Saint Mary's University Women's Centre

ConsentFEST 2012 Programs

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 21:26:00 +0000

Our programs are now live! You can find them on side bar of our blog here.

Add caption

Consent Fest Press Release!

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:05:00 +0000

We are beyond excited to be involved again in this years ConsentFEST Halifax!

Stay tuned for panel lists and a full schedule once everything is finalized and please share the page, the press release, let's make this an awesome year!

ConsentFEST 2012:

The South House Sexual and Gender Resource Centre (formerly the Dalhousie

Women’s Centre) and the Saint Mary’s Women's Centre have joined forces to present

the second annual ConsentFEST conference.ConsentFEST is a 1.5 day conference

aimed at opening up discussion on everything to do with consent!

ConsentFEST strives to create spaces where everyone can gain a broader

understanding of how consent narratives, sex-positivity, and challenging rape culture

can come together to create a world based in consent. Our intention for this event is

to invite conversation, critical & creative thinking and to foster a new common

language surrounding consent.

The conference will be held on Friday November 23rd on the Saint Mary’s

campus and Saturday November 24th on the Dalhousie campus. ConsentFEST will

explore the theme of ‘Consent Culture’ broadly through academic and theory based

discussions, hands-on workshops, comedy, music and art. The South House and our

partner organizations would like to invite you to join us for a lecture, a workshop or

a panel discussion.

Details regarding programming & locations will be released shortly.

Follow us on Twitter @ConsentFEST or find us on Facebook ConsentFEST - Halifax.

For questions, concerns or media inquiries, please contact Christina Aubrecht or

Jean Ketterling at dwc@dal.ca or (902) 494 2432

Community Events!

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 13:34:00 +0000

Community events!

Have a community event you’d like published? Send us an e-mail detailing your event or drop off a poster to our office 528 Student Centre SMU Campus. Our community resources and bulletin board always need new love and we’d be happy to promote you on our own calendars! Community support is win win!

Understanding Sexual Assault Law
with Professor Elaine Craig

Canada’s laws on sexual assault have been significantly reformed in the last 30 years, but these changes don’t appear to have changed reporting rates, conviction rates, or the way victims experience the criminal justice system. Why not?
In this lecture, we’ll explore changes to the definition of consent and the capacity to consent to sexual touching, rules protecting complainants, and some of the obstacles that need to be cleared before we can see real change on issues of sexual violence in Canada.

Wednesday, October 24
7:00 pm
Room 104, Weldon Law Building
6061 University Ave

FREE PUBLIC LECTURE - ALL WELCOME!
Light refreshments provided

Equal Voice AGM & Elections

Equal Voice is holding its first Annual General Meeting since 2009 -
and you are all invited, members and supporters alike. Equal Voice
Nova Scotia will be helping to elect 4 to 7 members to the Board that
makes policy for EV. It will be a pleasant occasion, with tea and
cookies and fellowship.

Member or not, anyone who is interested in gathering for a real - not
virtual - AGM in the afternoon of +Saturday, October 27 please call
902-429-3890 for information about where to go.

Reduce Fees, Drop Debt!

Students across the province are feeling the squeeze as the provincial government is yet again cutting universities and allowing tuition fees to rise. Since 2009, universities have had 10% of their budgets cut, and tuition will have gone up 12%. The average student in NS graduates $31,000 in debt. Does it have to stay like that? No.

Did you know that the amount of free money given to tar sands development companies is enough to have reduced the average university tuition fees by 57%?

Quality, affordable education is possible, but it has to become a priority. Individuals and student unions are working to make education funding a priority by engaging students, the community and government in the lead-up to the spring provincial budget. If you want to reduce student debt, there are some upcoming events that you can attend!

+October 28th: NS NDP's election platform consultations

+October 30th: Night of the Living Debt! Student Zombie Walk

Contact John Hutton at the Dalhousie Student Union for more information: johndavidhutton@gmail.com

DalOut Allies Training

DalOut is hosting a training event for Allies on Nov. 8 in room 224 of the
SUB +from 9 am to noon.

In this workshop you will learn:
* What an Ally is and what they can do
* How to support LGBTQ people
* How to create safe and welcoming spaces
* How to identify yourself an as Ally
* How to work with other Allies

Call for Board Members: Nova Scotia Labour and Advanced Education

Over the last few years, non-profit organizations in Nova Scotia have talked about the need for a provincial organization to help strengthen our sector. A consultation process led by Phoenix Youth Programs and FOCO last year confirmed that the will was there. This past spring, members of the non-profit sector were further polled about an opportunity to begin to build that organization by focusing on labour force and human resource issues in the non-profit sector. Thanks to input from groups and individuals across the province, a funding proposal is now before the Sector Council program at the Department of Labour and Advanced Education and we are optimistic that this new entity will be up and running in early 2013.

We are now looking to recruit members for the inaugural Board of Directors. If you are passionate about the future of the non-profit sector in Nova Scotia, committed to addressing our labour force and human resource challenges and to building a sustainable inclusive provincial organization over time, we invite you to put your name forward. You will find details in the attached document and at www.nfpresearch.ns.ca. Deadline for applications is October 31st.

Questions about the background and history of this initiative can be directed to Maggy Burns at Phoenix Youth Programs at mburns@phoenixyouth.ca or at 902-429-8317.

Call to Action! Women's ACtion Alliance for Change Nova Scotia
A reminder to register for the Call to Action and Annual Assembly on Saturday November 3.
Also on Friday night November 2, the Company House (bar) offered free snacks to attendees during happy hour between 4 and 7 pm. They are located at 2202 Gottingen St.

Please register NOW (deadline is OCt 29) with the attached form or go to the website www.wacns.ca

Announcing the WOMEN’S ACTION ALLIANCE for CHANGE NOVA SCOTIA (WACNS)
Call to Action and Annual Assembly
When:Saturday, November 3rd. 2012 9.30a.m. to 3.30p.m.
Where:Captain Spry Community Centre in Spryfield
Please fill out the registration form attached and send it via email to: marlene@tricountywomenscentre.org

Since our first assembly in May, 2011 the WACNS Steering Committee has been working very hard on behalf of the WACNS membership and women across the province.
We invite you to come to our Second Annual Assembly to:
♀    have an update on the campaigns and priority issues we have been working on;
♀    hear about creative and innovative work being done across the province on issues impacting women’s safety and security;
♀    share with us your work and passion for making this a better province for women and girls;
♀    meet other women from across the province doing great work on women’s equality;
♀    listen to women artists who are using their voice for positive social change.
WACNS is a broad- based, non-partisan alliance of women’s groups and committees, social justice organizations and individuals concerned with women’s equality. We want our governments to know we care that:
•    many women and families in our province are living in poverty
•    childcare is a luxury rather than a right
•    affordable housing is limited and inadequate
•    violence against women is widespread
•    the cost of education is prohibitive for many women
•    too many women are working in low-paying, insecure jobs

Come to the Assembly and contribute to the important work of making our province a better place for women and their families.

Consider becoming a member of the Steering Committee-if you are interested you can reply to this email or let us know on the day of the Assembly.

As we work on positive social change for women, our membership needs to be as strong and diverse as the women across Nova Scotia.

Dikita’s Women’s Festival

SMU Women’s Centre members have been invited to attend the free opening ceremonies November 23, 2012 at the Best Western Chocolate Lake Hotel. The opening ceremony is a FREE event and the night comprises of guest speakers, live performances, gifts and prizes. You can bring guests with you to this event as well, the more the merrier.

Also on November 24 we are having workshops and a dinner and dance. A portion of the proceeds from this day will go to the YWCA to help fund programs for women. We are giving a student special for the workshops at a price of $50 for all five workshops (Regular price is $140). The workshops include:

· African Dance

· Yoga & Meditation

· Burlesque

· Belly Dancing

· Bollywood

Please e-mail smu.womenscentre@gmail.com if you would like to attend the ceremony or register for workshops.

SMU Women Centre is open Mon-Friday 11am-4pm on the 5^th floor of the student centre. You can contact us any time to inquire about events, community action, resources, referrals or any other concerns.

We offer students a place to hang out, study, and meet one another! Learn ways to get involved on and off campus make a difference and build your skills. We have an extensive feminist library, community resources and services for students to review. Check out our free knowledge and cool swag! Or simply enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee/tea donated by Just-Us!

The centre is your space and we are always looking to hear from you about what you would like to see.

-Love-

SMU Women Centre Staff

-Amanda

Ways to Get involved!

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 13:22:00 +0000

SMU Women Centre is actively looking for engaged volunteers to help with events, hold office hours and more!

Graphic Designer/Poster Maker

· Looking for an easy way to get involved? Show your talent?

· Try poster making! We are looking for individuals interested in making posters for all our events from lager glossy prints to smaller flyers for photocopying

· Send us an e-mail! You can work in the centre on our computer or at home.

Promotions/Postering

· We have posters, calendars’ and resources that need distribution.

· Looking for volunteers to grab posters to bring across town.

· Cafes, local businesses’, resource centres and different campus.

· As well as individuals interested in making class presentations or short talks to help promote events

Promote events/smu women centre on Facebook.

Office Hours
Hang out in the centre! We need volunteers to hold office hours, assist in redesigning/organizing our space.
Welcome students to the centre, assist in referrals, provide resources and generally be awesome!

Events for October!!

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Hey Everyone!

We'll be busy this month with all kinds of great events, back in september we took a trip to the farmer's market and did some other neat stuff! Please let us know if you would be interested in attending more of these events!

Our programing is a reflection of your wants and desires! So let us know what you would like to see!

Here is our Calender of Events for October!
41 Days For Life Every Wed! 11am-3pm!
Oct 4th double feature film screening of 12th and Delaware & the Choices Monologues in Burke Theater B.

Plus favourites like Stitch and Bitch, Lazy Feminist Book Club and More!

41 days for choice: Movie Double Feature!

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Join us on October 4th! For our double feature film screening of 12th and delaware & the Choices monologue!

We'll be starting around 7pm in Burke Theater B!

41 Days For Choice!

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 01:18:00 +0000

We are back again this year with the help of Support Choice Halifax.
Speaking out for reproductive rights and support!

"We are here to tell them that we believe they are both intelligent and capable enough to make their own choices about their own bodies."

Find out the latest on our event here: 41 Days for Choice Or on our facebook page! Some Photos, because photos are fun!

Come check us out every Wed 11am-3pm out by the VG on South Park St.

St.Paddy's Day Zine Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:10:00 +0000

Anchor Archive Zine Library is going to visit on Tuesday for a Zine Workshop. This is a chance to learn about zines and how to make them. If you already know how to make a zine or are an experienced zine maker, you should still come out and have fun.

Since the workshop happens to be on St. Patrick's Day, we'll try to have some green snacks and drinks on hand. Sorry, no green beer...you'll probably have to go to the Gorsebrook for that.

In case you were wondering, the awesome images were found at the following places:
robertsstreet.org/old/index-2.html
and
www.halifax.ca/hrmyouth/artsandculture/ZINES.php

most (possibly all) the fonts are from dafont.com

Friday Fitness Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:23:00 +0000

Forgive my love of alliteration, but I couldn't help it. Friday Fitness Fun just works so well when describing our new Friday programming. Check it out:

From 10:30-11:45am:

Eight weeks of free Capoeira! Sweet!

And then from 1:30-2:45:

Hula hooping! I went last week and decorated my hoop. It was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to going again on Friday. I brought my hoop home on the bus and got a few strange looks, but what the hell! Hooping is awesome!

Both of these are free to full-time SMU students/Tower members. If you don't fit into one of those categories, I believe a day pass will run you about $8. Which isn't bad if you were to go to both of these activities. You could stretch it out and use the pass to steam in the sauna or do drop-in yoga at 5pm (although, I warn you - yoga fills up early!). And there are free hoops (first come, first serve) for about ten people to decorate and keep. That is more than worth the $8!

Hope to see you on Friday!

/l-a

Vagina Monologues 2009 a success

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:34:00 +0000

Cover of the SMU Journal, originally uploaded by SMU Women's Centre.

We'll post more photos and stories from the Vagina Monologues later, but we wanted to share the awesome news: we raised over $1500! We're pretty excited about this. It'll be great to sign that cheque over to the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre and V-Day (10% of proceeds go to the V-Day Spotlight Campaign. This year the campaign is focused on rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

A big thanks goes out to Randi, who organized the event. She did a fantastic job and should be so proud of how well it turned out.

Also thanks to Laura, editor of the Journal, for taking photos at Saturday's show. This is the cover from the most recent issue, which you can find online.

Buttony Awesomeness

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:35:00 +0000

A knock at my front door delivered a box of button making awesomeness today. We had it sent to us via my parents in California, in hopes of saving some money on shipping. I'm not sure if we did, but I certainly don't think it cost us any more than if we had it sent directly to us.

Other than coordinator salaries, this is probably our most expensive purchase to date. It was one we hmmm'ed and haw'ed about for months, until finally, at a January board meeting we said, "let's do it! Let's just buy a button maker!"

Because of the date that we purchased it and because the company originally misunderstood where it was sending the package, there was a chance that it would not arrive in time for us to make and sell buttons during the Vagina Monologues.

However, it's here and hooray! We'll have buttons in time for Friday night's performance. All we need to do is design some and get them made (this may be easier said than done). If you have any awesome Vagina Monologue inspired button ideas, send them our way. If we use your idea, we'll give you two free tickets to see either the Friday or Saturday show and you'll get two free buttons with your design on them.

Even if you don't have a design idea, you should still check out the Vagina Monologues. Tickets are $7 in advance or $10 at the door, which is a pretty decent price for some live theatrical entertainment. All the proceeds go to the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre and the V-Day Spotlight Campaign on the Democratic Republic of Congo. Showtime is 7:30pm in Loyola 290. If you're not a student, here's a campus map to help you find the Loyola building (it is listed as "LA" on the map).

If you're worried about the parking situation, here are some details from Conference Services:

Saint Mary's University is an urban campus with limited parking space; therefore, parking is restricted to metered spaces and vehicles displaying authorized permits.

We recommend that guests use public transportation rather than bring their vehicles onto campus during the day from Monday to Friday. Free evening parking, Monday to Friday, is available after 5:00pm in spaces designated as "general" and after 8:00pm in "faculty" spaces. On weekends, all non-reserved parking spots can be used. There is no overnight parking.

You can get to campus by bus on the following routes: 10, 14, 17, and 18.

/l-a

Happy Valentine's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:29:00 +0000

Happy Valentine's Day Ladies (and to the dudes as well)!

Celebrate by sending one of these awesome ecards from the Girls Action Network:

There are more, equally awesome, ecards at their website. The Girls Action Network is a Canadian group. Here's a description from their website:

All across the country, girls are speaking up, shaping culture and changing the world for the better. Yet many girls face serious barriers to realizing their potential, such as exclusion and isolation related to racism and poverty, bullying, violence and negative media images.

At Girls Action, we believe that every girl should have what she needs to participate fully in society. Our activities create opportunities for girls and young women to build their strength, discover their power and gain the confidence they need to bring their gifts to the world.

Working locally and with our members across Canada, at Girls Action we:

Organize after-school programs for girls
Build leadership skills among young women
Coordinate a national network and provide training tools for those who work with girls and young women
Organize a National Day of Action each February 14 in which girls, young women and their allies take action against violence and poverty in their communities

Enjoy your V-day - no matter how you (or if) you celebrate it. (Personally, I don't really bother with Valentines...although I do have a lot of cinnamon hearts and pink tulle here - but that's for a friend's birthday party).

And a note on Centre business:

It's Reading Week at Saint Mary's and that means SMUSA offices are closed. We're not sure if the Student Centre is open. If it is, we'll have some office hours, but we won't be sticking to our regular hours since some volunteers will be away. We'll keep you posted about our hours.

It's Voting Time at SMU

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:50:00 +0000

(Image belongs to Shepard Fairey/Obey Giant)

Hey SMU Students!
Today and tomorrow are voting days! On the ballot are candidates for SMUSA President, Board of Directors and a Constitutional Amendment. There are candidate profiles online, as well as an explanation about the proposed constitutional amendment.

Y'all know how we feel about women in office (just in case you don't, we are all for it), but regardless of what you think or who you support, we want you to vote. Vote for somebody, anybody, or even nobody (you can spoil you ballot). Just show that you care how about your Student Union and what it does/does not do for you.

Click Here to Vote Now!

All you need is a Banner ID and PIN.

Voting ends tomorrow. We look forward to seeing the results.

(Photo Credit: Fading Ad)

Why have a Women's Centre?

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:35:00 +0000

This video is based on American stats, but I think it gives us a good idea as to why Women's Centres are needed on university campuses:

The video was created by a graduate student at San Diego State University and posted to the Women's Resource and Action Centers List. She set out to make an instructional video on the issues that many female students face while in university or college. While we are in no danger of disappearing from the Saint Mary's, I think it is important for us to remember why we need to have a feminist resource and space for women on campus.

Having said this, I think now is a good time to share with you some of our upcoming programming:

Monday, February 9 in Sobey 255: Free screening of Spike Lee's film When the Levees Broke, followed by a discussion.

Friday, February 13

Capoeira: 10 weeks of free woman's only Capoeira classes will be held at the Tower, starting Feb 13. Class will be in the group fitness room from 10:30-11:45. Capoeira is Brazilian folk dance that combines elements of fighting, dance and music. If you can't make it to our classes or you're a man looking to participate, there are other Capoiera class and schools in the city:

Dende do Recife (2827 Isleville St)
Axé Brazil Academy of Capoeira (classes held at YMCA on South Park St)

(photo credit: Rexton)

Hula Hoop Jam: 10 weeks of free hula hooping fun with Holly and Jane. Holly and Jane make their own hoops and will show you how. You get to decorate your own hula hoop during week one. There will be a limited number of hoops that will be given to participants to keep, however, we will try to make sure there are enough hoops for everyone who drops in.

Hula Hoop Jam will be in the group fitness room of the Tower on Fridays from 1 -2:15 p.m.

Screening of the V-Day film Until the Violence Stops. This event costs $5 in advance and $6 at the door, or for $10, you get tickets to the screening and a performance of the Vagina Monologues. Tickets are available at the Centre or at the door.

February 27 & 28: The Vagina Monologues in Loyola 290. Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. You can buy tickets at the Centre or at the door. They are also available (cash only) at Love, Me Boutique on Birmingham St.

Coming up in March:

Activities with Oxfam for International Women's Day (events will be held from March 5-8)
Venus Envy Workshops
Zine Workshop with the Anchor Archive Zine Library

Fair and Equal Pay

noreply@blogger.com (Hello Pineapples!) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:34:00 +0000

Oh, Obama! You really are all about hope and change!

Why do I say this? Well, check out this ad from his campaign:

The woman in the ad is Lilly Ledbetter. Yesterday, Obama signed a fair pay law that is called the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act.

How awesome is that? Now if only the Canadian government could get on board with legislation like that.

(For more info on fair pay in Nova Scotia, check out NSACSW site on Women's Work and Pay)

Way to Rock Drummer Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Hello Pineapples!) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:26:00 +0000

Ok, this is the awesomest thing I've seen in a long time:

I don't even like Rush, but that rocked! Here's the same song, this time live:

Seriously? That was Awesome. I love that's she's 13 and totally rocking out on the drums. I also think it's cool that she has people who are encouraging her to be a drummer, because you don't see a lot of girls drumming. It makes me think of a book that I recently found at the library: Rock n' Roll Camp for Girls. (It has a forward by Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney). The book is all about how to start your own rock band, and not a video game rock band, but actually getting girls to start their own bands. It's all based on the fab Rock n'Roll Camp for Girls in the States, which is all about getting girls to learn how awesome they are through creation and performance. I wish camps like that were around when I was 11. I think they'd be way more fun than learning to play the clarinet.

(found via boing boing)

Up and Coming Events

noreply@blogger.com (Hello Pineapples!) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:22:00 +0000

We're keeping busy here at the Centre and we are packing our calendar full of stuff for you to do and see. Some upcoming events/activities/plans are (and remember - unless otherwise noted, everything is free):

Thursday, Jan. 22:
Writing Centre Workshop: tips on professional writing, so that you can write the best possible letters for grants, applications, scholarships. Grad and professional school applications are soon due...this might help make your letter that much better! The workshop will be held here in the Centre (5th floor of the Student Centre).

Tuesday, Jan. 27:
Books Beyond Bars Book Drive: we'll be collecting books at a table in the Loyola building all day. Books are donated to the women's section of the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Burnside. The program aims to help the women through literacy by making books and journals available to them. Books the program could really use are:

Self-help (healthy relationships, abuse recovery),
Addiction/harm reduction,
Books by prisoners/ex-prisoners,
True Crime,
Popular fiction authors (paperback),
Adult literacy workbooks and readers,

Other donations the program could use:

Blank journals (no spiral ring binding)
Money / postage stamps

We will also be selling the book Words Without Walls ($10), which is an anthology of writing and art by the women who are incarcerated. You can read more about the program on NovaNewsNet.

What else is happening at the Centre?

In February, we have the following planned (more details about these events will be posted soon):

our annual performance of the Vagina Monologues (Feb 27 & 28)
new to our V-Day plans are: a performance of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer + a screening of Until the Violence Stops (tickets go on sale January 29)
Screening of Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke
Student Entrepreneurship Workshop
Hula Hoop Jam: make a hula hoop with Jane and Holly
Capoeira classes
Venus Envy Workshops

Excited? I know we are.

And, as always, we could use volunteers. We definitely need volunteers to help with the Vagina Monologues. If you're interested, send an email to smu.womenscentre [at] gmail.com

The Centre is Back in Action!!

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:26:00 +0000

Happy New Year everyone, and welcome back to school for all the students out there.
For the last 4 months the SMU Women's Centre has been going through some restructuring and reorganizing. We are now trying to put on more great programs, workshops and other events this semester. Possible upcoming events include a zine making workshop, writing help for students, capoeira, The Vagina Monologues, and a lot more. We are always open to suggestions for different workshops or events people would like to see happen, so bring it on!Though we are a University Women's Centre, all of our events and workshops are open to the community as well. The centre is also a space to just come and hang out, study, have a free tea or coffee, use our library, or just say hi. So please drop in. Our hours and location are on this blog.
Hope to see you soon!
Sincerely
Georgia
Co-Coordinator

Party Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:15:00 +0000

The WC hosted its holiday party / social on Dec 4th. In the midst of writing and marking exams and term papers, it was like a breath of fresh air to show up for the social where we just decompressed. It was an evening filled with laughter and chat, where the guests and hosts took out time to get dressed up, and just chill! There was the tinkling of glasses and lovely treats – home-made and store-bought and the WC came alive once again to the sound of Christmas music! It was a time to just sit back and relax and enjoy each other’s company; to reconnect with friends we had missed even as we wished for an even more happening year ahead of us! We had volunteers, coordinators and board members and the youngest amongst us was the 2 year old daughter of our ex-coordinator! For all intents and purposes, the party was a hit when she told her Mommy, “Nice party!”

FASS 2008: At least we tried!

noreply@blogger.com (Hello Pineapples!) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 01:22:00 +0000

The FASS show opened today in the Art Gallery. While we won't win any prizes (if there were prizes) or acclaim for artistic merit, there it is: the Women's Centre submission.

Then again, it was never about creating a great work of art. It was all about collaboration, working together as a Centre to create something. It was also about doing something visible on campus, showing that we're doing stuff. And I think that's as important for us as creating a great work of art.

We didn't have a lot of time to work on it. Barely a week. And a lot of people were hesitant to add to it. There's something about a blank canvas that scares people. "But I'm not an artist!" was a common reason for not adding to it. It was hard to convince others that it's okay to paint or draw even when you're not artistic. Maybe next year.

Her body, her choice? Selling Virginity online

noreply@blogger.com (Hello Pineapples!) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:38:00 +0000

I might be late to jump on this blogging bandwagon, but I have CBC on in the mornings and all week the letters to Q have been in response to Natalie Dylan's (a pseudonym) decision to auction off her virginity.

If you haven't heard the story, here's the Reader's Digest version: She's a 22 year old grad student from California who decided to auction off her virginity at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch in Nevada. Her reasoning is that she can use this money to pay for grad school and as some preliminary research for her grad school work. A quick video search turned up a clip of Natalie on the Tyra Banks show, explaining why she wants to do the:

She's even got Howard Stern to help out with the auction (quelle surprise!).

So this has brought up a storm of opinions online about whether she should or should not, whether prostitution should be legal, etc. Q wanted to know whether virginity is used as a marketing tool in pop culture. I'm hesitant to step into all that territory right now. Everyone and their dog has a blog entry on it. What really sticks in my craw is not Natalie's decision (which is problematic for so many reasons), but the response that I've been hearing on the CBC. One response that got to me was yesterday's "letter of the day" on Q where a woman from Dawson City wrote in to say that if Natalie had done something useful, like take up a trade, rather than get into Women's Studies, then maybe she wouldn't need to auction off her virginity to pay for school.

WTF?

A lot of our board members, past and present, have been enrolled in the joint Women's Studies programme (now Women and Gender Studies) at Saint Mary's, myself included. And I am all for women enrolling in trade programs or any discipline they choose, but I was a bit miffed to hear this woman say that Natalie has come to this point because she chose to do what amounts to a useless degree. But is it useless? A lot of people have asked me, "but what are you going to do with that degree?" A question that no one asked when I was enrolled in Political Science.

The thing is, I doubt many students get into Women's Studies with a specific profession in mind. Many of us are here to study the politics and theories that surround being a woman, femininity, feminism, and so much more. It's important that we do this. In an interdisplinary program like this one, we are taking traditional subjects and looking at them through a feminist lens, re-thinking the way we shape our world.

So, is Women's Studies a "useless" degree? (my degree has actually been described as this to me). Is Natalie Dylan delusional or empowered? This blog post doesn't really have a great conclusion to it, but I'd love to hear what you have to say. Just keep your blows above the belt: that means you should be respectful. Any mean or immature comments will get deleted.

10 Ways to Wellness

noreply@blogger.com (Hello Pineapples!) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:43:00 +0000

If you don't subscribe to our newsletter, then you might not know that there is a Wellness Fair being held by SMUSA in the Student Centre. It's happening again today, from 11am to 3pm.

When we decided to have a table at the fair, we weren't sure exactly how to go about it. We can't really compete with other student services like Counselling or Health Services. We have a copy of Our Body, Ourselves in our library, but that really isn't a substitute for an actual health professional. We decided to offer up 10 ways to wellness that focus on the little things we can do for ourselves when we're feeling stressed or just a little down. In case you can't make it to the Wellness Fair, here are those 10 tips:

10. Make a zine.

9. Treat your body well. Eat good foods, get some sleep. Maybe you could get active with capoeira, yoga, running, or anything. The Tower has lots of free classes available and we're organizing capoeira for the winter semester.

8. Visit an art gallery. There are lots in the city and even one on campus.

7. Make Art! It doesn't matter if you're an artist or you're just doodling with a box of crayons, making art is fun. And maybe you can submit something to the FASS exhibit this year.

6. Get active in your community. You can start with groups on campus, like the Environmental Society or NSPIRG. Check out our links to other groups in the community.

5. Discover your city. Check out local shops, cafes, restaurants, and events. See if you can find something interesting that was made locally. Where to start? Try this guide.

4. Read for fun! You've got enough school reading to do, why not pick up a book or magazine for fun. We have subscriptions to Curve, Ms., Herizons, and Bust.

3. Learn something new: Like knitting or a craft. (maybe at our Friday Crafternoons?)

2. Join in on our Discussion Group on Sex, Gender and the Body. Our next topic is "Marriage, and what it means today." Tonight (November 19th) from 7-9 pm.

1. Visit the Women's Centre! Just Us! Fair Trade Coffee, books, magazines, and interesting people to chat with. And if you're in a pinch, we always have free tampons and pads.

We really only stopped at 10 because it's a nice round number. Is there anything else that we could add to the list?

Follow us online

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Mary's Women's Centre) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:39:00 +0000

We're all up in the "Web 2.0" these days. WTF does that mean? That's just a lame way of saying that we're all over the social networking sites. You can become a fan on Facebook or follow along on Twitter. We also post our pictures on Flickr, if you ever want to check those out. And we have an old fashioned email newsletter. You can subscribe to that by emailing us smu [dot] womenscentre [at] gmail [dot] com with "newsletter" in the subject.

So far, we haven't made it over to MySpace...but maybe we will. Do people really use MySpace? I have no idea. I think I'm too old for it. It's so busy and there's blinky stuff and music playing on pages. It hurts my brain in the same way that watching MuchMusic or MTV does (I used to watch MuchMusic religiously when I was a teenager). I really think it has to do with what you grow up with. I started using the internet in 1996 and I had a super lame angelfire page. Pretty much all websites were lame in 1996.

Interestingly, the CBC radio show Spark just posted about how there may or may not be a difference between "cyber natives" and "cyber immigrants". I'm inclined to think there is, which is why I take forever to catch on to things on the internet or find things overwhelming. Meanwhile, people younger than me are all, "whatever, internet is awesome" and my mom is all, "facebooks? how does that work? why would you let people read that?"

Anyway, if you have any suggestions of sites we should be using, leave a comment. In fact, leave a comment even if you don't have a suggestion. We want to hear from you. What should we have on this blog? Anything you think we should write about in particular? Send us ideas or suggestions. It gets lonely out here in cyberspace.

DIY Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Hello Pineapples!) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:00:00 +0000

I'm always surprised by how quickly stores shift from Hallowe'en to Christmas. I was headed out on November 1 with hopes of finding cheap candy and was greeted by candy canes and fruitcake. Personally, I celebrate Christmas, but I like to wait until December.

One of the things that bothers me about the holidays is the push to hit the mall and buy stuff. I love giving gifts, but I don't like buying stuff for the sake of buying stuff. I think that's why a few years ago, I made a pledge to myself that whenever possible, I would buy gifts locally and from downtown stores. It's a bit of a challenge to yourself. When you're in a big MegaMart box store, the possibilities seem overwhelmingly unlimited; but when you're in small stores downtown, you have to think outside of that (big) box. But the thing is, the gifts you buy end up being so much more special. The point isn't just giving, it's giving something that you've put time and thought into.

Even better than running out and buying something is making gifts. Even if Christmas isn't your bag, you can't escape the holiday theme around the city or the crush of people on buses trying to get to the mall. But I'm not crafty! I don't make things! Nonsense! Everyone has a bit of crafty DIY in them. All you need is a little guidance. And you can get that this month downtown. I'm a little biased here: this includes a shameless plug for a store, but since it's for a small, local store that sells handmade items, I'm going to go with it.

This month at Love, Me Boutique (1539 Birmingham Street, next to Woozles bookstore), you can register for two Crafty 101 Workshops. This Thursday (Nov.13) is Sock Monkey making (with me! $8, BYOS - bring your own socks) and Saturday, November 22 is a felted scarf workshop ($22, all materials and tools provided). Then on Friday, November 28, there will be a DIY gift tag stamping station in the Dresden Row Market (same place as Pete's Frootique and Cora's) as a part of Shopping Under the Stars on Spring Garden Rd. All three are beginner friendly and open to kids (with parents) 8 years and up. You do need to pre-register for the Sock Monkey and Scarf workshops.

The scarf alone would definitely cost more than $22 to buy and when it's all said and done, you'll have an awesome gift for someone (or yourself). Trust me: when someone says they love a gift and you get to reply, "I made it", it's an awesome feeling.

But wait...what does all this have to do with a Women's Centre? Well, we support the idea of buying locally (Modern Urban Guides can help you find what's out there) and we definitely support the DIY movement. And there are a lot of small shops in this city that are owned by women who sell goods made by local artisans, many of them women. These local artisans are embracing DIY and traditional crafts and making some amazing things. Get out there and see what they’re making. Another chance to do this is at the Halifax Crafters Holiday Market on December 6 and 7. I’ll bring this up again, closer to the event, but it promises to be full of some fantastic local, crafty goods.

This just in...

from the sust-mar listserv and included in our newsletter, another opportunity to have an ethical holiday:

FAIR TRADE GIFT SALE
10 am - 6 pm
Universalist Unitarian Church, 5500 Inglis St., Halifax, Nova Scotia

Value is on everyone' minds these days.
Quality + fair trade + beautiful textiles = good value!

Find "socially responsible" gifts for your family & friends (& you!). There will be fairly traded scarves, tablecloths & more. This sale will benefit rural women's weaving groups in Thailand & Laos. There will be a "Social Fabric" slideshow throughout the day showing you women making cloth from plants & cocoons as their foremothers did and community development & fair trade in action. Cash and cheques only, please.

International Film Fest: Deepa Mehta's Water

noreply@blogger.com (Hello Pineapples!) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:07:00 +0000

Along with the IDS society, WUSC (World University Service Canada) and Oxfam, the Centre is hosting an International Film Festival on November 6. We'll be screening Deepa Mehta's Oscar-nominated film Water.

Here are the details:

Where? Sobey's Building, Room 255
When? Thursday, Nov. 6 @ 7p.m.

Hope to see you there!