ELECTION TIME and volunteers for tabling

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

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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

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:

• The Women's Studies homepage
  
• Office of Student Life calendar
  

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!


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

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!

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

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

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

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