Zines! Zines! What a wonderful thing!

I have to say that watching something evolve from an idea to a full fledged zine was really awesome. In the words of Jaime "These zines are like my children" and they really are. I am so proud of them and everyone should be. They are simply fantastic. So fantastic that I caused quite a stir in my Stat 151 class on Friday (That's right ladies and gentlemen, I, a fifth year student, am taking a 100 level class). I was reading the four zines whilst my prof was lecturing on the importance of AVONA calculations. The group of chatty ladies behind me saw what I was reading and they started giggling, "What is that chick reading?", so I turned around and told them it was a zine that my WST 320 class had created, I then offered my personal copy of Paper for their viewing pleasure. This caused an outburst of laughter to which the prof stopped the class and asked the girls to be quite. So did this zine interrupt public space? Yes, I think it did. The girls read the zine, reacted to it and were told by the ruling bloc (the prof) to shut up.
Does any of this sound familiar? Women creating something beautiful, original, radical and unusual and when it is reacted to, we get told to shut up.
The zine was quickly returned to me, like the girls did not want to be caught with it. Is this a typical response? If something is radical, does that mean it is wrong and we should not be involved with it? These girls sure thought so, not me. I would have admitted to it.

God, I love a good election!!!

My best pal (Holly) is doing her masters in poli sci, specifically poltical philosophy, so naturally cannot help but discuss the recent events that occured in the good ol' USA. The election that occured on Nov 7 may be one of the most significant in American history, she says. The democrats won the house and the senate and the GOP (which stands for grand old party, as I just found out) suffered a huge blow. Rumsfeld is out and Nancy Pelosi (D-California) is in as the first ever female speaker of the house. This now makes her, in some opinion, to be the most powerful woman in the USA. Now I do not know much about her as I have not read many of her statements of policy, even with what little I know about Ms. Pelosi, I really think that she can do good in this world. Perhaps her victory will lead to women achieving more in the world and making a difference. What does this have to do with WST? I guess we may have to wait for a few month, years etc to see if Ms. Pelosi lives up to her hype, if she can become a model to which young women can look up to, Holly thinks she will. I have faith for my sisters to the south. Can't wait for the 2008 elections, should be interseting. Clinton vs Rice? Could happen...

When bathrooms get political...

I just read Jaime's post for the week and, believe it or not, I was thinking about the same issue. (Jaime, we are totally like, twins!!) It seems like every time I use a bathroom there is a new piece of info written in black Sharpie informing me of certain issues. Klearcut, don't waste paper towel, Turn the lights off, genderless bathrooms and the ever-popular graffiti on the ads. These crazy ads in the bathrooms. Sure, I go in there, read the ads, read the graffiti and laugh at how clever people can be. It has never really affected me much until I started taking this class and becoming more empowered as a feminist. I love to see action taken against big business, even if it is just writing on an ad in a bathroom. Taking up public space, Kipnis would be so proud. Is it as effective as writing RAPE under stop signs, probably not. The issue of birth control is far different than the issue of rape, yet the way that these people are choosing to fight the issue is the same. Refunction a sign, hail a different group. Ah yes the hail, Althusser would argue that the hail is purposeful, and can be very powerful.
Did the hail work for me? It sure did. I sat up, and paid attention. That is the purpose after all, isn't it?
Randi, if you felt strongly about the pro-life sign, I say do it. Take up some public space. We as WST 320 and feminists would be so proud of you.
Aside- I was discussing these signs with my best friends mom, she said when she went to U of A 30 years ago, groups of feminist (herself included) would go and "liberate" men's bathrooms. So ladies, the war in the bathroom goes back a long way on this campus.