Constant texting to find out what she's doing...
She checks in to keep him from getting angry...
For many teens, the line between devotion and abuse can be hard to find.
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
The YWCA of Oklahoma City educates teens on dating violence and healthy relationships. In fact, the YWCA is launching a new teen website and marketing efforts this spring. You can learn more about Prevention Education and how to schedule a speaker to your school or group by clicking here.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Event Thursday, April 22 at 10:00 AM, Norman: Greg Mortenson Speaking at OU
Lucky Oklahoma! Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools, will present an open lecture to the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities.
OU is asking you to register HERE. However, tickets will not be issued. Registration does not ensure entrance into the event as seating will be on a first-come, first-seated basis.
The lecture will take place in the Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall (capacity 1038), located in the Catlett Music Center at 500 W. Boyd St., Norman, Okla. The lecture will be simulcast to the following venues: Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center, historically known as Holmberg Hall (capacity 630) and located at 560 Parrington Oval, in close proximity to Catlett and the Meacham Auditorium (capacity 400) on the south end, second floor of the Oklahoma Memorial Union, located at 900 Asp Avenue.
Free parking is available at the Lloyd Noble Center (north parking lot area), 2900 Jenkins Ave. A free shuttle runs every ten minutes from Lloyd Noble to the south oval. The Catlett Music Center and Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center are a five to ten minute walk from the Cart drop off on the south oval. For additional information, please see the link to OU's campus map below:
http://www.ou.edu/map
Accommodations on the basis of disability are available by contacting (405) 325-9037 by April 16, 2010.
OU is asking you to register HERE. However, tickets will not be issued. Registration does not ensure entrance into the event as seating will be on a first-come, first-seated basis.
The lecture will take place in the Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall (capacity 1038), located in the Catlett Music Center at 500 W. Boyd St., Norman, Okla. The lecture will be simulcast to the following venues: Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center, historically known as Holmberg Hall (capacity 630) and located at 560 Parrington Oval, in close proximity to Catlett and the Meacham Auditorium (capacity 400) on the south end, second floor of the Oklahoma Memorial Union, located at 900 Asp Avenue.
Free parking is available at the Lloyd Noble Center (north parking lot area), 2900 Jenkins Ave. A free shuttle runs every ten minutes from Lloyd Noble to the south oval. The Catlett Music Center and Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center are a five to ten minute walk from the Cart drop off on the south oval. For additional information, please see the link to OU's campus map below:
http://www.ou.edu/map
Accommodations on the basis of disability are available by contacting (405) 325-9037 by April 16, 2010.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Plan Now to See Movie "Half The Sky" in Select Theaters on March 4
Last year, Girl Scouts USA & CARE launched ‘The Power of Girls’ (www.thepowerofgirls.com) initiative to help mobilize girls around important global issues, including the critical role that girls' education and leadership play in addressing poverty.
As part of this will be International Women's Day on March 8. In honor of this day, the special live performance called "Half the Sky" will be shown on selected movie theaters nationwide on March 4. The event will be shown in theaters in Norman and OKC. For details on this event including tickets, go to http://www.ncm.com/Fathom/OriginalPrograms/event/Half_The_Sky.aspx
Half the Sky is inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof’s and Sheryl WuDunn’s New York Times bestseller, “Half The Sky,” which follows the stories of extraordinary women around the world as they struggle to overcome oppression. Kristof and WuDunn focus on three major problems facing women – sex trafficking, maternal mortality and violence against women. They argue that empowering women is the key to alleviating poverty and uplifting communities in developing countries.
“Woineshet” is a new film about a poor Ethiopian girl who ultimately triumphs over sexual violence and discrimination. As a teenager from a small village in Ethiopia, Woineshet and her family bravely fought against brutal local traditions of rape and forced marriage. The co-directorial debut of Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone, “Woineshet” is an adaptation of this brave and inspirational true story.
Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Working in more than 70 countries, women are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to improve education, health and economic opportunity. Learn more at http://www.care.org/.
The Half the Sky event was captured live on February 11, 2010 out of New York City and is being rebroadcast to select theatres nationwide on March 4, 2010 at 7:30 pm (local time).
As part of this will be International Women's Day on March 8. In honor of this day, the special live performance called "Half the Sky" will be shown on selected movie theaters nationwide on March 4. The event will be shown in theaters in Norman and OKC. For details on this event including tickets, go to http://www.ncm.com/Fathom/OriginalPrograms/event/Half_The_Sky.aspx
Half the Sky is inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof’s and Sheryl WuDunn’s New York Times bestseller, “Half The Sky,” which follows the stories of extraordinary women around the world as they struggle to overcome oppression. Kristof and WuDunn focus on three major problems facing women – sex trafficking, maternal mortality and violence against women. They argue that empowering women is the key to alleviating poverty and uplifting communities in developing countries.
“Woineshet” is a new film about a poor Ethiopian girl who ultimately triumphs over sexual violence and discrimination. As a teenager from a small village in Ethiopia, Woineshet and her family bravely fought against brutal local traditions of rape and forced marriage. The co-directorial debut of Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone, “Woineshet” is an adaptation of this brave and inspirational true story.
Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Working in more than 70 countries, women are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to improve education, health and economic opportunity. Learn more at http://www.care.org/.
The Half the Sky event was captured live on February 11, 2010 out of New York City and is being rebroadcast to select theatres nationwide on March 4, 2010 at 7:30 pm (local time).
Youth Council of Oklahoma City is Taking Applications
Do you know a teenager who lives in the Oklahoma City voting district who will be a junior or senior next year and is interested in government or public office? The Youth Council could be their first steps in public service. To read more about it and apply, CLICK HERE and then click on "To download an application, click YCOKCApplication 10-11.doc"
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Event, Feb 27, Norman, 11am: Travel Writer Elaine Warner to Speak
Oklahoma travel writer Elaine Warner will discuss her craft and career in a meet-the-author session at the Norman Public Library Saturday, February 27, at 11 a.m. in the library’s Campbell Gallery Room. The event is free but due to limited space, registration is required. To register, visit the library, call 701-2620, or take advantage of the online registration feature of the library's events calendar website page.Warner, an Edmond resident who has specialized in writing travel stories about Oklahoma for many years, is the author of Insiders' Guide: Tulsa, published by the Globe Pequot Press. Warner began writing travel stories in 1991 and has published a column called Off the Beaten Path for the Edmond Sun for many years. Her articles have been published in several state and regional magazines. She also chronicles her adventures in her own blog, A Broad Abroad: An Okie Traveller Out & About at http://www.okietravel.blogspot.com.
Read more...
How Will You Honor Women's History Month (About.Com: Women's History)
Below is from the newsletter prepared by Jone Johnson Lewis (About.com: Women's History), entitled Your Guide to Women's History.
March 1 begins Women's History Month (in the U.S., anyway). I've featured in this week's newsletter an article about the origin of Women's History Month.
It's still Black History Month until March begins, so I've also highlighted a few more of the African American women you may know and some you probably don't.
I'd still love to include your Women's History Month story, so do think about sharing your experience in how to honor the month so that others can learn from it.
Don't miss the "Must Reads" to the right of the main articles in this newsletter, and the headlines of a few additional articles below.
Women's History Month
How did March come to be Women's History Month? Read about the history of this time set aside to pay particular attention to the distaff side of history: Women's History Month
Pioneers: Black Women in Congress
Two black women were pioneers in their service in the U.S. Congress: Shirley Chisholm was elected in 1968, winning a seat from Brooklyn, and was the first black woman in the House. Barbara Jordan joined her in 1972, becoming the first black woman from the South elected to Congress, and one of the first two African Americans since Reconstruction elected to Congress.
Adding Sex Discrimination to the Civil Rights Act
Women were added to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a joke and to defeat the bill, right? Another myth of women's history bites the dust: read more
How Have You Honored Women's History Month?
Contribute your story to help others learn from your experience.
Lawmakers Vote to Aid Pregnant Women
OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation that would allow women to use handicapped parking spaces during the final months of pregnancy has gained committee approval.
“During the recent ice storms, I witnessed an expectant mother having to cross a slick parking lot on foot,” said Morgan, D-Prague. “The consequences of a fall at that stage of the pregnancy could have been very serious and were avoidable if we would allow her the use of a handicap spot near the entrance.”
House Bill 2907, by Morgan, would allow women to obtain a temporary placard from a physician that allows them to use handicap parking spaces.
Current law allows those placards to go to individuals who cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest, people who require the use of a brace or a cane, those who have temporarily lost the use of one or more limbs (such as those with a broken leg), and those who are severely limited in their ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological or orthopedic condition.
“Obviously, having a baby is not a disability in the traditional sense, but late-stage pregnancy does involve physical challenges,” said Morgan, the leader of the House Democratic Caucus. “In the final trimester, many women have various conditions that make walking difficult and painful, and I believe state law should make some accommodation for those mothers-to-be.”
In both 2007 and 2008, the average monthly birth rate was around 4,500 births.
According to the Department of Public Safety Office of Driver Compliance, the number of handicap placards issued for the last fiscal year was almost 80,000 (including both five-year permits and six-month temporary permits).
“Many women do not have the luxury of remaining at home and continue to have responsibilities and obligations that require them to continue running errands right up to the day they give birth,” Morgan said. “This legislation would take that fact into account.”
He noted the bill would not mean all pregnant women would automatically be given a placard.
“My measure simply seeks to grant greater authority to physicians to issue temporary parking placards to pregnant women,” Morgan said. “If a physician determines that a woman in her final months of pregnancy should limit her activity, and the physician determines she meets the physical disability definition of not being able to walk 200 feet without resting, than the physician could issue this placard and provide expectant mothers some much-needed relief.”
House Bill 2907 passed the House General Government Committee without opposition and now proceeds to the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representative
Source. Oklahoma House of Representatives Media Division
“During the recent ice storms, I witnessed an expectant mother having to cross a slick parking lot on foot,” said Morgan, D-Prague. “The consequences of a fall at that stage of the pregnancy could have been very serious and were avoidable if we would allow her the use of a handicap spot near the entrance.”
House Bill 2907, by Morgan, would allow women to obtain a temporary placard from a physician that allows them to use handicap parking spaces.
Current law allows those placards to go to individuals who cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest, people who require the use of a brace or a cane, those who have temporarily lost the use of one or more limbs (such as those with a broken leg), and those who are severely limited in their ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological or orthopedic condition.
“Obviously, having a baby is not a disability in the traditional sense, but late-stage pregnancy does involve physical challenges,” said Morgan, the leader of the House Democratic Caucus. “In the final trimester, many women have various conditions that make walking difficult and painful, and I believe state law should make some accommodation for those mothers-to-be.”
In both 2007 and 2008, the average monthly birth rate was around 4,500 births.
According to the Department of Public Safety Office of Driver Compliance, the number of handicap placards issued for the last fiscal year was almost 80,000 (including both five-year permits and six-month temporary permits).
“Many women do not have the luxury of remaining at home and continue to have responsibilities and obligations that require them to continue running errands right up to the day they give birth,” Morgan said. “This legislation would take that fact into account.”
He noted the bill would not mean all pregnant women would automatically be given a placard.
“My measure simply seeks to grant greater authority to physicians to issue temporary parking placards to pregnant women,” Morgan said. “If a physician determines that a woman in her final months of pregnancy should limit her activity, and the physician determines she meets the physical disability definition of not being able to walk 200 feet without resting, than the physician could issue this placard and provide expectant mothers some much-needed relief.”
House Bill 2907 passed the House General Government Committee without opposition and now proceeds to the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representative
Source. Oklahoma House of Representatives Media Division
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Domestic Violence is not a Pre-Existing Condition (Okla Senate Bill 1251)
Yeah. OKWatchDog.org reports that last week "the Senate Retirement and Insurance Committee passed a bill to prohibit health insurance companies from discriminating against victims of domestic violence. The vote was unanimous after Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee told the committee that he supported the bill. Click HERE to read Senate Bill 1251."
Event, Sunday, 2pm, Feb 28, OKC: Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum Book Signing at Full Circle Bookstore
Full Circle Bookstore (at 50 Penn Place in Oklahoma City) is hosting a book signing with Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum on Sunday, February 28 at 2:00 p.m.and you are invited!!
Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum are best friends. How is that possible for a mother and adult daughter? Find out in Mother-Daughter Duet: Getting to the Relationship You Want with your Adult Daughter by Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum. Cheri Fuller is an author, inspirational speaker and contributor to a wide range of women's and Christian magazines. Ali Plum, Cheri's daughter, is a writer and songwriter and wife and mother of two boys.
In Mother-Daughter Duet, they describe the challenging road to adult friendship between mother and daughter (and perhaps daughter-in-law) and how through proven principals of communication, a rich relationship can be established.
Full Circle's Master Gardener Klee Black says the show of bulbs in Full Circle's garden this spring will be extraordinary ... come early and have lunch. enjoy the flowers and stay for the book signing!
Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum are best friends. How is that possible for a mother and adult daughter? Find out in Mother-Daughter Duet: Getting to the Relationship You Want with your Adult Daughter by Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum. Cheri Fuller is an author, inspirational speaker and contributor to a wide range of women's and Christian magazines. Ali Plum, Cheri's daughter, is a writer and songwriter and wife and mother of two boys.
In Mother-Daughter Duet, they describe the challenging road to adult friendship between mother and daughter (and perhaps daughter-in-law) and how through proven principals of communication, a rich relationship can be established.
Full Circle's Master Gardener Klee Black says the show of bulbs in Full Circle's garden this spring will be extraordinary ... come early and have lunch. enjoy the flowers and stay for the book signing!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Food for Thought: "Public Roles, Private Persons" by Debra Erickson
Public Roles, Private Persons
by Debra Erickson
A few weeks ago, Sightings ran a piece by Courtney Wilder on the clergy fashion advice blog Beauty Tips for Ministers. In highlighting the dilemmas faced by female clergy – the clashing of expectations that occurs in a profession in which the line between personal and professional is blurry and difficult to maintain, particularly for women – it exemplifies the themes that will be taken up by a conference being hosted by the Divinity School next week, “Public and Private: Feminism, Marriage, and Family in Political Thought and Contemporary Life.” The conference is inspired by the work of University of Chicago Divinity School Professor Jean Bethke Elshtain, whose first book, Public Man, Private Woman is widely considered a modern classic in political theory.
In much of her early writing, Elshtain fought against the feminist dictum that “the personal is political.” This battle cry collapsed the classical distinction in political theory between the public sphere of political action (historically reserved to men), and the private sphere of home and family life, where women invisibly labored, unknown and unremembered. But in trying to break down the barriers that prevented women from acting in the public realm, radical feminists applied the logic of politics, constituted as a quest for dominance, to private life: Relationships that had been defined by love or familial fidelity were instead viewed exclusively as the seat and site of oppression, injustice, and misogyny; liberating women from those bonds became the explicit goal of a cadre of late-twentieth-century feminists. In other words, women had to become men: Authentic living was possibly only when unencumbered by the obligations of marriage or childrearing.
Reverend Weinstein’s blog is, in some way, heir to Elshtain’s groundbreaking work. Rather than demanding that women leave behind the things that mark them as women – feminine clothes, up-to-date hairstyles, makeup – in order to exercise public authority, the blog makes a space for women to act in public as women. The blog also highlights the ways in which Christianity has played, and continues to play, a role in the ongoing push and pull between the public and private realms. Elshtain points to Augustine, Aquinas, and Luther in particular as Christian thinkers who challenged the classical elevation of the public realm that had as its necessary corollary the exclusion of women from political life.
Elshtain writes, “Christianity challenged the primacy of politics. It did not relegate secular power to silence and shadows as secular power had formerly relegated the private, but the claims of the public-political world no longer went unchallenged. Caesar now had to confront the formidable figure of Christ.” Christianity bequeathed to the individual qua human being irreducible worth and dignity, and placed independent value on “the realm of necessity” inhabited by women. In so doing, it turned Aristotle “on his head.” The Greeks had excluded women from the highest expressions of human life, action, and thought; Christianity smashed the distinction between higher and lower forms of human existence, with effects that reverberated through to the present.
Not least among these effects is the often politically fraught movement of women into the public sphere. The existence of Beauty Tips for Ministers and the attention it has garnered are evidence of how the landscape has changed since the first edition of Public Man, Private Woman was published in 1981. Next week’s conference brings together an interdisciplinary group of major thinkers – including John Witte, Jr., Mary Ann Glendon, David Blankenhorn, Arlene Saxonhouse, William Galston, Elizabeth Lasch-Quinn, and Don Browning – to debate its title themes; discuss the impact of Jean Elsthain’s contributions; reflect on changes in the social, political, and academic contexts in which we labor; and consider what work is left to do.
More information can be found on the conference web site: http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/conferences/engagedmind/2010/index.shtml
References:
Jean Bethke Elshtain, Public Man, Private Woman: Women in Social and Political Thought (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1981).
Read Courtney Wilder’s Sightings, “The Sacred and the Sartorial,” at http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/sightings/archive_2010/0114.shtml.
Debra Erickson is a PhD candidate in Ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School.
+++++++++++++++++++++
by Debra Erickson
A few weeks ago, Sightings ran a piece by Courtney Wilder on the clergy fashion advice blog Beauty Tips for Ministers. In highlighting the dilemmas faced by female clergy – the clashing of expectations that occurs in a profession in which the line between personal and professional is blurry and difficult to maintain, particularly for women – it exemplifies the themes that will be taken up by a conference being hosted by the Divinity School next week, “Public and Private: Feminism, Marriage, and Family in Political Thought and Contemporary Life.” The conference is inspired by the work of University of Chicago Divinity School Professor Jean Bethke Elshtain, whose first book, Public Man, Private Woman is widely considered a modern classic in political theory.
In much of her early writing, Elshtain fought against the feminist dictum that “the personal is political.” This battle cry collapsed the classical distinction in political theory between the public sphere of political action (historically reserved to men), and the private sphere of home and family life, where women invisibly labored, unknown and unremembered. But in trying to break down the barriers that prevented women from acting in the public realm, radical feminists applied the logic of politics, constituted as a quest for dominance, to private life: Relationships that had been defined by love or familial fidelity were instead viewed exclusively as the seat and site of oppression, injustice, and misogyny; liberating women from those bonds became the explicit goal of a cadre of late-twentieth-century feminists. In other words, women had to become men: Authentic living was possibly only when unencumbered by the obligations of marriage or childrearing.
Reverend Weinstein’s blog is, in some way, heir to Elshtain’s groundbreaking work. Rather than demanding that women leave behind the things that mark them as women – feminine clothes, up-to-date hairstyles, makeup – in order to exercise public authority, the blog makes a space for women to act in public as women. The blog also highlights the ways in which Christianity has played, and continues to play, a role in the ongoing push and pull between the public and private realms. Elshtain points to Augustine, Aquinas, and Luther in particular as Christian thinkers who challenged the classical elevation of the public realm that had as its necessary corollary the exclusion of women from political life.
Elshtain writes, “Christianity challenged the primacy of politics. It did not relegate secular power to silence and shadows as secular power had formerly relegated the private, but the claims of the public-political world no longer went unchallenged. Caesar now had to confront the formidable figure of Christ.” Christianity bequeathed to the individual qua human being irreducible worth and dignity, and placed independent value on “the realm of necessity” inhabited by women. In so doing, it turned Aristotle “on his head.” The Greeks had excluded women from the highest expressions of human life, action, and thought; Christianity smashed the distinction between higher and lower forms of human existence, with effects that reverberated through to the present.
Not least among these effects is the often politically fraught movement of women into the public sphere. The existence of Beauty Tips for Ministers and the attention it has garnered are evidence of how the landscape has changed since the first edition of Public Man, Private Woman was published in 1981. Next week’s conference brings together an interdisciplinary group of major thinkers – including John Witte, Jr., Mary Ann Glendon, David Blankenhorn, Arlene Saxonhouse, William Galston, Elizabeth Lasch-Quinn, and Don Browning – to debate its title themes; discuss the impact of Jean Elsthain’s contributions; reflect on changes in the social, political, and academic contexts in which we labor; and consider what work is left to do.
More information can be found on the conference web site: http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/conferences/engagedmind/2010/index.shtml
References:
Jean Bethke Elshtain, Public Man, Private Woman: Women in Social and Political Thought (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1981).
Read Courtney Wilder’s Sightings, “The Sacred and the Sartorial,” at http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/sightings/archive_2010/0114.shtml.
Debra Erickson is a PhD candidate in Ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School.
+++++++++++++++++++++
I received the above from a minister friend with the note "Thought you might find this interesting." Makes me lonesome for graduate school.If you have actually made it this far, DO read Courtney Wilder's article in Sightings (cited above) and visit Weinstein's blog "Beauty Tips for Ministers" at www.beautytipsforministers.com Then forward this post to a a woman minister you know!
Jean
Jean
Event, March 30, OKC: WE Inspire Conference
Attention women entrepreneurs: The Riata Center for Entrepreneurship at Oklahoma State University invites you to attend their "WE Inspire Conference" on March 30 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. For details, visit their website at www.weinspire.net.
A Good Case for Electing More Women to the State Legislature
Below is an interesting argument regarding Pennsylvania. I think Baer's case could just as easily apply to Oklahoma which currently ranks 49th in the nation in women in the state legislature. What do you think?
It's time for a woman's touch - in Pa.'s Legislature
By John Baer
Philadelphia Daily News
Daily News Political Columnist
ON THE BIRTHDAY of "the Father of our Country," here's an update on the mothers: Things could be a lot better.
I've long argued that politics needs more women, especially in Pennsylvania's self-protective, bloated, ineffective, scandal-prone, men's-club Legislature.
Cut its size, its cost and add more women and there would be less corruption and more production.
We're among the worst states for women: 46th in the number of female lawmakers, just 14 percent of the Assembly. The national average is 24 percent, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers.
No other Northern state ranks as low. The only states lower? Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina - the first state, I'd remind you, to secede from the Union.
And our number could decline. At least three incumbent women - Philly's Kathy Manderino, Chester County's Barb McIlvaine Smith and Lancaster's Katie True - aren't seeking re-election this year.
All this is despite facts common to all but a few states: In Pennsylvania women outnumber men (52 percent to 48 percent); women register to vote at higher rates than men (69 percent to 67 percent), and women vote more than men (62 percent to 59 percent).
The figures are from the U.S. census and pertain to the 2008 elections. The figures and other data represent only marginal progress since I last wrote about this issue, in 2003.
Then, we ranked 47th with a Legislature 13 percent female. Then, we were the only state in which men outregistered women. But then and now, the numbers suggest a women-are-fer-breed'n'-not-fer-leadin' attitude.
We've never elected a woman governor (20 other states have) or U.S. senator (22 other states have). We've sent only seven women to Congress ever, and three of them succeeded deceased husbands. We now have two: Philly/Montco's Allyson Schwartz and Erie's Kathy Dahlkemper.
Barbara Hafer, elected state auditor general and treasurer and the state's first major-party woman candidate for governor (1990), is running for the Johnstown congressional seat that was held by the late Jack Murtha. I ask her: Why so few women in state politics?
"Politics is tough, and you have to stay around and fight," she says. "Also, a lot of the old excuses hold: Harrisburg's a 'boys' town' and women don't like to travel or be away from home for long stretches."
Rep. McIlvaine Smith, leaving after two state House terms, tells me: "I don't know what it is about us . . . I do know for a lot of the guys it's like being back in college in a frat. They go out drinking together; they go to car races together; they share houses together."
Debbie Walsh, director of the women's center at Rutgers, thinks it's a process: "What you have in Pennsylvania is a pretty entrenched party system that makes it difficult for women to break in . . . New Jersey used to be near the bottom like Pennsylvania, but over the last 10 years, thanks to a concerted push for women to change the culture, we're up to 15th."
(When I call the Pennsylvania Center for Women, Policies and Public Policy in Pittsburgh, I get a voice message saying that no messages can be received.)
Here are three reasons more women would improve politics:
* Even considering the numerical disparity, women in office almost never are mired in scandal, sexual or otherwise.
There are exceptions: Baltimore Mayor Sheila A. Dixon, forced to resign earlier this month after she was caught stealing gift cards intended for the poor of her city; maybe Pittsburgh state Sen. Jane Orie, reportedly under investigation for alleged improper use of her office to help her sister, Joan Orie Melvin, win a seat on the state Supreme Court. But, come on, a list of scandals involving male politicians around the nation would fill this newspaper.
* Men turn public debate into
testosterone tests and end up accomplishing little. When New Hampshire Rep. Carol Shea-Porter last month said the quickest way to get health care done is to "send the men home," she was right. She argued that almost every woman in Congress has cared for children, mothers, husbands' mothers, and that every one knows more than men about needs and nurturing. Hard to disagree.
* During decades of covering politicians, I've experienced a pattern: Men tend to talk about their careers and what they want to be. Women tend to talk about specific issues and what they want to do.
So, think about this. Two weeks are left to file for this year's elections. You need $100 to run for state House or Senate and a petition signed by registered voters (500 signers for Senate, 300 for House).
And, with due respect to birthday-boy George, remember the words of former British Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher: "In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman."
Send e-mail to baerj@phillynews.com.
For recent columns, go to http://go.philly.com/baer.
It's time for a woman's touch - in Pa.'s Legislature
By John Baer
Philadelphia Daily News
Daily News Political Columnist
ON THE BIRTHDAY of "the Father of our Country," here's an update on the mothers: Things could be a lot better.
I've long argued that politics needs more women, especially in Pennsylvania's self-protective, bloated, ineffective, scandal-prone, men's-club Legislature.
Cut its size, its cost and add more women and there would be less corruption and more production.
We're among the worst states for women: 46th in the number of female lawmakers, just 14 percent of the Assembly. The national average is 24 percent, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers.
No other Northern state ranks as low. The only states lower? Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina - the first state, I'd remind you, to secede from the Union.
And our number could decline. At least three incumbent women - Philly's Kathy Manderino, Chester County's Barb McIlvaine Smith and Lancaster's Katie True - aren't seeking re-election this year.
All this is despite facts common to all but a few states: In Pennsylvania women outnumber men (52 percent to 48 percent); women register to vote at higher rates than men (69 percent to 67 percent), and women vote more than men (62 percent to 59 percent).
The figures are from the U.S. census and pertain to the 2008 elections. The figures and other data represent only marginal progress since I last wrote about this issue, in 2003.
Then, we ranked 47th with a Legislature 13 percent female. Then, we were the only state in which men outregistered women. But then and now, the numbers suggest a women-are-fer-breed'n'-not-fer-leadin' attitude.
We've never elected a woman governor (20 other states have) or U.S. senator (22 other states have). We've sent only seven women to Congress ever, and three of them succeeded deceased husbands. We now have two: Philly/Montco's Allyson Schwartz and Erie's Kathy Dahlkemper.
Barbara Hafer, elected state auditor general and treasurer and the state's first major-party woman candidate for governor (1990), is running for the Johnstown congressional seat that was held by the late Jack Murtha. I ask her: Why so few women in state politics?
"Politics is tough, and you have to stay around and fight," she says. "Also, a lot of the old excuses hold: Harrisburg's a 'boys' town' and women don't like to travel or be away from home for long stretches."
Rep. McIlvaine Smith, leaving after two state House terms, tells me: "I don't know what it is about us . . . I do know for a lot of the guys it's like being back in college in a frat. They go out drinking together; they go to car races together; they share houses together."
Debbie Walsh, director of the women's center at Rutgers, thinks it's a process: "What you have in Pennsylvania is a pretty entrenched party system that makes it difficult for women to break in . . . New Jersey used to be near the bottom like Pennsylvania, but over the last 10 years, thanks to a concerted push for women to change the culture, we're up to 15th."
(When I call the Pennsylvania Center for Women, Policies and Public Policy in Pittsburgh, I get a voice message saying that no messages can be received.)
Here are three reasons more women would improve politics:
* Even considering the numerical disparity, women in office almost never are mired in scandal, sexual or otherwise.
There are exceptions: Baltimore Mayor Sheila A. Dixon, forced to resign earlier this month after she was caught stealing gift cards intended for the poor of her city; maybe Pittsburgh state Sen. Jane Orie, reportedly under investigation for alleged improper use of her office to help her sister, Joan Orie Melvin, win a seat on the state Supreme Court. But, come on, a list of scandals involving male politicians around the nation would fill this newspaper.
* Men turn public debate into
testosterone tests and end up accomplishing little. When New Hampshire Rep. Carol Shea-Porter last month said the quickest way to get health care done is to "send the men home," she was right. She argued that almost every woman in Congress has cared for children, mothers, husbands' mothers, and that every one knows more than men about needs and nurturing. Hard to disagree.
* During decades of covering politicians, I've experienced a pattern: Men tend to talk about their careers and what they want to be. Women tend to talk about specific issues and what they want to do.
So, think about this. Two weeks are left to file for this year's elections. You need $100 to run for state House or Senate and a petition signed by registered voters (500 signers for Senate, 300 for House).
And, with due respect to birthday-boy George, remember the words of former British Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher: "In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman."
Send e-mail to baerj@phillynews.com.
For recent columns, go to http://go.philly.com/baer.
Event, March 4, Tulsa: Dr. Shelly Tochluk - Witnessing for Racial Justice
Dr. Shelly Tochluk: Witnessing for Racial Justice
Thursday, March 4, 2010
An educator with a psychology background, Dr. Shelly Tochluk's experiences with UCLA's Track and Field team and her inner city teaching experiences shaped her dedication to confront race issues. She is the author of Witnessing Whiteness: The Need to Talk About Race and How to Do It.
Presentation: 9:30am, Tulsa Community College - Southeast Student Center Auditorium
Panel Discussion: 1pm, Tulsa Community College - Northeast Seminar Center
Click here for more information.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
An educator with a psychology background, Dr. Shelly Tochluk's experiences with UCLA's Track and Field team and her inner city teaching experiences shaped her dedication to confront race issues. She is the author of Witnessing Whiteness: The Need to Talk About Race and How to Do It.
Presentation: 9:30am, Tulsa Community College - Southeast Student Center Auditorium
Panel Discussion: 1pm, Tulsa Community College - Northeast Seminar Center
Click here for more information.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Reducing Women Incarcerated in Oklahoma: Tulsa's "Women in Recovery" Program
Interested in understanding why Oklahoma incarcerates more women that any other state? Check our Oklahoma SIS. The majority of women incarcerated in Oklahoma have drug addition issues. Here is an article about "Women in Recovery" - a great program in Tulsa designed to offer drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Know who your kids chat with online
Think Internet predators are a coastal or big city issue? Wrong. The recent article in The Oklahoman entitled "Florida woman is accused of seducing teen" tells of a 43 year old Florida woman accused of seducing a1--year old Oklahoma City youth. It cites OKC police Detective Robert Kemmet. Kemmet works in partnership with officials from ICE and the FBI to reduce human trafficking in Oklahoma. He's told me some stories about teen girls in Oklahoma who thought they were chatting online with teen boys but ended up disappearing when they agreed to meet up. Another Oklahoman interested in human trafficking is Linda Caswell, founder of All Things New Campaign.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Event, Feb 24, 6pm, Norman: See Film on Domestic Violence in Oklahoma
Don’t miss the sneak preview of “1 in 3” It Is Closer Than You Think, a featured film about domestic violence in Oklahoma made by OU alumni. The film will be followed by small group discussions facilitated by The Xenia Institute fellows.1 in 3 women in Oklahoma will suffer from domestic violence in their lifetime. This is one of the largest social concerns in our community. This evening is part of the Center for Social Justice, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and The Xenia Institute’s commitment to in draw attention to and find strategies to address this issue.
This is going to be an interesting and fascinating evening, so I wanted to let you know about this event. Please let your coworkers, friends and family know about the event.
When: February 24th at 6pm
Where: Fred Jones JR. Museum of Art.
Teen Dating Violence and Mary Kay
This month Mary Kay partnered with Break the Cycle to launch the ground breaking Ending Violence DVD to put the organization’s dating violence prevention program into a multi-media format for ease of use and integration into schools across the United States. This DVD is now available just in time for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month! Learn more by visiting the resource section of www.breakthecycle.org. You can learn more about Teen Dating Violence Awareness month at www.teendvmonth.org
Enid Juliette Lowe Leadership Society Plans March Luncheon
Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma will host their 2010 Juliette Lowe Leadership Society luncheon in Enid on March 4 at the Cherokee Strip Conference Center from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The guest speaker will be Louisa McCune-Elmore, editor in chief of Oklahoma Today, who will speak on "Creative Minds: There's an App for That." Memberships are $200 (includes luncheon ticket). Luncheon tickets are $30 per person. For more information on JLLS/Enid or to purchase a ticket or sponsorship, email Carla Burdick or call 580-237-2185. To RSVP call 580-237-9939 by Feb. 26.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Register now for Oklahoma Women's Coalition Advocacy day at the Capitol on March 2
The Oklahoma Women’s Coalition will host Advocacy Day at the Capitol on Tuesday, March 2. The event will focus on issues affecting women and girls — and encourages Oklahomans across the state to get involved in legislation impacting women, families, and communities.
“The Coalition wants to help Oklahomans learn about the legislative process, understand the issues, and meet with lawmakers at the State Capitol,” said Jean Warner, board chair of the OWC. “The statistics on the state of women and girls in Oklahoma is alarming.”
Oklahoma ranks first in the nation in child abuse deaths and the number of women incarcerated per capita. The state also has high rates of teen births and domestic violence. The Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that formed in 2008 with more than 250 individual members and more than two dozen organizational members. The mission is to improve the lives of Oklahoma women and girls through education and advocacy.
The event luncheon will feature the gubernatorial candidates for 2010, including Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, Attorney General Drew Edmondson, and State Senator Randy Brogdon. They will share their concerns and solutions regarding women and girls issues.
The cost to attend is $30. Students pay $15. Registration is available online at www.oklahomawomenscoalition.org. The deadline to register is February 26.
The agenda for the March 2 event:
• Registration at the Oklahoma History Center – 8 a.m.
• Welcome and Briefing – 9 a.m.
• Meet with legislators at State Capitol – 10 a.m.
• Return to History Center for luncheon and Gubernatorial candidates’ presentations – noon.
“The Coalition wants to help Oklahomans learn about the legislative process, understand the issues, and meet with lawmakers at the State Capitol,” said Jean Warner, board chair of the OWC. “The statistics on the state of women and girls in Oklahoma is alarming.”
Oklahoma ranks first in the nation in child abuse deaths and the number of women incarcerated per capita. The state also has high rates of teen births and domestic violence. The Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that formed in 2008 with more than 250 individual members and more than two dozen organizational members. The mission is to improve the lives of Oklahoma women and girls through education and advocacy.
The event luncheon will feature the gubernatorial candidates for 2010, including Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, Attorney General Drew Edmondson, and State Senator Randy Brogdon. They will share their concerns and solutions regarding women and girls issues.
The cost to attend is $30. Students pay $15. Registration is available online at www.oklahomawomenscoalition.org. The deadline to register is February 26.
The agenda for the March 2 event:
• Registration at the Oklahoma History Center – 8 a.m.
• Welcome and Briefing – 9 a.m.
• Meet with legislators at State Capitol – 10 a.m.
• Return to History Center for luncheon and Gubernatorial candidates’ presentations – noon.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Women's Routes to State Legislatures
Poised to Run: Women's Routes to State Legislatures
Read the Center for American Women and Politics' new report, Poised to Run, the most comprehensive study ever conducted on state legislators' routes to office.
The report offers a fresh look at how women reach the legislatures and how their pathways to public office have changed over time. Findings from a nationwide survey compare women and men, examining their decisions to seek office, previous political experiences, and personal backgrounds.
Read the full report at http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/research/reports/PoisedtoRun.pdf
Highlights of the study include:
• Women Need to be Recruited
Women need to be encouraged to run for office. Women are more likely than men to run for office because they were recruited rather than deciding to run on their own.
• Political Parties Matter
It is critical that women candidates attract party support. Women who reach the legislature usually do so with the support of their parties.
• Organizations Help Women Run
Organizations are encouraging women to run for office, but they have not been the most important source of encouragement for women's candidacies. Organizations, including women's organizations, could be more active in candidate recruitment.
• More Women Can Run
The pool of women candidates is larger than is commonly believed.
• Resources are Important
More funding and training can help women win.
This project was made possible by a generous Leadership Matching Grant from the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, as well as project grants from the Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation and Wendy Mackenzie, and additional support from other donors.
The report was written by:
Kira Sanbonmatsu, Senior Scholar, CAWP
Susan J. Carroll, Senior Scholar, CAWP
Debbie Walsh, Director, CAWP
Read the Center for American Women and Politics' new report, Poised to Run, the most comprehensive study ever conducted on state legislators' routes to office.
The report offers a fresh look at how women reach the legislatures and how their pathways to public office have changed over time. Findings from a nationwide survey compare women and men, examining their decisions to seek office, previous political experiences, and personal backgrounds.
Read the full report at http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/research/reports/PoisedtoRun.pdf
Highlights of the study include:
• Women Need to be Recruited
Women need to be encouraged to run for office. Women are more likely than men to run for office because they were recruited rather than deciding to run on their own.
• Political Parties Matter
It is critical that women candidates attract party support. Women who reach the legislature usually do so with the support of their parties.
• Organizations Help Women Run
Organizations are encouraging women to run for office, but they have not been the most important source of encouragement for women's candidacies. Organizations, including women's organizations, could be more active in candidate recruitment.
• More Women Can Run
The pool of women candidates is larger than is commonly believed.
• Resources are Important
More funding and training can help women win.
This project was made possible by a generous Leadership Matching Grant from the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, as well as project grants from the Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation and Wendy Mackenzie, and additional support from other donors.
The report was written by:
Kira Sanbonmatsu, Senior Scholar, CAWP
Susan J. Carroll, Senior Scholar, CAWP
Debbie Walsh, Director, CAWP
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Dine Out and Benefit Calm Waters Feb 25
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Event, March 12, Midwest City: WOMEN INC -Innovate, Navigate, Create
You are invited to attend this event entitled Women Inc. -Innovate - Navigate - Create. It will be held on Friday, March 12, 2010 at the Reed Conference Center in Midwest City. The registration fee for this "Women in Public Service Leadership Conference" is $50 ($25 for students). Sponsors are OU Center for Public Management Oklahoma Department of Human Services, and Office of Personnel Management.
For information and to register, go to http://wlc.oucpm.org/
Last year’s event was standing room only. We featured presentations from Congresswoman Mary Fallin and Lt. Governor Jari Askins, along with many other outstanding female leaders.
The highlight of this year’s event is the recognition of First Lady Kim Henry as the Outstanding Woman Leader of the Year. Governor Henry will be attending lunch with the First Lady and presenting a Proclamation regarding Women’s History Month.
Several outstanding speakers will be featured, including
• Angela Monson, Associate Provost for Community Partnerships and Health Policy at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
• Kim Holland, Insurance Commissioner for the State of Oklahoma
• Carolyn Stager, Executive Director at the Oklahoma Municipal League and
• Heather Rouba, 2009 Mrs. Oklahoma
Workshops will be offered on Emotional Intelligence, career pathways for public service, mentorship, making a First Impression, and creativity and innovation in government. As with last year’s event, participants will be given the opportunity for professional networking throughout the day.
Continental breakfast and lunch as well as an afternoon break are included in the registration fee.
Please plan to join us for this exciting event.
How Can We Increase the Number of Single Mothers Completing College?
The Oklahoma Women's Coalition is looking into ways to increase the number of single mothers in Oklahoma who complete college. I was surprised to learn how few single mothers even complete high school. Did you know that nationally one-third of teen mothers do not even earn a high school diploma or a GED? Here is a report from Child Trends on the subject.
New Child Trends research finds that one in three (34 percent) young women who had been teen mothers did not earn a high school diploma or a GED, compared with only 6 percent of young women who had not had a teen birth. Among the other findings presented in a fact sheet entitled Diploma Attainment Among Teen Mothers:
• Slightly more than one-half (51%) of teen mothers received a high school diploma by the age of 22, compared with 89 percent of young women who had not given birth during their teen years.
• A higher proportion of teen mothers earned a GED (15 percent) than did their counterparts who had not experienced a teen birth (5 percent).
• Younger teen mothers are less likely than older teen mothers to earn a diploma. Among young women who had a child before the age of 18, only 38 percent earned a high school diploma by the age of 22, compared with 60 percent of those who were 18 or 19 at the time that they had their first child.
• Black teen mothers are more likely than Hispanic or white teen mothers to earn a diploma or GED by age 22. More than two-thirds (67 percent) of black women who had a child before the age of 18 earned either a high school diploma or GED, compared with 55 percent of white women and 46 percent of Hispanic women in this category.
"Earning a high school diploma or GED reduces the risk of subsequent teen pregnancy, which has been linked to even poorer outcomes," said Kate Perper, M.P.P., lead author of the study. "Higher parental education is also linked to improved outcomes among children that may reduce their risk of early sexual activity and teen pregnancy, thus reducing intergenerational cycles of disadvantage."
Data used in this study were drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1997 Cohort.
The original of this article can be found at http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs008/1101701160827/archive/1102959142424.html
New Child Trends research finds that one in three (34 percent) young women who had been teen mothers did not earn a high school diploma or a GED, compared with only 6 percent of young women who had not had a teen birth. Among the other findings presented in a fact sheet entitled Diploma Attainment Among Teen Mothers:
• Slightly more than one-half (51%) of teen mothers received a high school diploma by the age of 22, compared with 89 percent of young women who had not given birth during their teen years.
• A higher proportion of teen mothers earned a GED (15 percent) than did their counterparts who had not experienced a teen birth (5 percent).
• Younger teen mothers are less likely than older teen mothers to earn a diploma. Among young women who had a child before the age of 18, only 38 percent earned a high school diploma by the age of 22, compared with 60 percent of those who were 18 or 19 at the time that they had their first child.
• Black teen mothers are more likely than Hispanic or white teen mothers to earn a diploma or GED by age 22. More than two-thirds (67 percent) of black women who had a child before the age of 18 earned either a high school diploma or GED, compared with 55 percent of white women and 46 percent of Hispanic women in this category.
"Earning a high school diploma or GED reduces the risk of subsequent teen pregnancy, which has been linked to even poorer outcomes," said Kate Perper, M.P.P., lead author of the study. "Higher parental education is also linked to improved outcomes among children that may reduce their risk of early sexual activity and teen pregnancy, thus reducing intergenerational cycles of disadvantage."
Data used in this study were drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1997 Cohort.
The original of this article can be found at http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs008/1101701160827/archive/1102959142424.html
Monday, February 08, 2010
Child Abuse Deaths, Incareration Rates Top Agenda at Oklahoma Women's Coalition Advocacy Day at the Capitol
OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 8, 2010) – The Oklahoma Women’s Coalition will host Advocacy Day at the Capitol on Tuesday, March 2. The event will focus on issues affecting women and girls -- and encourages Oklahomans across the state to get involved in legislation impacting women, families, and communities.
The event luncheon will feature the gubernatorial candidates for 2010, including Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, Attorney General Drew Edmondson, and State Senator Randy Brogdon. They will share their concerns and solutions regarding women and girls issues.
“The Coalition wants to help Oklahomans learn about the legislative process, understand the issues, and meet with lawmakers at the State Capitol,” said Jean Warner, board chair of the OWC. “The statistics on the state of women and girls in Oklahoma is alarming.”
Oklahoma ranks first in the nation in child abuse deaths and the number of women incarcerated per capita. The state also has high rates of teen births and domestic violence. The Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that formed in 2008 with more than 250 individual members and more than two dozen organizational members. The mission is to improve the lives of Oklahoma women and girls through education and advocacy.
General admission is $30; and $15 for students. Deadline for registration is Feb. 26. Additional information and online registration is available at www.oklahomawomenscoalition.org.
Source. GTR Newspapers, Feb 8, 2010
The event luncheon will feature the gubernatorial candidates for 2010, including Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, Attorney General Drew Edmondson, and State Senator Randy Brogdon. They will share their concerns and solutions regarding women and girls issues.
“The Coalition wants to help Oklahomans learn about the legislative process, understand the issues, and meet with lawmakers at the State Capitol,” said Jean Warner, board chair of the OWC. “The statistics on the state of women and girls in Oklahoma is alarming.”
Oklahoma ranks first in the nation in child abuse deaths and the number of women incarcerated per capita. The state also has high rates of teen births and domestic violence. The Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that formed in 2008 with more than 250 individual members and more than two dozen organizational members. The mission is to improve the lives of Oklahoma women and girls through education and advocacy.
General admission is $30; and $15 for students. Deadline for registration is Feb. 26. Additional information and online registration is available at www.oklahomawomenscoalition.org.
Source. GTR Newspapers, Feb 8, 2010
My Sunday morning interview with Jennifer Pierce at News9 TV
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Dine Out in OKC Feb 25 & Benefit Calm Waters
This FUNdraiser is as simple as eating out at participating restaurants on Thursday, February 25.More children and families than ever before are receiving vital support from Calm Waters, as they adjust to changes caused by a death, divorce, or other significant loss. Your support will enable us to assist even more families in the coming year. Click on the image above to enlarge; print it off and bring it to the restaurant with you..
Please forward this post to friends, family and other people in your network.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Sheryl Lovelady to Direct Women's Leadership Initiatives at OU
Sheryl Lovelady, a professional with two decades of success working to recruit leaders, helping them win elected positions and serving with them, has been named the director of Women’s Leadership Initiatives at the University of Oklahoma’s Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center.
“Oklahoma currently ranks 49th in the nation for the proportion of women in the state Legislature,” said Cindy Simon Rosenthal, director and curator of the center. “Our goal is to inspire women of all political parties to consider public service as a career. We are pleased to have Sheryl leading our efforts.”
Lovelady will direct several initiatives designed to encourage women to pursue careers in public service. The annual N.E.W. (National Education for Women’s) Leadership undergraduate program is in partnership with the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University. The program involves training and presentations by some of the most successful women leaders in the state of Oklahoma. The Pipeline to Politics program works with women beyond college who are interested in political and other leadership opportunities. The Oklahoma Girls’ Voices Project works in partnership with youth-serving organizations focused on helping girls use their voices to make positive changes in their schools, neighborhoods and communities.
Lovelady will also contribute to the center’s civic education initiatives, such as Capitol and Community Scholars Programs for OU undergraduate students. Capitol Scholars get first-hand experience working in and around the Oklahoma Legislature to develop a greater appreciation of the public policy-making process. Community Scholars engage in hands-on service learning opportunities with nonprofit organizations and local government entities. Both groups of scholars earn academic credit during their internships.
“Oklahoma will move forward if women are at the table. Their voices redefine the dialogue, and they lead in a way that can transform the future of our state,” said Lovelady. “Our initiatives at OU motivate women to move from ideas to action.”
A native of Seminole, Lovelady began her career as a professional photographer before entering the political and government sectors. She served on the executive staffs of the Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate President Pro Tempore. She also served as executive director of a statewide legislative caucus organization. In this capacity she provided oversight of fundraising, campaign and policy strategies for caucus members. She has worked with clientele throughout the United States as a strategic consultant, with a Washington, D.C., and a Florida-based public opinion research firm.
Most recently, Lovelady served as director of communications for the City of Tulsa. She is a graduate of Leadership Tulsa and the U.S. Department of Defense JCOC leadership program. She serves as president of the Gordon Cooper Technical Center Foundation and on the Board of Directors of the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation.
OU’s Carl Albert Center is a unique resource for scholarship and research related to the U.S. Congress. The center promotes original scholarship by faculty and students into various aspects of politics and the Congress; serves as an important resource on the history of Congress, primarily through the Carl Albert Center Congressional Archives; fosters a wider understanding and appreciation of the Congress through a public outreach program, which includes lecture series, exhibits and publications; and develops academic programs in congressional studies at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, which are sponsored in cooperation with the Department of Political Science in the OU College of Arts and Sciences. For more information, visit the Carl Albert Center’s Web site at www.ou.edu/carlalbertcenter.
Source. LaDonna Sullivan, Carl Albert Center/OU,(405) 325-5406
“Oklahoma currently ranks 49th in the nation for the proportion of women in the state Legislature,” said Cindy Simon Rosenthal, director and curator of the center. “Our goal is to inspire women of all political parties to consider public service as a career. We are pleased to have Sheryl leading our efforts.”
Lovelady will direct several initiatives designed to encourage women to pursue careers in public service. The annual N.E.W. (National Education for Women’s) Leadership undergraduate program is in partnership with the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University. The program involves training and presentations by some of the most successful women leaders in the state of Oklahoma. The Pipeline to Politics program works with women beyond college who are interested in political and other leadership opportunities. The Oklahoma Girls’ Voices Project works in partnership with youth-serving organizations focused on helping girls use their voices to make positive changes in their schools, neighborhoods and communities.
Lovelady will also contribute to the center’s civic education initiatives, such as Capitol and Community Scholars Programs for OU undergraduate students. Capitol Scholars get first-hand experience working in and around the Oklahoma Legislature to develop a greater appreciation of the public policy-making process. Community Scholars engage in hands-on service learning opportunities with nonprofit organizations and local government entities. Both groups of scholars earn academic credit during their internships.
“Oklahoma will move forward if women are at the table. Their voices redefine the dialogue, and they lead in a way that can transform the future of our state,” said Lovelady. “Our initiatives at OU motivate women to move from ideas to action.”
A native of Seminole, Lovelady began her career as a professional photographer before entering the political and government sectors. She served on the executive staffs of the Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate President Pro Tempore. She also served as executive director of a statewide legislative caucus organization. In this capacity she provided oversight of fundraising, campaign and policy strategies for caucus members. She has worked with clientele throughout the United States as a strategic consultant, with a Washington, D.C., and a Florida-based public opinion research firm.
Most recently, Lovelady served as director of communications for the City of Tulsa. She is a graduate of Leadership Tulsa and the U.S. Department of Defense JCOC leadership program. She serves as president of the Gordon Cooper Technical Center Foundation and on the Board of Directors of the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation.
OU’s Carl Albert Center is a unique resource for scholarship and research related to the U.S. Congress. The center promotes original scholarship by faculty and students into various aspects of politics and the Congress; serves as an important resource on the history of Congress, primarily through the Carl Albert Center Congressional Archives; fosters a wider understanding and appreciation of the Congress through a public outreach program, which includes lecture series, exhibits and publications; and develops academic programs in congressional studies at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, which are sponsored in cooperation with the Department of Political Science in the OU College of Arts and Sciences. For more information, visit the Carl Albert Center’s Web site at www.ou.edu/carlalbertcenter.
Source. LaDonna Sullivan, Carl Albert Center/OU,(405) 325-5406
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Tell Teachers: Youth Invited to Start Pennies for Peace Campaigns
YOUTH INVITED TO START PENNIES FOR PEACE CAMPAIGNS IN CONJUNCTION WITH GREG MORTENSON VISIT TO OKLAHOMA
January 25, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Brenda Wheelock
Pennies for Peace-Oklahoma
(405) 620-1305, brendawheelock@cox.net
NORMAN – When retired teacher Mary Francis heard that humanitarian Greg Mortenson, best-selling author of “Three Cups of Tea,” was giving a public lecture at the University of Oklahoma on April 22, she thought it would be great to support Mortenson’s charitable work by starting a local Pennies for Peace campaign.
Francis shared the idea with fellow education and youth advocates Brenda Wheelock and Christy Emig, who together decided to set a loftier goal and promote the idea statewide. Working with the OU College of Engineering, which is hosting Mortenson as part of its 100th anniversary celebration, the women have launched Pennies for Peace-Oklahoma. Together they are rallying Oklahoma schools, faith groups and youth organizations to start their own Pennies for Peace campaigns to help Mortenson build schools – especially for girls – in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“Our goal is to combine the totals of individual campaigns and have children symbolically present their pennies to Greg Mortenson during his public lecture at OU on April 22,” Francis said. “If we can get enough Oklahoma groups to participate, we hope to collectively raise $35,000 – the amount needed to build one of Greg Mortenson’s schools.”
Over the past 16 years, Mortenson and his nonprofit organization Central Asia Institute have worked to promote peace through education by establishing more than 130 schools – most of them for girls – in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pennies for Peace is a service-learning program sponsored by the Central Asia Institute and designed to broaden students’ cultural horizons while teaching them about their capacities as philanthropists – one penny at a time.
“When Greg Mortenson was raising money in 1994 to build his first school in the village of Korphe, the first donors to his campaign were elementary school children, who collected more than 62,000 pennies,” Wheelock said. “While a penny may not buy much here in the United States, a penny can buy a pencil, and help start an education in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pennies for Peace teaches children the value of philanthropy and helps them promote peace through education.”
To participate in Pennies for Peace, schools and organizations must register online at www.penniesforpeace.org. To participate in the statewide presentation to Mortenson, groups must also contact Francis at mary.francis111@gmail.com or by phone at (405) 474-0695.
The Pennies for Peace Web site includes a K-12 curriculum, linked to standards with an assessment tool; an implementation guide; fact sheets; printable maps, postcards, stickers & poster components; as well as promotional videos.
On April 12, Pennies for Peace-Oklahoma participants should report their fundraising totals. A student representative from each school or organization
will be invited to participate in a grand presentation to Greg Mortenson at 10 a.m. April 22. Schools or groups that are unable to send a child representative should report their fundraising total so that their organization and contribution can be recognized in the presentation to Mortenson.
Emig emphasized that while the combined totals of all campaigns will be announced during Mortenson’s appearance, each school or organization is responsible for registering its own campaign, cashing in its pennies and submitting its final contribution to Pennies for Peace. Each group that participates will receive a certificate of appreciation from Pennies for Peace.
“The presentation to Mortenson will be a show of support from Oklahoma children,” Emig said. “Right now, there are only 10 Oklahoma groups participating in Pennies for Peace campaigns. We would like to see many more Oklahoma kids get involved.”
Francis added that Pennies for Peace gives Oklahoma children an opportunity to have a positive impact on a global scale.
“The real roots of terrorism are fear and ignorance,” Francis added. “By helping build schools for girls in the Arab world, we can help Greg Mortenson plant seeds for peace and bring real hope to the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
For more information on Pennies for Peace-Oklahoma, contact Mary Francis at (405) 474-0695 or Brenda Wheelock at (405) 620-1305. To learn more about Mortenson’s public lecture, visit the OU College of Engineering web site at www.coe.ou.edu.
January 25, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Brenda Wheelock
Pennies for Peace-Oklahoma
(405) 620-1305, brendawheelock@cox.net
NORMAN – When retired teacher Mary Francis heard that humanitarian Greg Mortenson, best-selling author of “Three Cups of Tea,” was giving a public lecture at the University of Oklahoma on April 22, she thought it would be great to support Mortenson’s charitable work by starting a local Pennies for Peace campaign.
Francis shared the idea with fellow education and youth advocates Brenda Wheelock and Christy Emig, who together decided to set a loftier goal and promote the idea statewide. Working with the OU College of Engineering, which is hosting Mortenson as part of its 100th anniversary celebration, the women have launched Pennies for Peace-Oklahoma. Together they are rallying Oklahoma schools, faith groups and youth organizations to start their own Pennies for Peace campaigns to help Mortenson build schools – especially for girls – in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“Our goal is to combine the totals of individual campaigns and have children symbolically present their pennies to Greg Mortenson during his public lecture at OU on April 22,” Francis said. “If we can get enough Oklahoma groups to participate, we hope to collectively raise $35,000 – the amount needed to build one of Greg Mortenson’s schools.”
Over the past 16 years, Mortenson and his nonprofit organization Central Asia Institute have worked to promote peace through education by establishing more than 130 schools – most of them for girls – in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pennies for Peace is a service-learning program sponsored by the Central Asia Institute and designed to broaden students’ cultural horizons while teaching them about their capacities as philanthropists – one penny at a time.
“When Greg Mortenson was raising money in 1994 to build his first school in the village of Korphe, the first donors to his campaign were elementary school children, who collected more than 62,000 pennies,” Wheelock said. “While a penny may not buy much here in the United States, a penny can buy a pencil, and help start an education in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pennies for Peace teaches children the value of philanthropy and helps them promote peace through education.”
To participate in Pennies for Peace, schools and organizations must register online at www.penniesforpeace.org. To participate in the statewide presentation to Mortenson, groups must also contact Francis at mary.francis111@gmail.com or by phone at (405) 474-0695.
The Pennies for Peace Web site includes a K-12 curriculum, linked to standards with an assessment tool; an implementation guide; fact sheets; printable maps, postcards, stickers & poster components; as well as promotional videos.
On April 12, Pennies for Peace-Oklahoma participants should report their fundraising totals. A student representative from each school or organization
will be invited to participate in a grand presentation to Greg Mortenson at 10 a.m. April 22. Schools or groups that are unable to send a child representative should report their fundraising total so that their organization and contribution can be recognized in the presentation to Mortenson.
Emig emphasized that while the combined totals of all campaigns will be announced during Mortenson’s appearance, each school or organization is responsible for registering its own campaign, cashing in its pennies and submitting its final contribution to Pennies for Peace. Each group that participates will receive a certificate of appreciation from Pennies for Peace.
“The presentation to Mortenson will be a show of support from Oklahoma children,” Emig said. “Right now, there are only 10 Oklahoma groups participating in Pennies for Peace campaigns. We would like to see many more Oklahoma kids get involved.”
Francis added that Pennies for Peace gives Oklahoma children an opportunity to have a positive impact on a global scale.
“The real roots of terrorism are fear and ignorance,” Francis added. “By helping build schools for girls in the Arab world, we can help Greg Mortenson plant seeds for peace and bring real hope to the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
For more information on Pennies for Peace-Oklahoma, contact Mary Francis at (405) 474-0695 or Brenda Wheelock at (405) 620-1305. To learn more about Mortenson’s public lecture, visit the OU College of Engineering web site at www.coe.ou.edu.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Pres Obama on National Girls & Women in Sports Day
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2010
Statement of the President on National Girls & Women in Sports Day
National Girls & Women in Sports Day is a time for us all to commemorate the participation of women and girls in sports and athletics – and celebrate their achievements. Women compete at all levels today, in large part due to the foundation laid by Title IX, which has done much to advance the number of women taking part in collegiate athletic programs and has increased access to the classroom. Today, as we celebrate, we must also recognize that more needs to be done and we should recommit ourselves to achieving true equality for all.
##
Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2010
Statement of the President on National Girls & Women in Sports Day
National Girls & Women in Sports Day is a time for us all to commemorate the participation of women and girls in sports and athletics – and celebrate their achievements. Women compete at all levels today, in large part due to the foundation laid by Title IX, which has done much to advance the number of women taking part in collegiate athletic programs and has increased access to the classroom. Today, as we celebrate, we must also recognize that more needs to be done and we should recommit ourselves to achieving true equality for all.
##
About Black Women's History
How Much Do You Know About Black Women's History?
This quiz goes over many key facts, people and events as black history and women's history come together. Try it with 4 questions for a quick quiz, or take all 25 questions to see if you're an expert.
Click here to view the quiz.
Timeline of African American History and Women
African American history begins with the discovery of America by Europeans in 1492 and the decision by Queen Isabella of Spain keeping the conquerors from enslaving Native Americans. The role of women in slavery is shaped by the decision to reverse English common law and have children inherit their status as free or slave from their mother, rather than from their father.
Click here to view the timeline.
Source: About.com: Women's History
This quiz goes over many key facts, people and events as black history and women's history come together. Try it with 4 questions for a quick quiz, or take all 25 questions to see if you're an expert.
Click here to view the quiz.
Timeline of African American History and Women
African American history begins with the discovery of America by Europeans in 1492 and the decision by Queen Isabella of Spain keeping the conquerors from enslaving Native Americans. The role of women in slavery is shaped by the decision to reverse English common law and have children inherit their status as free or slave from their mother, rather than from their father.
Click here to view the timeline.
Source: About.com: Women's History
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Lung Cancer is a Women's Issue - Really
Joosten credits her early lung cancer diagnosis to a great relationship with her primary care physician. He knew she smoked and insisted she have chest xrays every 6 months. Her talk was funny, moving and inspiring.
Did you know that 1 in 7 Americans will die from lung disease? I didn't! Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the US. In 2004, 43.3% of lung cancer deaths occurred in women compared to 26% of deaths in 1979. Lung cancer surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in women in 1987. Women, compared to men, appear to have higher prevalence rates of lung cancer that is not associated with smoking. 25% of lung cancer occurs in women who are nonsmokers. These are disturbing statistics. Next time you go in for a general physical exam, you might want to ask your doctor to give you a chest xray - just to be on the safe side.
About 2010 Women's History Month
The overarching theme for this year's Women's History Month (March 2010) is "Writing Women Back into History." In 2010, in celebration of their 30th Anniversary, the National Women's History Project will be highlighting themes from previous years. Each of these past themes recognizes a different aspect of women's achievements, from ecology to art, and from sports to politics. All former honorees and themes are posted at http://www.nwhp.org/whm/honorees.php or they can be accessed by clicking on "Women's History Month" in the top menu of their website www.nwhp.org and then on 2010 Honorees.
So -- what are YOU going to do to celebrate Women's History Month this March?
Monday, February 01, 2010
US Senate Passes Dating Violence Resolution
Sponsored by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:
* approximately one in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence affecting youth;
* twenty percent of teen girls exposed to physical dating violence did not attend school because the teen girls felt unsafe either at school, or on the way to or from school, on one or more occasions in a 30-day period;
* being physically and sexually abused leaves teen girls up to six times more likely to become pregnant and more than two times as likely to report a sexually transmitted disease;
* teen dating abuse most often takes place in the home of one of the partners;
* a majority of parents surveyed believe they have had a conversation with their teen about what it means to be in a healthy relationship, but the majority of teens surveyed said that they have not had a conversation about dating abuse with a parent in the past year; and
* digital abuse and “sexting” is becoming a new frontier for teen dating abuse.
The resolution “calls upon the people of the United States, including youth and parents, schools, law enforcement, state and local officials, and interested groups to observe National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month with appropriate programs and activities that promote awareness and prevention of the crime of teen dating violence in their communities.”
Source: Women's Policy, Inc.
US Senate Supports Cervical Cancer Awareness
* approximately 11,270 women were diagnosed with, and approximately 4,070 women died from, cervical cancer in the United States in 2009;
* cervical cancer occurs most often in Hispanic women, at a rate that is more than twice what is seen in non-Hispanic white women;
* African American women develop cervical cancer about 50 percent more often than non-Hispanic white women;
* cervical cancer is usually a slow-growing cancer that may not have symptoms, and is primarily caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), but can be detected by Papanicolaou tests (Pap tests) or other early detection tests; and
* the earlier cervical cancer is detected the better chance a woman has of surviving cervical cancer.
The resolution “urges health care advocates to continue to raise public awareness about cervical cancer and the importance of early detection; urges the people of the United States to learn about cervical cancer and its causes…and the importance of early detection; and recognizes the patients and survivors of cervical cancer and their families for their tremendous courage and determination.”
Source: Women's Policy, Inc
Event- April 26, OKC: 2nd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Day at the Capitol
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