EqualityQuilt

Quilting the Empty Nest

My 2 kids took off for college recently - so I'm in "empty nest syndrome."  I guess I thought ENS was just for those without paid jobs, who now find themselves devoted to dusting, or possibly going wild.  It turns out I'm not the only employed mom noticing a major life transition here.  Everyone I spoke with said male partners did not experience "empty nest" the same way.  Previous EQ rants have been about women & child-bearing:  Erin's choosing not to have kids, & Liz's Mommy Wars?, & having lots of kids.  We hope a certain someone will write about medical ignorance of breastfeeding.  So how come kids (or not kids) are still so defining in women's lives?  Please click on "comments" & explain.  Meanwhile, enjoy my latest version of going wild:  blocks (click to enlarge) from a quilt I'm making for myself, having made one for each kid.  Quilting helps me feel re-connected to all the women who have gone before.    -Bonnie 

Women Making Waves

Thanks to Jane Olsen (left) of the St. Cloud State University Women's Center for sharing this kickoff speech from her fabulous "Women on Wednesday" series.  (You can hear the rest of the series by clicking here.) And double thanks to Vivian Jenkins Nelsen (right) who presented this talk on "Making Waves:  An Overview of Women's Political Evolution." Vivian was an elected delegate from Minnesota to the Houston National Women's Meeting in 1977, founder of the Inter-Race Institute, and board chair of the League of Women Voters of Minnesota.  Vivian will also keynote our November 15 conference on "Women's Dreams: 1977-2007 & Beyond."   To register for the conference, click here. 

Single-Sex Schools

In June 2007, the Consortium hosted a Brown Bag Discussion with Cindy Reuther of the Laura Jeffrey Academy, a new charter school with a gender focused learning environment for girls. The Laura Jeffrey Academy is a uniquely designed educational environment where girls learn through problem solving, asking questions and participating in community. Laura Jeffrey Academy leaders hope to create an environment that provides emotional, physical and intellectual safety as well as promotes resiliency.

There is often controversy around gender-focused education, which leaves many feminists feeling torn about this issue.

The following is a quote from Kim Gandy, National Organization for Women, opposing single-sex education:

"Because school is the 'workplace' of children, this kind of segregation is likely to increase sex stereotyping in adulthood by depriving both boys and girls the opportunity to interact daily as peers during their formative years. Separating our daughters from our sons is an ineffective response to a complex problem, and it pulls resources away from dealing with a broken public school system. It doesn't prepare boys and girls for the real world, where they will have to interact with and work alongside each other. Instead, we should expand the use of methods we know will improve learning by both girls and boys, together- like increased funding to schools, smaller class sizes, more resources and training to teachers, and more attention to students."

This clip is from Girls Prep, a single-sex school in New York:

For more information about the Laura Jeffrey Academy call 651/402-9803. Please comment and let us know what you think about this issue. Also, if you are interested in discussing more issues like this please attend our conference on November 15 and November 16. Register at www.mnwomen.org.

High Times with the New Intern!

Hello, everybody! As the newest intern here at the Minnesota Women's Consortium, it seems like a good idea to introduce myself to you all. My name is Allison MacWilliams-Brooks, and I am a senior at Macalester College, double-majoring in Political Science and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. I am also a co-chair of the Macalester student organization Feminists In Action/Students Together Against Rape and Sexual Assault, so working for the Consortium and getting connected to all of the various member organizations is a great fit for me! Besides my passion for feminist issues in my organizing and through the WGSS Department, I am also completing an honors thesis this year in Political Science on local welfare rights activism between women of color and the LGBT community. I am extremely interested in how sexual, racial, and socioeconomic priorities within state-level policies affect diverse communities, so my project also focuses on marriage and so-called "stable" family promotion in welfare reform legislation.

When I'm not collecting all sorts of fun info for the Consortium or studying my life away, you can most likely catch me doing comedy. I perform improv and sketch comedy both on campus and locally, so keep your eye out for female comedy events and chances are, you might just catch me at it one of these days! Comedy is a great space to promote women's empowerment, so I highly encourage each of you to get out and either try performing some comedy yourself (it's a very liberating process) or support local women comics. Let's see some more strong, opinionated, funny women up on our stages! I hope to get to know you during my time at the Consortium, maybe I'll even see some of you at our November conference. I look forward to getting even more involved with the feminist organizing community in the great state of Minnesota as I continue on with my work at the Consortium!

Conference, Duluth, Art!

Dear readers, I've been a bum and thus only today have posted several wonderful things - so please see below images from our latest art exhibit, and after that news from the wonder-women of Duluth.  Meanwhile, the "Women's Dreams" conference is shaping up.  For example, exciting keynote speeches on Thursday evening, November 15 are from Minnesotans Koryne Horbal and Vivian Jenkins-Nelsen as well as  glamorous Manhattanite  Liz Abzug.   You can download the whole fabulous program, also register!!, by visiting our website.  Love and kisses & don't be a stranger!  - Bonnie

Hieroglyphics, Peas, & More

These images (above - click on each to see better) are from sculptor Claudia Poser, and I'm so happy to say one is hanging in the Women's Building kitchen, one in the hallway, one right across from Lorraine's desk...

The Women's Art Registry of Minnesota has installed its 5th exhibit in an ongoing series here at the building.  We are ravished by the intriguing, haunting images of Joan Cox (paintings) & Claudia Poser (sculpture & monotypes).  If you have not been to see our small gallery, please do! to remember the power of original art in an extra special setting - and remember this work is for sale so you too can be a patron.  Come any weekday between 9 & 4, AND to the opening reception on Thursday, October 25, 5 to 8:30PM:  free, open to the public, yummy snacks, & a chance to meet the artists.  For more images from Claudia (we hope Joan will send us some also), check out the Women's Art Registry Photo Album on left hand side of the blog. 

P.S.  WARM is now encouraging women artists - who must become WARM members if not already - to submit work to be considered for next year's exhibits.  More info:  Barbara Harman,          651/222-1605       .   

Our Sister Building in Duluth

I recently had a chance to tour our sister building in Duluth and enjoy coffee with  Tina Welsh of the  Women's Health Center & Candy Harshner of the Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault.  For many years, they have been doing great & vital work.  Both organizations are part owners of this beautiful building, which houses many other organizations like the Safe Haven legal advocates, the American Association of University Women chapter, League of Women Voters chapter, Aurora Northland Lesbian Center, & more.  Their courtyard features graceful benches & flowerpots, an oasis for women right downtown.  There are only three women's buildings in the country - our two plus San Francisco.

Duluth's feminist network sprang into action recently to draw attention to two male members of the county board who were harassing female employees.  One  claimed the county's sexual harassment policies did not apply to him as an elected official.  Lots of people started showing up at board meetings wearing T-shirts saying, "We are watching" and the letter A for "accountability."  They support the board's efforts to write a new code of ethics.  We hope to hear more soon!

Click below for more photos of my all-too-brief visit. And remember we love comments!  - Bonnie