at 10:00 AM on Friday, May 13^TH. PLEASE NOTE – the Library does not open until 10:00 AM so starting times will be at 9:30 AM both days. I am still looking for a co-chair for this project. It is just once a year and it is such a benefit to our organization.

 

Laura Tjomsland, Book Sale Chair

Small Groups

These groups are open to any member wishing to attend.

 

Morning Book Group

Our April read is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. We will meet at Jerry’s Other Place on Thursday, April 21, at 9:00 a.m. The book for May is Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver.

 

Evening Book Group

Evening book group will be discussing The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson on Monday, April 25^th at 7 PM at the home of Rae Dawn Rao (1001 22^nd St. SW). Note this is a date change from what was previously scheduled. Please RSVP to rao_raedawn@yahoo.com or 434-0983. All AAUW members welcome!

 

Just Come

The “Just Come” Noon Lunch Group will be meeting on Friday, April 1st at 11:30 at the Brick House. Please let DedaRae Graber know via email (drgraber@charter.net) or phone (433-7897) before next Thursday, March 31st. Thank you. We look forward to seeing you there.

 

 

 

Travel Group

The Travel Club will be meeting at Lois Paulson’s home on Thursday, April 14th at 2:00 P.M. Lois will be sharing information about her travels to Chautauqua, NY. Chautauqua is the oldest summer arts festival in America, the town is a National Historic Landmark and a lakeside vacation retreat. It offers a unique combination of music, art, drama, religion, stimulating discussion, history and recreation. We look forward to this special program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AAUW Board Meeting

March 22, 2011

 

AAUW Board met March 22nd at Marijo Alexander’s home. Present were Marijo Alexander, Mary Kay Wilson, Laura Tjomsland, and Ellen Stark. Minutes were read and approved. Treasurer reported a balance of $4067.11.

 

Membership dues were discussed. A quorum was not present so the decision was carried forward to next month. April 12^th meeting will include presentations by winners of Women’s History Month project and will take place at Riverland C-107.

 

Book sale plans are on track. Members are reminded to take donated books to the library.

Marijo thanked Ann and Joyce for securing a new slate of officers and thanked outgoing board members for their service. April 26^th Board Meeting will be held at Sue Howard’s home.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Ellen Stark

 

AAUW Monthly Financial Report
March 2011
Period: 3/1/11-3/31/11
Opening Balance:		$4,397.11
Income:
Total Income:	$ –	$4,397.11
Disbursements:
History Month Awards	215.00
History Month Program	100.00
Website Annual Fee	15.00
Total Disbursements:	$330.00
Closing Balance 3/31/11		$4,067.11

 

PUBLIC POLICY UPDATE

Provided by Evelyn Guentzel

 

AAUW’s advocacy efforts are increasingly proactive and we have many opportunities to influence the debates about these issues. This is a reminder of our policies on a variety of topics. As individual members we can have an influence on what AAUW promotes. VISIT THE NATIONAL WEBSITE FROM TIME TO TIME AND BE A MEMBER ADVOCATE.*

 

Civil Rights

AAUW advocates equality, individual rights, and social justice for a diverse society.

Economic Security
AAUW advocates for all women to achieve economic self-sufficiency.
Education
AAUW supports a strong system of public education that promotes gender fairness, equity, and diversity.

Title IX
AAUW supports vigorous enforcement of Title IX and all other civil rights laws pertaining to education.

WASHINGTON UPDATES: Samples from a regular publication by AAUW. Equity is Still an Issue!

Women Veterans File Class-Action Lawsuit

A group of U.S. veterans filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the Department of Defense this week. The suit calls for the Pentagon to address the hostile environment in which complaints of sexual assault in the military are allegedly met. Under existing policy, commanding officers “act as judge and jury” in cases of sexual assault, and in many cases charges are not filed against assailants. The plaintiffs’ case is supported by a 2008 survey of 103 military sexual assault victims that revealed nearly half of military women did not report a rape due to the fear of ostracism and the belief that nothing would be done. A DOD report further substantiates claims of an ineffective system, showing that when women come forward to report an assault, fewer than 20 percent of cases are referred for court
martial. In the suit, plaintiffs suggest alternative measures to more effectively deal with complaints, including having an objective third party handle sexual assault charges instead of commanding officers. AAUW stands by women in the military and seeks to both honor their service and reflect on the progress that remains to be made.

Women and the Affordable Care Act

In today’s Huffington Post, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius applauds the Affordable Care Act for advancing women’s health. Calling the Affordable Care Act the “strongest women’s health law since Medicare,” Sec. Sebelius encouraged readers to view a new women’s health page on the Health.gov website. The new webpage details improvements to women’s coverage and preventive health under the Affordable Care Act. AAUW believes that everyone is entitled to health care that is high quality, affordable, and easily accessible. As Congress grapples with tough budgetary tradeoffs, it is vital that the health of the nation is left uncut.

Continuing Resolution Cuts Threaten Key Programs

With the House of Representatives poised to pass the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (H.R. 1), the Senate is all that stands between a sensible budget and House proposed cuts that would hurt ordinary Americans and have a detrimental impact on our economy. The House proposed $100 billion funding cuts would fall unfairly on the backs of students, women, and working families by terminating or cutting funding for several important programs. These programs collectively encourage students to get their education from pre-school to the university level, provide access to job training and health care, protect workers against discrimination and help elderly Americans stay in their homes. The House passed (240-185) Rep. Mike Pence’s (R-IN) amendment to prohibit federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), who spoke at AAUW’s 2009 national
convention, gave an impassioned speech during debate, accusing the other side of using women’s health as a political pawn. Members of the House remained at the Capitol debating amendments to the Act but have yet to take a final vote. The bill is expected to pass along party lines.

 

*Notes taken directly from AAUW website.

Mission Statement: AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research.

 

Vision Statement: AAUW will be a powerful advocate and visible leader in equity and education through research, philanthropy, and measurable change in critical areas impacting the lives of women and girls.

 

 

Southern Highlights Editor: Rae Dawn Rao

rao_raedawn@yahoo.com

Minnesota State Website:

http://www.aauwmn.org

The Pine Editor: LouAnne Hoppe

Association Website:

http://www.aauw.org

Association e-mail: info@aauw.org