02.28.08
Michiana Monologues Continued
On Saturday, February 23 at 7:00 pm, I went to see Michiana Monologues: Local Women’s Stories – Breaking the Silence to End the Violence at Indiana University South Bend. This production was patterned after the Vagina Monologues but featured local women’s stories. The idea to use local women’s stories was based on a production by St. Mary’s College students called SMC Monologues. SMC Monologues was performed from submissions by St. Mary’s students, alumnae, sisters and staff. To involve more women from the area, Michiana Monologues gathered submissions from the whole community.
This production was presented by V-Club (Voices Against Violence) IUSB. The stories read were sometime funny and sometimes sad. But they were always moving. The purpose of this production was to move people into getting involved in the effort to stop violence against women. The goal of Michiana Monologues was not only to involve women within the community to become involved and tell their stories, but to educate a wider audience about the challenges women face. It also intends to bring attention to violence against women and to force others to acknowledge that violence is a human rights violation. Finally, it wants to encourage others to work toward gender justice.
Even though the subtitle of this production was Breaking the Silence to End the Violence, not all the stories were about violence against women. The stories told involved everything from a woman attempting to interpret her husband’s driving directions to childhood sexual abuse. These were stories that needed to be told but also needed to be heard. The story that moved me the most and actually made me cry was “Aftermath” read by Erica G. It was the story of a woman’s struggles to deal with the effects of childhood sexual abuse. Although I have never had to deal with this issue in my life, I could feel this woman’s pain as the story was being read. “Is He Catholic?” was pretty funny in the beginning when Alyssa read the woman’s story of her mother’s pressure for her to marry a “good Catholic boy.” It ended on a sad note, however, because she gave up her true love for a Catholic boy that turned out to be not so good. Other stories dealt with issues women deal with on a daily basis. Stories about first kisses, abusive relationships, abortion, sexuality and coming out were all read during the evening.
The room was packed with women and men of all ages. Over 250 tickets were sold for each night of the show and the silent auction was also very successful. The V-Club came very close to meeting their goal of $10,000. The profits from Michiana Monologues will benefit St. Margaret’s House, SOS of Madison Center and the YWCA of St. Joseph County. If you missed this year’s production, you can still show your support by submitting your donation and it will be divided evenly between the three organizations. You can send your check, made out to “V-Club IUSB to:
V-Club IUSB: Michiana Monologues
c/o April Lidinsky, Ph.D.
Women’s Studies Program
2257 Wiekamp Hall
Indiana University South Bend
1700 Mishawaka Ave, PO Box 7111
South Bend, IN 46634-71111
One of the best things about this program is how it raised awareness of women’s issues. There were some funny stories about the demands children and jobs and school make on women’s lives, especially single mothers. But there were also powerful stories about sexual abuse, violence in relationships and suicide. If you missed this event or even if you didn’t, there will be a joint production of St. Mary’s College Monologues and Michiana Monologues on Saturday, April 19th at 7pm in the Bendix Theatre, Century Center, Downtown South Bend. The tickets are $10 and are available at Circa Arts, Lula’s, The Beehive, and the Chicory Cafe, or by calling April Lidinsky at 874-520-4528 or Catherine Pittman at 574-284-4533. Tickets will also be available at the door. All proceeds will be donated to YWCA of St. Joe County and SOS of Madison Center.
02.27.08
Bright Ideas
According to Julie Scelfo’s article in the New York Times, “Any Other Bright Ideas?” a law that requires light bulbs to be more energy efficient was signed into law on December 19 by President Bush. While using compact fluorescent light bulbs is more energy efficient, the light they emit is harsh and glaring. They are also more expensive that incandescent light bulbs.
As a child, I remember my dad was always aware of how much electricity we used. He always made us turn out lights when we left a room. If we forgot, he would say, “Just march yourself back in there and turn that light off.” We were not allowed to turn a light on in the middle of the day. “Open a window and sit by it if you’re going to read,” he would say. So when I heard about fluorescent light bulbs, I thought to myself, what a great idea. I can have my light and save money too.
Fluorescent bulbs are more expensive to purchase initially, but they are supposed to last 6-10 times longer than the incandescent bulbs and they also use 70% less energy.
I bought several of the bulbs and I have to say I am not especially happy with them. The light these bulbs emit is not exactly warm and inviting. The light is too bright and reminded me of the lights at work. I would prefer to come home to softness and comfort, not that harsh glare. But I will try to adjust.
Michiana Monologues (Wrap)
On Saturday, February 23 at 7:00 pm, I went to see Michiana Monologues: Local Stories – Breaking the Silence to End the Violence at Indiana University South Bend. This production was based on the Vagina Monologues but featured local women’s stories. The idea was based on a production by St. Mary’s College students called SMC Monologues. SMC Monologues was performed from submissions by St. Mary’s students, alumnae, sisters and staff. Michiana Monologues gathered submissions from the whole community.
This production was presented by V-Club (Voices Against Violence) IUSB. The stories read were sometime funny and sometimes sad. But they were always moving. The idea behind this production featuring local women’s stories was to move people into getting involved in the effort to stop violence against women.
The stories told involved everything from a woman attempting to interpret her husband’s driving directions to childhood sexual abuse. These were stories that needed to be told but also needed to be heard.
02.26.08
Examples of Sentence Structure
In Three Steps to Reducing Kitchen Waste, I read these sentences which I think are interesting and show a relationship:
Banishing paper plates and other disposable tableware, and treating yourself to the good stuff, will save lots and lots of trash. Cloth napkins, real dishes and cutlery enhance the dining experience and send the message to your family that they deserve the best.
and
Changes need not be monumental, and often it’s a small change that becomes the seed for a larger one. There’s always a reason not to make a change, but there are usually better reasons why you should.
02.23.08
Financial Aid Scandal (explanation)
I have been a Financial Aid Administrator for eight years. I enjoy my job, for the most part, and feel that I perform a valuable service for the students at my college. Like other Financial Aid Advisors, I take pride in my work and strive to do the best job I can.
Last year, students took out $85 billion in loans to pay for ever-increasing tuition. Many of these loans, such as the Stafford Loan Program, are government guaranteed and have set, regulated rates. Because of these regulations, it is unlikely that students borrowing through these programs could have received poor terms on their loans. However, more and more lenders are offering private student loans. These loans are not regulated. Private student loan volume has increased dramatically in the past five years and estimates place total volume at $17 billion. Private loans offer little of the protection that federally guaranteed loans offer, and often have very high interest rates.
Recently, there has been a scandal concerning Financial Aid Officers and the student loan industry. New York Attorney General Mario Cuomo has accused colleges across the country of taking “kick backs” from student loan companies. The Attorney General says that lenders have given college Financial Aid Administrators payments, travel and other perks in exchange for a place on their preferred lender lists. There were a few colleges and financial aid officers who admitted to such scandalous behavior and agreed to stop the practice. Seven universities have agreed to pay students back the money they received for sending students to lenders.
College Financial Aid Advisors have seen their public image tarnished by the actions of some of their peers. Newspaper articles and news commentators have condemned the entire industry based on the behavior of a small minority. As a result of this controversy, the Financial Aid industry has developed a code of conduct to regulate this behavior. Congress has passed the Student Loan Sunshine Act to ensure that changes in the student loan industry and the relationships between colleges and lenders are consistent throughout the nation. The Student Loan Sunshine Act was introduced by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) as a way to “protect students and their parents from exploitation by lenders who offer gifts to colleges as a way to secure loan business.” The Act will also require lenders to report their rates and justify those rates on all loans made to students.
I did not dream of growing up to become a Financial Aid Officer it happened by chance. But I do work in Financial Aid and I take pride in my job. It is a hard job with many rules and regulations. The abuses that caused this scandal are rare and committed by a small number of people. According to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, Cuomo “needlessly tore the fabric of trust between schools and students by exaggerating the problem.” Most Financial Aid professionals work hard to provide students with the resources they need to achieve their higher education and career goals and do not deserve to be lumped in with the few who allowed themselves to be corrupted.
02.21.08
Michiana Monologues, part 2
Many colleges have staged the Vagina Monologues. It has been performed by young women for V-day which is a movement to stop violence against women all over the world. V-day was organized so volunteers can raise money for organizations in their communities that raise awareness of violence against women. This weekend the V-club (Voices Against Violence) at Indiana University South Bend will present Michiana Monologues: Local Women’ Stories – Breaking the Silence to end the Violence an original production inspired by Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues. These monologues are written by local women and will be read on stage by IUSB students. There will be stories of relationships, sexuality and many other issues affecting women from all walks of life. The stories are being submitted anonymously and are selected and edited by faculty, staff and students at IUSB. “The wealth of women’s stories in our own community was too much to overlook,” V-Club president and event producer Danica Duesing says, “The beauty, humor, pain, regret and life that were submitted in the stories we received were powerful and exciting.” Michiana Monologues is based on an idea from St. Mary’s College, who have put on their own production of SMC Monologues from stories written by students, staff and alumni. The IUSB students and staff are depending on advise and mentoring from the students and staff from St. Mary’s to make the production of Michiana Monologues a success. This production is raising money for three local organizations. St. Margaret’s House is a day center where women can become part of a group of women so they no longer feel isolated. The second organization is the YWCA and it is a short-term residential facility. They help women overcome addictions, escape abusive situations and make positive changes in their lives. The third organization is Sex Offense Services (SOS) of Madison Center, a rape crisis center that provides services to victims of rape and domestic violence. There will be two productions of this exciting new project on Friday February 22nd and Saturday February 23rd at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased by calling (574) 520-4203. A silent auction will begin at 6:15 both evenings. For more information, visit the web site at www.michianamonologues.org
Reclaiming furniture
When it comes to furniture, you can go to Ethan Allen and buy something off the showroom floor. But for something unique reclaimed wood is your best bet. Reclaimed furniture pieces or recycled wood made into furniture is a great way to save endangered trees while at the same time purchasing unusual, one-of-a-kind furniture pieces. According to Ideal Bite 50% of the world’s forests are gone. Reclaimed wood furniture avoids using virgin wood from threatened tree species such as mahogany. Buying reclaimed wood furniture pieces or refurbishing used furniture also saves energy because most wood is shipped from thousands of miles away. If 10,000 people buy an end table made from reclaimed wood instead of virgin wood, we’ll avert the CO2 created by 29 cars in a year. So for an unusual, one-of-a-kind piece of furniture, buy reclaimed wood furniture or better yet, purchase a good used piece of furniture and refurbish it yourself.
02.20.08
Making my home more energy efficient (explanation)
In my efforts to become more green, I am trying to minimize my impact on our fragile ecosystem and reduce energy consumption. Even if I do something as simple as installing a compact fluorescent light bulb or replacing a showerhead with a low-flow model it can make a big difference. I am committed to finding a way to greener living. I have feeds coming in daily with tips from around the country on how to make my home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. When it comes to making a big life-altering change, such as “going green” sometimes it’s better to do it in baby steps. By changing one thing at a time, the whole idea will seem much more manageable and I will be more likely to stick to it.I have received many articles on green living from tips on recycling to the latest in sustainable flooring. One of the best ones is Danny’s Blog on DIY website. With winter being especially harsh this year, I need to find ways to save on my energy bills. One of the first things I did to try to conserve energy is have my furnace cleaned. The heat source in a home is the biggest user of energy during the winter. It only makes sense that the system should run as efficiently as possible. Having the heating system serviced and changing the filter regularly will ensure the system is operating as efficiently and inexpensively as possible. The furnace repairman stated that the filters should be changed once a month. I have never done that before but I have put on my calendar that I will change the filter the first day of every month. Another helpful tip is lowering the temperature. For every degree that the temperature is lowered in a home, 2 – 3 % of the total heating bill will be saved. My son installed and programmed a new thermostat for me. So I don’t have to remember to do it, it is automatically done for me. Reversing the ceiling fan can also reduce energy bills. A ceiling fan on low, running clockwise, will re-circulate the warmer air that rises to the upper areas of my rooms. Recycling this air will make my rooms more comfortable. I have already added insulation to my attic. Almost every attic needs more insulation. My sons and I used the recycle insulation that is blown into the attic. There are also Plastic encapsulated insulation batts that make installing additional insulation “itch free” and safer for the do-it-yourselfer. All homes need at least 12″ – 14″ of insulation.
There are still many things that need to be done to make my house more energy efficient such as lowering the water heater temperature. The water heater in a home works 24 hours a day to provide instant hot water when needed. Lowering this temperature will make my water heater work less, saving me money. Another small change I can make to reduce my energy consumption is to seal gaps and cracks in my old house. Small cracks around windows, hose bibs and doors allow cold air to infiltrate the home causing a more expensive effort to keep temperatures comfortable within the home. Sealing these cracks with exterior caulk or foam will make it easier and cheaper to heat my home this winter.
Becoming green isn’t easy. However, the small things I do to my home can make a big difference in my energy consumption, which, in turn, is good for the environment.
02.17.08
Can Openers and other Gadgets
I have never been very good at using electronic devices. I always seem to be one step behind everyone else when instructions are given in a computer lab. My frustration level always goes sky high when I am faced with these contraptions. That brings me to the subject I want to blog about today. I have never learned how to use an electric can opener. I know it is a fairly simple appliance, but for some reason, every time I try to fit the can under the little wheel, I fail. I get so frustrated that I give up and use the manual can opener instead. I was reminded of my inability to operate this contraption when I read in Ideal Bites that if everyone in the United States used electric can openers, it would cost $36 million per month. That is an unbelievable statistic. In our throw away society, these devices usually end up in the land fill. Also noted in Ideal Bites, the old fashioned manual devices usually take up less space.
In my attempts to save energy, I have purchased some of those power strips to plug in to my electronic devices. Common household appliances such as televisions, computers and DVD players use electricity even when they are turned off because the power adapter remains on. The power strips will enable me to easily turn these devices off when they are not in use. This will save the environment—and money. I think I am going to need the extra money because my old refrigerator is starting to make that funny ticking noise again and it may be time to start looking for a new energy efficient model.
In Ideal Bites it states, “If it ain’t broke…don’t get an unnecessarily complex gadget to take its place.” I agree who needs electric can openers anyway?
02.13.08
Michiana Monologues (Wrap)
On February 22 and 23 IUSB is presenting a variation of the Vagina Monologues titled Michiana Monologues: Local Women’s Stories – Breaking the Silence to End the Violence. In this play, women will share stories about themselves, their bodies and their experiences. Sponsored by Voices Against Violence V-Club IUSB, proceeds from Michiana Monologues will benefit three area agencies that help women.
This production is being staged to increase awareness of violence against women. Violence and abuse can affect people from all walks of life. It doesn’t matter what race or culture they come from, how much money they have, or how old they are. Violence does not discriminate. Women are ten times more likely than men to be victims of abuse. As I wrote in my post, Politics and Misogyny, violence against women is becoming more and more common. Every day a woman is being battered, raped or worse murdered. At least one out of three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. The abuse is usually someone known to her. Domestic violence and sexual assault are crimes that not only affect the victims and their families, but society as a whole.
Michiana Monologues is based on a production created by St. Mary’s College. SMC students, staff and alumni came up with the idea of a performance that was both written and performed by members of the St. Mary’s community. The difference in this production is that Michiana Monologues is being written by local women within the whole Michiana community. This will make the production more meaningful to a larger audience.
The production will begin at 7:00 pm each evening and a silent auction will begin at 6:15. Tickets are $10.00 each, for more information call (574) 520-4203 or visit the web site at www.michianamonologue.org
