UAkron's L.I.P. Service: Liberation in Progress

Questions

2010-01-15T16:25:00.000-08:00

We are trying to decide what the best way to keep in touch with our followers/group members is, SO if you follow this blog and use it for information about the group, events, meetings and so on, please either leave a comment on here, or email us at lipservice.ua@gmail.com and let us know! If no one responds we are going to delete this blog and simply use our new facebook page which you can see here http://www.facebook.com/LIP.Service.ua and our email list.
If you are not on our email list, or if you are not a member and would like to be, please email us at the address listed above with your name, email address, and student ID (if you want to be an active member)
Thanks a lot!
LIP Service board
Meredith, Lindsay, Vinny, and Tiff

UPCOMING EVENTS!!!

2009-10-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

BAKE SALE
We are baking like crazy, this Sunday 1-6 at Meredith's. Have flour, sugar, etc. you would like to donate? Need directions or a ride? Let us know! Email lipservice.ua@gmail.com

We will have the bake sale this coming week... We need volunteers to come sit & sell our fun & informative cookies & chocolate pops! Dates & Times:
Monday October 19th 11:30-3pm
Tuesday October 20th 5-8pm
Wednesday October 21st 11:30-4pm

HALLOWEEN PARTY
Friday October 23rd 6-8pm in Student Union room 335
Co-hosting with MAMA (mother’s achieving more academically)
Dress as your favorite gender equity hero
Games, food, contests
We are also accepting food and decoration donations

THIRD POPCORN DISCUSSION NIGHT
Thursday, October 29th @ 6:45 in CAS 135
Come & enjoy the movie MISERY in preparation for Halloween
Some free popcorn, followed by a discussion of the film!

General Meeting Minutes October 7th

2009-10-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

Present: Meredith Clark (President), Lindsay Newton (Vice President), Katie Riffle (Communications Chair), Valerie Cosner (VOX Committee Chair)

Welcome (Meredith)

Thanks for coming
Introductions
Please fill out signup sheet

Address Change in Board (Meredith)

Explain that there were some issues with the former board but the new board is excited to really get going with the group
Open positions provide opportunity for new board members, if interested please e-mail us or talk with us after the meeting

i. Treasurer

ii. Secretary

Take Back the Night (Meredith)

March to spread awareness about violence against women, will be outside (potentially very cold/wet) so dress appropriately, childcare available
Friday October 9^th 6-9pm Firestone Park Community Center at 1480 Girard Street

i. Valerie

ii. Kandra

Carpool option

i. Women’s Studies Office, Schrank North 58 leaving at 5:30pm

ii. Anyone available to assist with carpool?? Need to be outside office by 5:15pm with car and directions

iii. Flyers available online for all who are interested

iv. There will be a LIP Service table at the event, for those who are interested in assisting please let me know

VOX Committee (Meredith introduces Valerie)

Introduce Valerie Cosner, our new VOX committee chair who is collaborating with us from Planned Parenthood
Valerie describes relationship to Planned Parenthood, what VOX is, the goals of VOX

i. to advocate for women’s health

ii. Prevention First Legislation

Describe and pass out cards to fill out, option of members taking some with them
Discuss Youth Summit on October 17^th
Discuss Bar Hop November 13^th or 14^th

i. Goals

ii. Those who can be involved

Announce National Coming Out Day (Lindsay)

October 11^th, 2009
Discuss events and pamphlets

i. Saturday LGBT 700 East Exchange

ii. 17^th Mocha Maiden 7-9pm 18^th

Bake Sale (Lindsay)

Baking Day Sunday October 18^th 1-6pm at 1229 Gaylan Drive in Cuyahoga Falls

i. Baking and packaging materials needed for donations to be dropped off in the women’s studies office by Friday October 17^th by 3pm or at the above address on baking day

ii. Drop off donated goods by Friday 16^th in Women’s Studies Office by 3pm

iii. Donation of pre-baked goods accepted as well

1. brownies

2. muffins

3. rice krispie treats

4. nothing with frosting

Option of getting ride from campus to Cuyahoga Falls available, please let us know
Actual Bake Sale coincides with Love Your Body Day
Bake Sale Days in Olin Hall

i. Monday October 19^th 11:30-3pm

ii. Tuesday October 20^th 5-8pm

iii. Wednesday October 21^st 11:30-4pm

Volunteers needed for all times, please let us know

Halloween Party (Katie)

Friday October 23^rd 6-8pm in Student Union room 335
Dress as your favorite gender equity hero
Co-hosting with MAMA (mother’s achieving more academically)
Games, food, contests
Also accepting food and decoration donations
Anyone interested in assisting with creating games let us know

Third Popcorn Discussion Night (Meredith)

Thursday October 29^th at 6:45pm in CAS 135
Movie to be announced

Concluding Remarks (Meredith)

Thanks for coming
Next general meeting Tuesday November 4^th at 3:15pm Schrank North 58, see you there
Any comments or questions from the members

i. Suicide by LGBT student, memorial service 7pm tonight outside library

ii. Kevin (ASG)

1. help with student government

2. travel, registration fees

3. marketing help

4. Lee Gill: chair of Diversity Council

a. Students will help influence policy

b. October 23^rd

c. 1-4pm

d. Fill out sheet and hand into Kevin at ASG

Pass around bake sale sign up both for cooking and table
Discuss with future potential board members

i. Laura

ii. Arienne

iii. Vinny

1. credit hours

2. gender related courses

3. experience on board, group leadership

4. why you’d be good….

UPCOMING EVENTS

2009-09-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder:

Kimberly Dark @ EJ Thomas 730 this coming tuesday 9/22- it's free... please come!

Popcorn Discussion is "The Joy Luck Club" this thursday 9/24 @ 645 in the College of Arts and Sciences Building room 130

Our Facebook fan page is up and running! if you have facebook- please join us! If you have a problem finding it please message the LIP president (Shandi Olminsky) saying that you want to join the fan page & we'll get you there!

Also Please Welcome our new Treasurer Lindsay Newton!

Hope To See You Soon!

Your Opinions & Take Back The Night

2009-09-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

At our member meeting last week some of the things we discussed were:
1. Bake Sales
2. Female Self Defense Class (presented by UAPD)
3. A.L.I.C.E training (presented by UAPD
4. Take Back the Night
5. Popcorn Discussions

1-For the bake sales (once we have established a set date) we are looking for outstanding individuals who will either be will to run the sale table AND/OR bake us some yummies (or at least go to the store and pretend that they are homemade). ALL baked good items do need to be individually wrapped- this is important for food safety issues and everything else.

2 & 3- Who would be interested in doing either of these amazing classes/trainings. Both are presented by the UAPD and are really good to know and informative- as well as FUN! We do need to have some idea of available times for members so that we can contact officer Chad to set up one of these- and we do want a good turn out!

4- Take Back the Night- Friday October 9th, 6pm-9pm at Firestone Park Community Center. Volunteers will be needed to assist in the event and to assist the Rape & Crisis Center people. We are also considering doing a car pool from campus to the TBTN location- if anyone is interested in riding in a car pool or caravan to the location- let us know.

5- For popcorn discussions- we are in need of some super-awesome individuals to help donate munchies and drinks for these future discussions. Any help would be great! Let us know if you are willing to help!

That is all for now- For any of these above- let us know if you have questions, suggestions, can help, or anything else. You can reply on this blog or email- whichever you prefer!

Thanks

Another Great Event To Get Excited About!

2009-08-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

What: Kimberly Dark,“Is that a Dude: Inside Lesbian Gender”
Where: EJ Thomas Hall Stage Door
When: Sept. 22
Time: 7:30 p.m.

Also keep in mind for next year- 2010!

Feb. 12 and 13, The Vagina Monologues at EJ Thomas Hall Stage Door

March 2, 7:30 p.m. Catie Curtis at EJ Thomas Hall Stage Door for Women’s History Month

Save The Dates!

2009-08-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

*Meetings at 3:15pm- to be held in Women's Studies Office
September 2nd
October 7th
November 4th
December 2nd

*Popcorn Discussion Nights at 6:45pm- all but the December date will be in the College of Arts & Sciences, Rm 130
August 27th
September 24th
October 29th
November 24th
December 10th

The locations of the discussions have not as of yet been established- however we will let you know as soon as it has!

We are also planning several other events throughout the semester,and more information on these will be posted. We will also be discussing and giving event reminders at our meetings- so stay tuned! :-)

See you all soon!
Shandi

Presenting Your New 2009-2010 LIP Service Officers!

2009-07-27T08:26:00.001-07:00

Hi all-
The ballots have been counted, and the new officers are in! The president is now Shandi... Vice is Melanie... Tresurer is Arianna... Secretary is Meredith... and Communications is Katie.

We've been gathering ideas all summer, and are eager to post the official events calendar real soon. We look forward to see every single one of you at the events. As always we are accepting new members- both female and male. Please don't hesitate to contact us at the email on the page with any questions regarding L.I.P. Service- the purpose of the group- general questions- etc!

See You Soon!
~LIP Services Officers

End-of-year Update

2009-04-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Just two bits of business to pass along today:

* New officer election -- some of you may have been wondering why you haven't heard anything yet about the election of new officers. That is because we didn't have enough nominees in each category to have an election, so unless folks express problems with this, the people who have accepted nominations will be considered the "winner" of the position for which they were nominated. We are grateful to these people for being willing to serve next year, and we're very excited to have them! These new officers will be announced at our end-of-year event. Which brings us to...

* End-of-year shindig -- we will be having our end of year shindig next week, **Wednesday April 29 at 4-6pm in CROUSE 209**. We will be having food (exactly what is still under consideration), announcing the new officers, honoring our most-involved members, reviewing all the great stuff we did from the past year, and discussing plans for the future. Please try to join us, and bring a friend!

If you have questions or concerns, please let us know. Otherwise, we'll see you next week!

Thanks,
The L.I.P. Service 08-09 executive board

ELECTION TIME and volunteers for tabling

2009-04-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

For those of you who had volunteered to help with the L.I.P. Service Sexual Assault Awareness tabling, or those of you who were considering it, we *finally* have details to share! The tables are going to be on Tuesday April 14 and Tuesday April 21, both from 11am - 1pm in the Student Union. If you can help out by staffing the table during any/all of those times, just let us know and we'll give you more details!

It's now also time for us to elect our officers for the 2009-2010 school year! Here's the deal: if you are interested in running for office or would like to nominate one of your peers, please e-mail the group account (lipservice.ua @ gmail.com) with your nomination. The people who are nominated will be contacted and asked if they would like to accept the nomination and be included on the ballot. If you do accept the nomination, we would like you to reply with information on your major/year as well as a brief (e.g., 3-4 sentence total) comment about why you want to run for the position and what you would like to see L.I.P. Service do next year. We will be open for nominations until ONE WEEK FROM TODAY (April 13), after which time the ballot will be constructed. We will send an announcement once the ballot is ready and voting opens, with further instruction about the voting process.

Below you will see the listing of the different responsibilities associated with each officer position. In order to run for office, you need to have attended at least 2 L.I.P. Service events per semester; this is a requirement from our constitution. It's also important to note that there will be flexibility among the roles, depending upon what the elected officers decide amongst themselves. And finally, the elected officers will be required to attend a half-day retreat sometime during the second half of May in order to provide mentorship into the roles and allow a smooth transition from the current officers. If you have questions about the positions, the nomination process, or anything else election-related please let us know and we'll do our best to help. We look forward to receiving your nominations!

Thanks,
The L.I.P. Service Executive Board

******************************

**************

President:

¨ Run meetings

¨ Collaborate with other student organizations for events

¨ Assist with committees

§ Appointing committee chairs

§ Formulating ad-hoc committees

¨ Promoting the organization to campus community and potential new members

Vice President:

¨ Communicate with the SOURCE liaison

¨ Maintain membership roster

¨ Contact new members and familiarize them with the organization

¨ Promoting the organization to campus community and potential new members

¨ Completing other tasks assigned by President

¨ In the event the President can no longer serve his/her position, the Vice President will assume

Treasurer:

¨ Have contact with the SOURCE on an as-needed-basis

¨ Properly complete and return necessary documents including the annual budget (contingency form)

¨ Handle organization’s monies

¨ Attend SOURCE’s training on finances/funding

¨ Assist committees with event planning

o Requesting partners in programming [application for a small grant for food for events, provided by University Dining Services]

o Making room reservations for events

Secretary:

¨ Record and distribute executive and general meeting minutes

¨ Track attendance of members at meetings and events

¨ Keep blog updated and send out announcements via email

¨ Check mailbox in the SOURCE

Women's History Month and Other Updates

2009-03-09T21:06:00.001-07:00

Happy Women's History Month!! There is a huge amount of awesome events going on in celebration of WHM, and we wanted to make sure that everyone knew about them. There are two places you can go to get the details on all of the on-campus events:

There are a couple of things on the calendar to which we would like to draw your attention in particular. First, there is going to be a self-defense class offered on March 24 at 5:30-7:30pm in Memorial Hall 126. Although this class is not being sponsored by L.I.P. Service, we would like to make this an official group event by inviting everyone to attend and take part as a group. (And if you happen to have a L.I.P. Service t-shirt, it wouldn't hurt to wear that, too!) So, if you're free and you're interested in learning some self-defense tactics, come out and show some group spirit and get our treasurer, Shireda Duncan, to mark your membership card.

Another option for L.I.P. Service events for the month of March is to attend the workshops offered related to ending violence against women. These include one on March 24 at 6-7pm in SU 316 (if you're looking for an alternative to the self-defense class...) called "She Was Asking For It: Beliefs and Myths about Sexual Assault" and one on March 31 at 6-7pm in SU 316 called "Love Shouldn't Hurt." These events are technically being sponsored by the Counseling Center, but both workshops are being hosted by your very own L.I.P. Service president, which means that you can come out to either or both of these and get your membership card marked while engaging in some discussion about sexual assault and intimate partner violence.

Just as a heads up for the rest of the semester, our next month's event is going to focus on April as Sexual Assault Awareness month. We are going to be doing a fun, interactive information table in the Student Union sometime during the lunch rush (10am-2pm) during the week of April 13-17. We are still waiting to hear back on some details before this gets finalized, but if you're available any day that week during those times (or any time within the range of 10am-2pm) and you would like to help us staff our table and share information with the campus community about preventing sexual assault, please e-mail us and we'll let you know how you can help!

And finally, please mark your calendars now for our final event of the semester: Wednesday, April 29 at 4-6pm. Most of the details are still pending on this, but we will be using this time to announce the winners of the election of new officers (more details on that will be shared in the upcoming month), discuss the year, thank everyone for their involvement, and enjoy some food together! We hope that you'll be able to make it!

Be on the lookout for more information as we wrap up this semester, and don't forget to let us know if you're interested in volunteering! And please take part in some of the fantastic Women's History Month events on campus, whether they're L.I.P. Service related or not!

.

Event Announcement: Vagina Monologues -- Prior Awareness Events & Performances

2009-02-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

1. "Until the Violence Stops" screening -- This Sundance documentary tells the story of how the Vagina Monologues grew into the V-Day organization. Come join us for the film, snacks, and conversation!

Date: Monday, February 9
Time: 4-7pm
Location: CAS 133

2. Teach-In on Violence Against Women in the Congo -- This event will offer information about the women of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the sexual violence that is used against them as a weapon of war in that nation's civil conflict. Discussion will be led by a panel of experts:

Wendy Lehman: MA in International Peace Studies and activist with Christian Peacemaker Teams working in the DRC
Dr. Timothy Scarnecchia: Assistant Professor of African History, Kent State University
Dr. Kirk Arden Hoppe: Associate Professor of African & World History, The University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. TJ Boisseau: Associate Professor of Gender & Cultural History, The University of Akron
Rosa Githiora: MPA in public administration and UA graduate student specializing in gender-based violence in Africa

The campaign on behalf of Congolese women has been selected by V-Day to receive a portion of the profits from this year's performances of the Vagina Monologues. Come join us to learn about the experience of the women of the Congo and to enjoy some light refreshments.
**PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS A NEW DATE, TIME AND LOCATION**

Date: Friday, February 13
Time: 2:30-4:30pm
Location: Student Union Theater

3. Vagina Monologues performances -- Doors open at 6:30pm with the program starting promptly at 7pm with a performance showcasing the talents of local belly dancers, Yelena Tarakova and Sarah Malak, and will be followed directly by the monologues. Festivities will also include a bake sale and fun V-day goodies available for purchase. The Clothesline Project, featuring T-shirts made by local survivors, will be on display both evenings. Advance tickets for the Vagina Monologues can be purchased through the Women's Studies Program office, located in Shrank Hall North, Room 58, Monday through Friday, 11:00am-5:00pm, or by calling 330-972-7008. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $8 for University of Akron affiliates (students, faculty, and staff) and are non-refundable. Tickets will also be available at the door before each performance.

Dates: Friday, February 13 and Saturday, February 14
Time: 7pm
Location: Leigh Hall, John S. Knight Auditorium

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Welcome to Spring Semester!

2009-01-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

We hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday break and that your spring semester has gotten off to a terrific start. We're ready to jump right in to another semester of activities and events, and we look forward to having you all involved as well! At the moment, much of L.I.P. Service's focus is on the upcoming production of the Vagina Monologues that is being put on by the Women's Studies program. L.I.P. Service is a co-sponsor of the production, which means that members can be involved in a number of ways:

1. Buy a t-shirt! The cost per shirt is $12. If you would like to order a shirt, please e-mail the group account ASAP (no later than Friday afternoon, at lipservice.ua@gmail.com) to give your size info, and you can bring the payment (cash or a check made out to Women's Studies) to the Women's Studies office at Schrank Hall North 58. There is a *really* short timeframe on this, so the sooner the better!

2. Volunteer to make baked goods! We had discussed at our December meeting about having a bake sale to help contribute to the Vagina Monologues, and people seemed excited about that idea. If you would like to donate some baked goods to sell at the performances, then first please e-mail us so we have a sense of how many people are volunteering and what they might be bringing. Once you've made your delicious treats, they need to be *individually wrapped (in plastic wrap or baggies)* and labeled (so people know what they're getting, if it has nuts in it, whatever). You can then bring these to the Women's Studies office on Friday, February 13, or to the performance itself at 6:30 on Friday or Saturday. When you volunteer, please let us know when you think you might be able to drop off the treats.

3. Volunteer to help out during the performances! In addition to the donation of baked goodies, we will need people to staff the table both nights to sell the treats, collect money, etc. We also need people who are willing to volunteer in general for some of the last-minute details of the performances -- doing things like chalking the sidewalk, directing people from the parking lot to the performance hall, ushering, handing out programs, and doing general troubleshooting tasks during the nights of the performances. If you are willing to commit to help in any capacity, please let us know via e-mail ASAP.

4. Donate some needed materials! This is a great way to help out if you're not baking-inclined and are unavailable during the nights of the performances. Our wish list of items includes baggies and plastic wrap (in case there are any issues with the baked goods) as well as air fresheners and/or Fabreeze (because the theatre smells a bit on the musty side). More immediately, we also need donations of chocolate that can be melted and used to make the chocolate vagina suckers that we will be selling at the shows. If you would like to donate any of these items, just bring them to the Women's Studies office. The chocolate is needed by February 8 so that there's sufficient time for the chocolate vaginas to be made.

5. Take part in the prior awareness events! In the days before the actual performances, L.I.P. Service is sponsoring two consciousness raising events to help promote the Vagina Monologues and its principles. The first of these is a screening of the documentary "Until the Violence Stops," which tells the story of how the Vagina Monologues grew into the V-Day organization. That is happening on Monday, February 9 at 4-7pm in CAS 133. The other is a teach-in on the women of the Congo, which is this year's beneficiary of VM profits. The teach-in will feature a presentation, documentary, and discussion on gender-based violence in the Congo and how the women of this region have experienced rape as a weapon of war. That event is happening on Tuesday, February 10 at 5-7pm in SU 335. We would like to see lots of L.I.P. Service members at these events -- all you need to do is show up (and bring some friends). If you're interested in helping out with these events in some way (e.g., facilitating discussion) please e-mail us and let me know. Otherwise, all you have to do is show up.

Let us know how you'd like to take part in any of the above, and we'll make it happen! Thanks for your involvement, and we're looking forward to an awesome semester!!

Highlights from the Mandatory Meeting

2008-12-05T20:48:00.001-08:00

Below is a brief rundown of some of what we discussed during the mandatory meeting. We're especially looking for feedback, suggestions, commitments for involvement, and general comments from the people who were not able to make it to the in-person meeting.

--> Membership cards

We handed out membership cards. These are punch cards on which you will receive a punch for each time you attend a L.I.P. Service event. Prizes will be given to the member(s) who attend the most events over the course of next semester. Ideas for potential prizes included:

massage at the Wellness Center
bookstore gift card
gift card to University stores
1 year supply of hemp soap (donated by member Jeremy K)
E.J. Thomas tickets
Art Museum passes
Hattie’s café coupon
Zoo tickets
gift basket for exam week/relaxation

If you were not at the event to get a punch card, please pick one up at the Women's Studies office.

--> Event Ideas

We will be involved with the production of the Vagina Monologues that Women's Studies is doing, and we will be having a self-defense training class (possibly in March). Brainstorming for other event ideas included:

Another round of the "To End Violence Against Women, Please Click Here" game show
"Debunking myths about feminism" event of some kind
Volunteering to partner with Rape Crisis Center on their annual "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" event
Educating the campus community about issues related to sexual assault through things such as: educating about consent (possibly partnering with the Rape Crisis Center to do so), having people sign a pledge to avoid nonconsensual sex, passing out condoms and info on consent, and doing some sort of live-action consciousness raising (such as beating a drum every 2 minutes on Buchtel Common to represent the frequency of domestic violence)
Partnering in some way with pro-choice organizations

--> Fundraising
We need to do something to help raise money for the group, since we do not collect membership fees. Here are some potential ideas:

Bake sale (split proceeds between us and Rape Crisis Center)
Auction or raffle
Selling signature "sponsorship" (like when Walgreens gets you to donate $1 for March of Dimes and then you write your name on a little paper shoe to be hung up in the store)
Something associated with selling stuff during the Vagina Monologues (perhaps people have things they could donate?)

So -- what are you interested in? What are you willing to do to help out with any of the above?

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MANDATORY In-Person Business Meeting

2008-11-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

We are having a mandatory, all-member group business meeting to discuss our plans for next semester. If you are unable to attend this meeting but are interested in remaining an active member of the group, please send an e-mail to the group account: lipservice.ua@gmail.com.

What: Mandatory business meeting for ALL members
When: Wednesday, December 3 @ 4-5pm
Where: Student Union 308

Because this meeting will be taking place during the week before finals, we are also hoping to make this an opportunity to enjoy some snacks and engage in de-stressing activities. Keep an eye on your e-mail for a reminder message where we'll have more specifics hammered out.

Event Announcement: World AIDS Day tabling

2008-11-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

Please join us on World AIDS Day, December 1, for a consciousness-raising event focused on the connection between the AIDS pandemic and violence against women. We will be tabling in the Student Union concourse between 10am and 2pm, where we will be handing out information on this issue as well as pamphlets from Community AIDS Network, condoms and red ribbons by which you can demonstrate your commitment to stopping the spread of AIDS.

When: Monday, December 1, 2008 @ 10-2
Where: Student Union concourse (2nd floor)
What: Information table
Why: Highlighting the link between AIDS and violence against women

Event Announcement: Movie night to celebrate American women's suffrage

2008-10-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

Join L.I.P. Service for a movie night as we celebrate the upcoming election and honor the brave women who fought for American women's right to vote. We will be showing the film "Iron Jawed Angels," which recounts the struggle of suffragists who fought for the passage of the 19th Amendment, as well as enjoying some pizza and pop.

Where: Women's Studies office, Schrank Hall North 58
When: Monday, November 3 @ 4-6pm

If you have questions, as always, send an e-mail to lipservice.ua@gmail.com

Reminder: Halloween Party this Friday!

2008-10-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

Please join L.I.P. Service and Women's Studies for a Halloween party this Friday (10/24) from 4-8pm at the Women's Studies office, Schrank Hall North 58. We will be enjoying pizza and pop, playing some games, making some art, screening some scary movies, and raising money to end violence against women! Come learn more about L.I.P. Service's activities and plans for the year as well as the Women's Studies minor and certificate programs. Costumes are optional but highly encouraged!

Online Meeting: 10/10/08 to 10/17/08

2008-10-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

*Please leave comments in order to participate in the meeting! When commenting, for purposes of clarity please reference the section on which you are commenting in your reply. This meeting will be considered open for "attendance" for 10/10 through 10/17.*

I. October event #2: Halloween costume party!

-- October 24 @ 4-8pm in the Women's Studies office, Schrank Hall North 58

A. L.I.P. Service is sharing in the Women's Studies program's Halloween party as a fun way to celebrate the holiday and recruit more members. Please plan to join us for fun and games as well as an opportunity to be more involved in the group and learn more about the Women's Studies minor. Costumes are optional but highly encouraged!

1. We need people to volunteer to help out by working the different stations and tables at the party. Here are what we'll be having – please let us know if any sound interesting to you!

- Name Game (Guess who is on your back based on someone’s clues to you)

- Mummy Game (Wrap a friend in toilet paper, send them to the finish line quicker than the other mummies)

- Collage Art (Working on a huge feminist collage)

- Adam and Eve Game (Pin the Leaf on Adam or Eve paper figures)

- Serving food (pizza and pop, passing out trick-or-treater bags for completing a series of activities)

- Informational tables (providing information on L.I.P. Service, Vagina Monologues, and possible violence against women handouts)

- Donation table (People will donate money towards our cause: violence against women and get to write their name on a paper pumpkin or leaf to be displayed in the Women's Studies windows)

2. We need the following things donated for the event. (This is also a good way to help out if you CANNOT attend the party.)

- Pop

- Bags of candy

- Trick-or-treating bags

- Toilet paper for mummy game

- Sidewalk chalk (needed before the day of Oct. 24)

- Construction paper / art supplies

3. Any other questions / concerns / thoughts about the party?

II. Plans for future group events

A. November: Movie night

-- November 3 @ 4-6pm in the Women's Studies office, Schrank Hall North 58

1. As a reminder of the significance of women's right to vote, we will be watching the film "Iron Jawed Angels" about the suffragettes. As IMDB summarizes: "Defiant young activists take the women's suffrage movement by storm, putting their lives at risk to help American women win the right to vote." Our plan is to enjoy pizza and pop, and maybe popcorn and cotton candy, as part of our movie night.

2. Would you be interested in helping out at the event in some way?

3. Another movie night opportunity to pass along: Women's Studies will be showing part one of a documentary on human trafficking on November 24 3-4:30pm in CBA 139.

4. Do you have any other ideas for a November event that you'd like to see happen?

B. December: World AIDS Day consciousness-raising

-- December 1 @ 10am-2pm in the Student Union

1. We will be having a table in the concourse of the Student Union to hand out red ribbons and share information on the worldwide AIDS pandemic and its relationship to the issue of violence against women.

2. Would you be interested in helping to staff the table?

3. Another movie night opportunity to pass along: Women's Studies will be showing part two of a documentary on human trafficking on December 1 @ 3-4:30pm in CBA 139.

C. January: Game show event

1. We will have a redux of our successful game show event "To End Violence Against Women, Please CLICK HERE." Details on date, time, and location will be announced at a later date.

2. Do you have any suggestions for added topics, improvements, etc.?

D. February: The Vagina Monologues

-- February 13 & 14 @ 7pm at Knight Auditorium in Leigh Hall

1. L.I.P. Service will be helping with the Women's Studies production of the Vagina Monologues. We need volunteers for acting, lights, sound, ushers, ticket takers, selling tickets, etc.!

2. If you're interested in taking part in some way, the Women's Studies office will be holding the first organizational meeting soon. The same meeting will be held twice, so if you can not make it to one please join us for the second. The meeting days and times are as follows:

-- October 29, 2008 (Wednesday) at 2pm in the Student Union 323

-- October 30, 2008 (Thursday) at 2pm in the Student Union 323

E. March: Self-defense class

1. Tentatively, the Green Dragon martial arts club might be willing to provide a self-defense class just for L.I.P. Service members. This is still in development. Would you be interested in this as a possible event?

F. April: Pledge to end sexual assault

1. April is sexual assault awareness month. We are considering having some sort of event where we raise peoples' awareness of what it means to offer consent and to ensure that sexual involvement is always a consensual act between willing partners. This might involve having students sign a pledge to actively seek consent/avoid sexually assaultive behaviors. Would you be interested in this as a possible event?

III. Other business

A. T-shirts: we finally have our organizational financial accounts sorted out, so we will be placing an order for shirts very soon. If you have already placed/paid for an order, you will be contacted once they come in, and will be able to pick them up during regular office hours at the Women's Studies office. If you're interested in purchasing a shirt but have not placed an order yet, now is the time! Bring cash or check (made out to The University of Akron) for $15 to the Women's Studies office and fill out an order form.

B. Scrapbooking committee: we would like for L.I.P. Service to maintain a scrapbook of photos and other content from all of our events. If you are an arts-n-craftsy sort of person and would like to be involved in putting together our group scrapbook, please consider joining the scrapbooking committee! For more information or to sign up, please contact committee chair Shireda Duncan at smd34@uakron.edu

IV. Any other questions / comments / other issues to be raised that were not addressed above?

Thanks, everyone! We look forward to hearing your feedback!

Event Announcement: Take Back the Night rally

2008-09-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

Join L.I.P. Service and Rape Crisis Centers of Summit and Medina Counties for this year's Take Back the Night rally -- a movement to raise awareness about and commit to end sexual violence.

When: Friday, October 10 @ 6-9pm
Where: First Grace United Church of Christ -- 350 S. Portage Path, Akron

For more information on Take Back the Night: www.takebackthenight.org

Volunteers are needed to help with the event (setting up, clean up, bringing baked goods, etc.), so please e-mail us (lipservice.ua@gmail.com) if you're interested in being a volunteer! As always, feel free to contact us with questions or post your questions in comments.

Event Announcement: Game show to raise awareness about violence against women

2008-09-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday, September 23 at 2 - 4pm L.I.P. Service: Liberation in Progress will be sponsoring a fun and interactive game event titled "To End Violence Against Women Please CLICK HERE." This quiz-show-style game will be an exciting opportunity to spend time with fellow action-oriented students and help to raise awareness about issues related to violence against women, including domestic abuse, sexual assault, and female genital mutilation. We will also be using this as an opportunity to help raise money for Rape Crisis of Summit and Medina Counties, so come join us for a fun and educational consciousness raising event!

Location: Student Union room 316

Agenda from the informational meeting

2008-09-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

L.I.P. Service
Informational Meeting
Wednesday September 3rd
4:30 pm

I. Welcome
II. Introduction of Organization
a. Tag line
i. "Promoting Action and Awareness of Gender Equity"
b. Philosophy/Mission
i. To act as a resource for feminists on The University of Akron campus.
ii. To address issues and concerns relating to women and affecting women on campus as well as in the community.
iii. To serve as a safe community/support system for women on campus.
iv. To assist the Women’s Studies Program with events.
c. Focus
i. This year's focus: raising awareness of and ending violence against women
d. Meeting Times
i. Most meetings will take place via the blog; announcements of "meetings" will be sent via the e-mailing list
e. Membership requirements/duties
i. Membership is open to undergraduate and graduate students of the University of Akron of any gender identity. A 2.0 GPA is required to participate in any campus organizations. No membership fee is required. Suggested minimum involvement for membership is some participation in online meetings and attending at least one event per semester. This minimum qualifies members to run for officer positions for the next year.
Introduction of Officers
f. Stephanie Cunningham – President
g. Alyssa Berthiaume – Vice President
h. Shireda Duncan – Treasurer
i. Cassie Simpson – Assistant Treasurer
j. Kameka Fullwood – co-advisor
k. Patricia Milhoff – advisor
Event Plans
l. September’s Event: "To End Violence Against Women Please CLICK HERE" – interactive game show (complete with prizes) to be held September 23 at 2-4pm in Student Union room 312.
m. October’s Event: Take Back the Night – speaking out rally and march raising awareness of survivors of sexual and domestic violence to be held October 10.
n. Next semester – The Vagina Monologues, February 13 and 14. Sponsored by Women's Studies; L.I.P. Service will be assisting throughout the project. Sign up with Kameka to be involved in performing, assisting with technical work, promotion, etc.
Open-Forum Discussion
o. Students' input of November’s event
i. Suggestion of engaging in a fundraiser or collection of items to benefit a local shelter
Questions
Sign-up to join!

Our first group meeting of the new school year!

2008-08-26T20:00:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm reposting below the information about our first group meeting of the academic year. If you're interested in taking part in the group but are unable to attend the meeting, please leave comments on this post regarding topics or suggestions that you would like have addressed and we will be sure to add them to the agenda. Alternately, we will post a review of the meeting in the following days, and you can feel free to make your voice heard through commenting then.

Here's our meeting announcement:

Are you interested in helping to raise awareness about issues of gender equity? How about working to end violence against women? If you're looking for a way to become active on campus and to take part in a student organization that is both action-oriented and fun, then consider becoming a part of L.I.P. Service: Liberation in Progress -- UA's new group dedicated to promoting action and awareness of gender equity! We will be having our first organizational meeting of the new year on September 3 @ 4:30pm in the Women's Studies department -- Schrank Hall North 58, where we will discuss plans for this year's activities and events that relate to our theme of ending violence against women. We will also be providing free pizza, so come check us out and share your ideas for action!

Group logo and branding

2008-08-12T23:34:00.000-07:00

Dear L.I.P. Service group members,

One of our members has recently raised some concerns regarding the rebranding of the group and the content of our logo as exhibiting an image that is inconsistent with our empowerment and liberation agenda. (As an aside, I hope that I'm characterizing the concerns accurately, and I apologize if I'm not -- I want to make sure that I'm doing justice to the very valid points that were made.) I thought that I might share with everyone in the group part of the thought process behind the rebranding in case other members have similar concerns to which they have not yet given voice. This was my individual response (in part) to the concerns raised, so the first-person perspective is from me (Stephanie). The rest of the executive board has expressed agreement with the content.

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First off, I wanted to note that our image in general and logo in particular is something into which we (as the executive board) have put a lot of thought. I understand the concern that this is not expressing the sort of empowerment message that we are intending with the group, and I think that is a reasonable concern. When thinking about the branding of this group, I for one felt that we needed to move the UA feminist student group toward an orientation that is more liberal feminist, and to reflect this in our new image. My rationale for this, based on my experience both as an activist and researcher, is that young college women (as well as men) have a lot of negative stereotypes about feminism and are going to need a branding of the group that is not immediately and aggressively confrontational to their gender stereotypes. Once we get them interested in what feminism is all about, *that* is the point at which these stereotypes can be challenged and they can begin to embrace an identity as feminist. However, if we can't even attract their interest because of prohibitive stereotypes of what feminists are like, we have failed in our mission before we even start. I personally embrace a radical feminist orientation and would love to eschew all gender stereotypes in every single aspect of my personal and professional life, but my familiarity with the extant research literature on cognitive change has led me to believe that this is the most effective course of changing how our peers engage with the idea of feminism.

I also, however, don't want to give the impression that I want to shoot down discussion about the logo and branding. Collaboration and distribution of power is at the very root of feminism, and I'm totally open to changing things. At this point in the academic year, however, decisions needed to be made about how to present the group for the new school year without the benefit of much input from our members. This included developing marketing materials, of which the shirts were one element. This process of branding is an iterative one, not a static one, and I think that we can make this a point of discussion in upcoming all-member group meetings so that we can develop an image with which the majority of our members are comfortable.

To provide some background on the development of the branding, we did decide to go with "L.I.P. Service" because of the idea of giving voice to women and feminist issues. We liked the irony of that idea (and the accompanying activism) juxtaposed with the status-quo implications of "giving lip service" to feminist issues. That was the basis of the renaming of the group. As for the logo itself, it was intended as another thought-provoking juxtaposition by combining the "masculine" military font with the "feminine" kiss print (sort of like a visual counterpart to what's expressed in the name "Guerrilla Girls"). The intention was not to express any sexual implications per se, but again I personally liked the subtle reappropriation of the sexualized lips placed in a context of being "militant" against women's oppression. I feel that the logo does a good job of being subversive in this subtle way, while again not necessarily alienating young women (and men) who perhaps are not as advanced in their feminist consciousness but who might be interested in learning more about feminism. I think it's also important to remember that in almost any context in which this logo will be present, there will be other indications that it is not about blowjobs but about empowerment – the motto of the group would also be on any promotional materials aside from the shirts, and in situations where we'd be wearing the shirts they will be ones in which it is clear that we are in fact representing a feminist group.
*****************

We will be having our first all-member meeting on September 3 @ 4:30pm in the Women's Studies department. I'll send a reminder with more details in the upcoming weeks. And of course, we are *always* open to discussion, and would be happy to keep this on the table as an item of business for our first group meeting.

In sisterhood,

Stephanie

Welcome to the new face of UA's feminist organization!

2008-06-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

Dear UAkron feminists,

This is a quick message from our University of Akron feminist student organization, checking in to say hello and share some information about our current plans for the upcoming academic year. We have some big changes to share, and we wanted to make sure that everyone is on the same page!

First off, our organization has up to this point been known as “Support in Sisterhood.” During a recent executive board meeting, however, we decided that this name did not convey the sort of snazzy feminist fun that we were hoping to project. We have since filed for an organizational name change through the SOuRCe, and (assuming this is accepted) we will henceforth be known as “LIP Service,” with the “LIP” part as an acronym for “Liberation in Progress.” We felt that this was a fun, inclusive name that expresses a boisterous personality, is subversively feminine, and hints at the idea of giving voice to feminist issues. If anyone would like to discuss the name change, feel free to post about it here.

Speaking of the blog – we also need to let you know about changes to how we will be communicating with you all from this point on. Previously we had been using our Yahoo group (SISisterhood @yahoogroups.com) both to send out announcements and to facilitate some discussions. Toward the end of last schoolyear, we added our Blogspot (http://sisisterhood.blogspot.com/) as a means by which to have online meetings. We have decided that we will be abandoning the Yahoo group, and that announcements will come from the Gmail address associated with this blog. We will use the blog for posting announcements, online meetings, and discussions. To correspond with our new name and new Gmail address, the blog is now located HERE -- please bookmark it and consider checking it regularly as part of your daily online routine!

We have started working on some plans for activities for the new year, including having a table at the new student orientation Roo Fest celebration, having a barbeque kick-off event (see the original blog for details), and engaging in some consciousness raising. Our theme for this year will be violence against women, and we hope to increase students’ awareness of this issue through some on-campus activities. With all of these exciting new plans for this upcoming school year, we would appreciate it if everyone who would like to continue to be involved with the group could send a quick reply to this message to indicate your interest and be kept on the mailing list. Also, if you have comments, questions or ideas, PLEASE share them on the blog!

We hope that everyone is having a fantastic summer, and we’re looking forward to a terrific year of feminist fun and action! We hope you’ll join us! :)

In sisterhood,

LIP Service executive board