SOCIAL WORK COUNCIL'S EMPOWERMENT WEEK!

I've been working tirelessly along with my peers to bring UT a great Social Work Council Empowerment Week!

Join us on Gregory Plaza Tuesday, April 3rd, and Wednesday, April 4th from 10am-2pm for Empowerment Week. Both days will include the same events. This year, SWC's Empowerment Week focuses on Safety: Personal, Sexual, and Alcohol. Free t-shirts at the event! Personal Safety: ResistAttack has donated 100 pepper sprays that we will be giving out for free. Around 90% of sexual assaults occur between people that know each other. Although pepper spray cannot change the intent of an attacker, it is our hope that carrying this bottle will empower you. Being attacked is NEVER your fault. To speak with someone about relationship violence, sexual violence, or stalking anonymously, call UT 24-hour Telephone Counseling at 512-471-2255 or go to the Counseling and Mental Health Center on the 5th floor of the Student Services Building (SSB). If we are out of pepper spray when you drop by, please visit our personal fundraising page through ResistAttack to purchase your own. 25% of the proceeds will go towards Social Work Council's mission to empower UT students. If you don't want to purchase anything, you can still make a donation by clicking the "Donate" button. Sexual Safety: UT's Voices for Reproductive Justice teams up with SWC to hand out condom goodie bags. Special thanks to C.A.R.E. Program for donating female condoms and dental dams! Come out to learn more about how female condoms can work for you and your partner.

Learn more about female condoms by watching this video!

Alcohol Safety: UT's Alcohol and Drug Peer Educators join us on April 3rd to distribute free t-shirts and literature on knowing your limit. The literature will be available both days.

Special thanks to UT Senate of College Councils.

Other Links

"Like" UT Social Work Council

"Like" UT Voices for Reproductive Justice

"Like" ResistAttack


"Like" UT HealthyHorns

"Like" UT Senate of College Councils


Follow me on Twitter

FD Meeting, Voter Registration, Austin's Women's Resource Fair, Shangri La, and Rush Limbaugh

Financial Directors Meeting over Drinks

Shelley, me, Rima, and Bhargav

3 weeks ago, after the Financial Directors finished our final round of Appropriations for the year, we decided we would have our next meeting over drinks. Only 4 of us showed up, but it was still tons of fun. We gossiped about Senate (because really, who else wants to do that than people who are in Senate) and talked about what we were going to be doing in the future. It was nice chatting in an informal setting.

Voter Registration at People's Community Clinic with Tasha

On Saturday morning, my peer Tasha, invited me to register people to vote at People's Community Clinic. It turns out they aren't as busy on Saturdays as they are during the week. We only registered one person, but it's better than none! Part of the problem is the implementation of registration cards pre-printed with a county tax office. That means we can only register people who live in Travis County. One woman wanted to register, but lived in neighboring Williamson county, so we couldn't. It's very apparent to me that preprinted registration cards are a barrier to registering as many people as possible to vote.

The good news is I got to chat with Tasha for a few hours. It feels good to make new friends!

Women's Resource Fair

After People's Community Clinic I went straight to the Austin's Women's Resource Fair.

Sylvia and me

This fair was fantastic. Low-income and homeless women could receive free hair cuts, massage therapy, legal advice, and health care advice among other things.

Planned Parenthood was giving away free literature, condoms, pens, and COUPONS FOR FREE WELL WOMAN EXAMS. So awesome. I am proud to be a volunteer for Planned Parenthood- a non-profit that is helping keep women healthy instead of shaming them and punishing them for being naturally sexual.

The other great thing that happened is I think I found someone who will donate female condoms and dental dams for Social Work Council's Empowerment Week! If you read this post, you will know how terrible I feel only giving away male condoms on a campus that is obviously more sexually diverse than that.

Lastly, I networked with a few Social Workers for my Needs Assessment projects. Nice!

Shangri La

Feminist girlfriends over drinks is my new favorite thing to do. I went out with Liz and Haley, and we bumped into Drucilla and Brent! It was a fun night talking about lobbying on Tuesday for the Women's Health Program, and the War on Women Rally April 28 at the capital.

Liz, me, and Haley

I Have a Say- My Video

Did you check out my I Have a Say video? More importantly, have you made yours yet?!

Rush Limbaugh

Hear what Rush Limbaugh had to say on his channel about Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown law student that was denied a turn to speak at a congressional hearing on birth control and religious freedom.

Sign the petition to get this misogynist off the air!

Additional Links From This Week

Please "Like" the Voices for Reproductive Justice Facebook page.

Tell Governor Perry: Don't Mess with Texas Women. Sign the petition!

Check out Seeing Red Rally on March 6 on The Drag (12pm-2pm)

Planned Parenthood's Don't Mess with Texas Women bus tour March 6 on The Drag (3:30pm-4:30pm).

Senator Turner protects men's health.

Rick Santorum on abortion in cases of rape or incest.

Why we shouldn't be calling transvaginal ultrasounds rape.

Funny or Die's Women's Health "Experts" video.

Follow me on twitter!