Wednesday, November 2, 2011

TONIGHT’s Film Showing: Cruel and Unusual

F.O.R.C.E. proudly presents the
Fall 2011


TONIGHT’s Film Showing: Cruel and Unusual


A post-film discussion
will be held with Read between the Bars


Wednesday, Nov 2
7pm in Gallagher Theater (Student Union)
free admission




In collaboration with Pride Alliance and LGBTQ Affairs

Most states separate prisoners by genitalia alone, so pre-op, transgender women are placed in men’s correctional facilities, where they find themselves vulnerable and preyed upon. Cruel and Unusual is a frank, often unsettling documentary, that portrays the challenges faced by these women.



See you there!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

TONIGHT: free Belly Dancing Workshop!



Interested in dancing and having fun?
Always wanted to learn how to belly dance, but never got the chance?

Now’s your chance!

Join F.O.R.C.E. for a fun introduction to the art of belly dancing!


Thursday, October 20 · 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Presidio Room – SUMC
*free*




See you there!



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

TONIGHT’s Film Showing: Commune




F.O.R.C.E. proudly presents the
Fall 2011


TONIGHT’s Film Showing: Commune


Katrina Running, doctoral
candidate in Sociology, will be
speaking after the film.


Wednesday, Oct 19
7pm in Gallagher Theater (Student Union)
free admission

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Meet the Interns: Tylee

Hi everyone! My name is Tylee Mougeot and I'm currently a senior at the U of A. My major is Microbiology and I will be starting a PhD in Pathobiology next fall. After I finish my degree I plan on working for the CDC and/or WHO based out of an International office (hopefully Barcelona!).


I am a music downloading junkie and I love to dance. My spare time is spent watching soccer (Visca el Barca!) and planning my next adventure abroad. The current escapade in the works is a 3 month summer motorbike trip through Southeast Asia, namely Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. 

This is my first semester as a F.O.R.C.E. intern for the WRC. I am currently one of the two co-chairs for the Health and Sexuality Committee. I've really enjoyed working on the Health and Sexuality Committee so far and am excited for the rest of our upcoming events this semester!



Friday, October 7, 2011

Meet the Interns: Laura

Hi everyone! My name is Laura Neff and I am a junior at the U of A. I am majoring in Environmental Science with a focus in policy and minoring in Gender and Women's Studies. I am a returning intern from the Spring semester and proud to call myself the co-chair of the F.O.R.C.E film series.

To start off, I was born and raised in Phoenix and lived there through high school. In Phoenix is where I learned of the wonders social justice, though I didn't refer it to that until later. Starting in middle school I worked with a group called Stand & Serve that is based in Tempe. This group was focused on building a more respectful community by teaching youth about the idea and practice of primary prevention (stopping the problem before it happens) to end oppression. This is where I got my start and I continue to work with the youth in this group when I am able to.

How did I get started here do you ask? My freshman year a group of friends and I would make it a point to go to any free movies in the Galleghar when we could and the WRC film series just happened to fit into that category. I loved most, if not all, of the movies that we went to and I continued to go to them even when a few of my friends did not. My sophomore year I decided to sign up to intern with the WRC and loved it, so I decided to continue! F.O.R.C.E has shown me that feminism is not a narrow point of view when it comes to social justice. It can intersect with almost any aspect of human life and I continue to learn more about just how relevant it is in today's society.

With this experience and my major, I plan to become an educated activist in the new environmental justice movement by being an advocate for fair environmental policy that not only helps the environment, but helps people as well.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Leah Eager- Introduction

Hi Everyone!

My name is Leah Eager and I am a junior at the University of Arizona. I am majoring in Economics and minoring in Sociology. I grew up in San Francisco, CA in an apartment and I currently live just 15 minutes north of the city. I have no brothers and sisters and the rest of my extended family lives on the east coast so I primarily spend all of my time with just my mom and dad. Because I grew up in an apartment I always had weird pets while growing up. I was not allowed to have a cat or a dog, so my mom and I got creative and I always ended up having a strange pet. My worst decision was to bring home crayfish that we were studying in my elementary school and keep them in a plastic tub in my room. My mom and I eventually ended up throwing them down the garbage shoot a couple of days later.

When I was younger I was a bit of a tomboy and my favorite possession was a skateboard. I did have a couple of dolls but I always loved my skateboard. One of my favorite things to do is to travel. When I was in elementary school I traveled to Italy with my family for six weeks, we went around Tuscany and the coast. Since then I have returned to Italy twice more and hope to go again sometime soon. I have also been to Jamaica and Israel (this past summer). Israel was amazing and I would love to go back sometime, although I did pick up some Hebrew it was very difficult to communicate in the country.

During my free time, I love to just relax and hang out with friends. School is very stressful and its nice to just have a couple of hours to yourself where you don't have to worry about your next assignment. I also love to horseback ride and I have been riding since the age of five. I haven't found many places out in Tucson to ride but it is something I want to make more time for. I also enjoy hiking out here and I would like to camp on Mt. Lemmon at some point. Since I grew up in a city, I have never gone camping and this is something I would like to do. After college I want to go to the east coast, preferably New York city, and begin working at a corporate job.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Finding Dawn


RSVP on Facebook
Wednesday (October 5th) at 7pm
Gallagher Theater

SWAP NOT SHOP!


Come "shopping" with F.O.R.C.E. at our CLOTHES SWAP!

Tuesday, Oct 4 @ 5:30pm
Rincon Room in the Student Union Memorial Center


Bring the clothes you don’t want, and swap them for new ones!

Clothing may also be purchased.
Additional clothing donated by Buffalo Exchange.



Proceeds to benefit women and children.




Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Meet the Interns: Erica Goudy

Hello!
My name is Erica Goudy, i'm 19, and i'm a sophomore. I am currently a Psychology major with a minor in French. As for right now, I don't have a clue as to what i'm going to do with my life but i'm sure i'll figure it out eventually. I'm originally from California but I grew up in Arizona. A lot of my native Arizonan friends don't like Arizona, but I personally love it here. I  grew up in Peoria which is kind of close to Phoenix so I spent a lot of my time downtown. I love my family and my friends and I am the type of person who would rather have good quality friends rather than the quantity. I am definitely a music enthusiast! I love concerts but i'm kind of picky with bands so I don't attend many. The last concerts I attended consisted of  Tegan and Sara, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The National, and the Sounds, just to name a few. I hope to go to the Coachella music festival in April with a couple of my friends. I love Tucson because so many awesome bands come and play here!


I Joined F.O.R.C.E. because I felt like it would be a great opportunity to get involved on campus and to be apart of a group of creative, able-bodied women making a difference on campus was also something that attracted me.

I am on the Educational Events committee and the Film Series Committee. I'm really excited to be part of hosting our events and promote what F.O.R.C.E has to offer to our campus!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Meet the Interns: Eva

Hi,
My name is Eva Izhieman and I am currently a senior at the University of Arizona. My major is Anthropology and my focus is Archaeology. I love learning about the past and relating it to the present.

Besides feminism, I have a passion for music. I love going to concerts and listening to new (and old) artists. I also play the flute, piccolo, and tenor sax.

This is the 3rd year that I have been a part of the WRC/FORCE. I am currently one of the student directors and the committee chair for the Educational Programming Committee. I love being a part of FORCE and being involved on campus!

FORCE has helped shape who I am as a person and through my involvement I learn more about women and other marginalized groups and the issues that surround us every day.

I'm excited for this year and hope to see FORCE continue to grow and be an important organization on campus and in our community.

Friday, September 23, 2011




Hello!!!  My name is Yakira, I'm currently a sophomore at The University of Arizona. I'm a Spanish Literature & Business major. I choose to come to the U of A because it was a great place to be and everyone that was here during orientation loved it and couldn't wait to be an Arizona Wildcat. I love sports, meeting new people, and spending time with friends and family.

Why did I join F.O.R.C.E?
There are many misconceptions when it comes to describing feminist groups. I believe that women come together not to bring up radical movements throughout society, but women come together to support, teach, and educate one another. We as college women come together to inform other students about resources, possibility, and potentially. We also come find that excluding opinions or perspectives never leads anyone anywhere, so for us, the women of our future it is important to keep and open mind but yet set forth our principles and what we represent. For me it was important to be a part of a group, but not just any group. It was important to be a part of the group of women leaders that come together and promote a worthy cause that has the ability to advocate change and promote resources for young women around the U of A campus.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

WRC Film Series: this Wed!



F.O.R.C.E. proudly presents the
Fall 2011


Film Showing: Papers


with post-film discussion hosted by


Wednesday, Sept 21
7pm in Gallagher Theater (Student Union)
free admission



see you there!



Monday, September 19, 2011

Meet the Interns: Anastasia Freyermuth

            Hello to the wonderful readers of this blog! My name is Anastasia Freyermuth. For those who may have followed the Women’s Resource Center’s blog in previous semesters, you may notice that I am a returning intern. However, for this coming semester I am returning as a new Co-Director for our newly re-named student branch of the WRC, F.O.R.C.E (Feminist Organized to Resist, Create, and Empower). I am thrilled and honored by this new position and hope to continue the efforts made by both groups to bring attention to gender equity issues within the Tucson community and abroad. My excitement surrounding this new role also stems from the fact that I find it to be a perfect equilibrium of academic study and practice! By this I mean that, being a Gender and Women’s Studies major, I often read several didactic and important forms of scholarly research delving into the multifaceted aspects that make up oppression(s) with little reference of what grassroots work I can do in order to uproot such systemic injustices. Fortunately though, the Women’s Resource Center has offered me such an opportunity, and with my other position as Co-Chair of the Film Series, I hope to attain the necessary skills to fully realize my dream of one day becoming a feminist filmmaker. Nevertheless, the amazing opportunities provided by the WRC/F.O.R.C.E could not be fully realized without an amazing Director and devoted interns. With respect to the former, I am grateful to introduce our new Director, Krista Millay! As some of you may recall, our remarkable Director of the past year and a half, Lori Von Buggenum, went on to achieve greater things over the summer. Thankfully, Krista immediately stepped up to the plate and has provided some fresh insight on how to grow the WRC. Possessing such a great Director only adds to our remarkable new intern team at F.O.R.C.E. Having so many new faces and unique insights has been insurmountably beneficial for the establishment of F.O.R.C.E. My dream then for this semester would be to have F.O.R.C.E. be in the trenches, if you will, battling the numerous forms of oppression affecting both the personal and political; to become a necessary “force” within the most essential form of social justice, activism.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Meet the Interns: Marisa

Hellooooo, I'm Marisa Skelpsa-Muñoz. My last names are Lithuanian and Mexican, and that is my lovely mixture (with a little German there too). I'm nineteen going on twenty, I've lived in Arizona my whole life (mostly in Phoenix) and I just started my junior year here at the U of A. My major is Spanish translation and interpretation and I have a minor in Portuguese. I've always been really jealous of multilingual people, so I'm picking a few languages I like and making it my goal in life to become fluent in them. I love to travel. I've been to Spain, Italy, the Dominican Republic, I just got back from a summer in Guanajuato, Mexico and I plan on going to Brazil to study abroad next summer. Almost everywhere I go, I fall in love with some part of the place and decide I want to stay and live there forever, so right now I really want to be in Mexico. Therefore, I have no idea where I really want to live or what kind of career thing I'll end up wanting to do or just where my life will go in general, but right now it's awesome trying to find out. This is my first semester interning with F.O.R.C.E. and I'm on the educational programming and health and sexuality committees. I'm really excited about all of our events and being a part of this amazing group of awesome feminists. YAY!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Meet the Interns: Wendy


My name is Wendy and this is my third year here at the University of Arizona. I have lived in Tucson my whole life. My major is Family Studies and Human Development. I am in the process of organizing my minor, which will be focused on Human Sexuality. 
I look forward to being one of the two Co-Chairs for the Health and Sexuality committee within the student organization F.O.R.C.E. this semester. Sexual health education and awareness is something that I feel strongly about. Part of what the Health and Sexuality Committee does is give Sexual Education College Style (S.E.C.S.) presentations around campus. I hope to help educate others and myself, and encourage sexually transmitted infection testing and prevention.
I am proud to say that I am an intern for F.O.R.C.E. which is the student organization for the Women's Resource Center at the University of Arizona. They are empowering organizations that advocate for gender equity and social justice, as well as promote health and wellness. Education and knowledge is power, and open discussion of topics such as sexuality is necessary for good physical and mental health. I am thankful for this opportunity and I will strive to be a valuable asset to F.O.R.C.E. and the W.R.C.!


Thursday, September 8, 2011

Meet the Interns: Kelly Ancharski


My goal was to break the monotony of "Hello, my name is," yet my exploration in exciting introductions emerges futile. So here it goes- hello, my name is Kelly Ancharski. I am a freshman, born and raised in Tucson, Arizona (although since then I have traveled beyond the imperil continental United States, mainly to Europe and North America). In the impending years, my life plans have vaguely appeared in the forefront of my mind, an outline that begins with receiving my undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona in political science and French with concentrations in international relations and literature respectively. Ultimately, the Peace Corps and the United Nations are fitting establishments to create and illuminate the struggles of a conflicting world, built on the shoulders of the forgotten. Ties, the formation of connections/understanding, stem from family; delivered into a line of growing half-Irish children, my family is large by comparison- immediately I have two older sisters and a younger brother, but extended, well lets just say the number is exponentially growing. Life, much like the formulaic beginnings of these discussions, is seemingly mundane without a passion, gifts that lift the soul into a euphoria- reading, traveling, and most importantly dancing are the personal breaks in the ordinary. Dance has been a running stream through my life since the age of three. Through the breaks and cramming my toes into pint size wood planks (better know as pointe shoes), dance has remained a breath of air, filling the lungs and heart in tandem. In the literary cannon, books complete the hole of imagination; at the top of my favorites include "Crime and Punishment," "The Road," "As You Like It," "Les Misérables," and "Harry Potter." I have always been fascinated with French culture and the atmosphere instituted in the beauty of transcendentalist thinking (as the French would say- Je vois la vie en rose). With international relationships and globalization so fundamental to the evolving tides, the communication and acceptance (or at least knowledge) between younger generations, a fusion of race, sex, and gender polarity, connecting on the waves of the Internet, is the beginnings of a bolstered universal affiliation.


That is the introduction, but now the importance of feminism; the reality of historical injustice that plagues, not only the minorities or the religiously inclined, but the state of gender, the implications that warp humanities cognitive load, maintained by illusory correlation to produce the connotation that feminism is elusive in thought, as well as practice, with a heavy perception of grating females, defying the proscriptive convention, fabricating the raucous sound, resonating in the crevasse of depravity. The feminist terminology continues to be simply forgotten; the terminology of conviction, pushed aside by the partisan movements of seemingly just principles destined for success. While the inequality, a correlation based on the lack of awareness and action, has visible divisions of insight; the archival turnings of the world illuminate the mass periods of female involvement and a disregarded of recognition, countered with the elegance, a poised exposition, true feminism, pouring from the tips of the alleged foolish, repugnant women. Despite the fallacies, the truth of women, with the additions of gender and sexual equality, continues to scatter the portrayal of Earth’s culture.  

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Meet the Interns: Kemi


My 5 year old brother & I

Hey, my name’s Kemi, I’m a new intern for F.O.R.C.E.  I’m a sophomore, but it’s my first year here at the University of Arizona (I transferred from a school in Ohio). I’m a pre-med student majoring in Gender & Women’s Studies, with a minor in Chemistry. My strong belief in reproductive justice has made me interested in becoming an OB/GYN.

So, why did I join F.O.R.C.E.?
I’m really passionate about women’s issues, and equality. (I think I’m going to have to thank the Spice Girls for instilling the notion of “Girl Power” in me.) As a child of immigrants, I’m especially interested in how women are treated in different cultures, and how feminism has cross-sections with many aspects of society. Despite my major, I still don’t know that much about feminism, so what better way to learn even more about it than to immerse myself in it this semester? I also wanted to get involved in campus one way or another, especially as a new student.

Feminism isn’t the only thing I’m into. I’m obsessed with politics and spent some time working on the 2010 midterm elections (I’m pumped for 2012!). I also am very passionate about immigration reform and the Invisible Children Organization. When I’m not doing anything related to those things, I spend my time reading, knitting, and watching television series on Netflix.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Welcome to Fall 2011!


Our biggest announcement this Fall is the introduction of the ASUA-recognized student organization FORCE (Feminists Organized to Resist, Create, and Empower). You will see FORCE around campus, doing activism, education, and programming, in collaboration with the WRC. We have an amazing team this semester – nine super-skilled interns, plus two passionate student Co-Directors (Eva and Anastasia), as well as our first-ever WRC Graduate Assistant Ruth Alminas.

It is going to be an exciting year. The interns and co-directors are full of energy and exciting ideas, meaning that we will have lots of fun events to inspire and challenge you this year.  

Kicking off the Fall semester is the first in our Film Series lineup. On September 7, FORCE will present Itty Bitty Titty Committee, followed by discussion with the Vagina Warriors and dialogue with the audience. Our films are always *FREE* and are shown on the first and third Wednesdays of September, October, and November, in the Gallagher Theatre at 7pm.

See you there!
Krista

WRC Program Director

Monday, February 28, 2011

Hello There!

Hello all! My name is Kristen Ribich and I am the Women's Resource Center's first Oasis Liaison! What this means is that I primarily intern with the Oasis Program for Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence, but I also spend time with the WRC and all of their lovely interns to keep communication between the two organizations clear! With the WRC, I am on the Health and Sexuality Committee and work with others to promote sex ed, STI awareness, and sexual assault awareness.

I am finishing my final semester at the University of Arizona, with a degree in International Studies, focusing on Development in South Asia. I am currently working on my honors thesis which examines India's legislation on sex trafficking, gauging how effective they are and how well they are being implemented. In my life, I aim to engage others in the issue of sex trafficking and human trafficking worldwide, and at the WRC and on campus, I hope to educate others about safe sex, as well as spread awareness about a variety of issues with the aim to lower violence against women.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Hi-lo! My name is Kate and I'm a senior at the U of A, going on my third and final semester with the Women's Resource Center. I am one of the Film Series Committee chairs, where I commit my life and my pride to putting on shows for campus and the Tucson community to experience, learn, and enjoy the feminism that I know.

I study History and Anthropology as my minor, with an emphasis in revolutions and women's studies. After the school day I like to veg-out with my room mates, watch excessive amounts of Arrested Development, The Office, Malcolm in the Middle, and the various Sci-Fi movies. Feminism, to me, is the ability to enjoy yourself wherever you may be and whoever you may be, without discrimination and without judgement. This makes the tasks of feminism broad and the allies numerous as I seek out ways to educate myself, my peers, my family, and my community about issues facing men and women alike in the pursuit of feminist happiness!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Hi!  My name is Elizabeth Dake and I am a senior at the U of A.  This is my second semester as a WRC intern, and this spring I will serve as the Health & Sexuality Committee chair.  I am a History and Religious Studies double major and have minors in Gender & Women's Studies and Sociology. This semester I am finishing my honors thesis-- Teaching Morality: The Influence of the Religious Right on Sex Education and the Gendered Consequences of Abstinence-Only.

The Health & Sexuality Committee focuses on the Sex Ed, College Style program.  It is a huge privilege to be involved with a program as popular as SECS-- I believe that if our generation is knowledgeable about sexual responsibility, as well as sexual health, then the future of sex education, STI awareness, and the recognition and prevention of sexual assault will look very different.  Through such programs, the mysteries and stigmas surrounding sex, STIs, and sexual assault can be illuminated and undone.  I am looking forward to our upcoming SECS presentations, and am so excited about all the other amazing programs the WRC is offering this semester!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Hola Amigos!

Hello everyone! My name is Daniel Curiel, I'm 20 years old and have grown up in Arizona my entire life. I'm a History major with a minor in Prelaw at the University of Arizona. My interests include international politics, futbol, jamming out on my drumset, guitar and keyboard, and basically learning about the world and all the beautiful people that comprise it. The Southwest has definitely shaped who I am and what I hope to achieve in the future. My parents are both Mexican immigrants, my mom coming from the North and my dad from the South. Because I'm a first generation child of immigrants, I grew up speaking both Spanish and English, a skill that has served very handy here in the Arizona-Sonoran desert. I'm very interested in U.S.-Mexico relations, especially along the border since it's always been my home. Through the course of my life I have witnessed the fierce militarization of the border which has only empowered me to seek solutions based on social justice and equality. These interests in human rights led me to a very important movement, the feminist movement. I became a feminist every since I realized I loathed double-standards and backwards thinking. Most importantly, a very special woman made me fall in love with the theory and the good it would do for the world.  I hope to bring my knowledge of feminist theory and social justice into action as an intern here at the WRC. I'm hopeful we will move forward in the struggle for equality!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Hey all!

Hi everyone! My name is Laura Neff and I am a sophomore majoring in environmental science at the UA and a new intern at the Women's Resource Center! I am part of the Film Series and Educational Programming Committees. I know this internship does not necessarily fit my major, but science is not my only love. I grew up in Phoenix and worked on many social issues with a non profit called Peer Solutions for many years. Now I am proud to continue my work in Tucson! As a freshmen living on campus, I couldn't wait until each new WRC film came out and would use those Wednesday nights as a friend's night out. Now, I am extremely excited to participate in program that put on these wonderful films.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Hi everybody !

My name is Angelique Owczarzak, and although my family name sounds Polish, I'm definitively French ! I come from Paris more precisely, and despite of all my love for my hometown, in 2010 I chose to migrate to the USA for a year ... The question that people always ask me is WHY ARIZONA ?? Good question. Actually, I needed change ( and I got it ! ). I thought that if I wanted to know better America, I had to go to the deep, deep part of it. Since I also love beautiful landscapes and was curious about the Wild Wild West legends, Arizona proved to be the ideal destination, didn't it ? And let me tell you : I don't have any regrets. I have fallen in love with Tucson and its nice people, much nicer than Parisian people !
My major is political and social sciences and I have always been interested by feminism and political activism. This year was thus an opportunity to get committed while improving my English. I decided then to apply for an internship at the Women's Resource Center, and now I'm writing a presentation on me ! What I really appreciate about the Women's Resource Center in UofA is that I have the chance to defend women's rights while respecting everyone, including men. I also like the fact that the Women's Resource Center offers services, events and programs, which is a little bit different from the feminist organizations whose goal is only talking, talking about women's issues without acting.
Although I come back to France in June, I want to give a lot of myself to this organization this semester, as well as I can. Women in Europe are in some ways and sometimes kind of different from American women, and that is for me an opportunity to learn more about American women's issues.
Sorry for my English mistakes and I'm impatient to begin this semester with the Women's Resource Center's team ! A tres vite !