A Buttload of Dollars Will Be Wasted on Abstinence-Only Mis-Edumakation in 2009.
As posted on Amplify:
Details have just been released on the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, and I must say that it is disappointing news.
Despite the Senate Finance Committee’s recommendation for the House of Representatives to cut $28 million in funding for abstinence-only until marriage initiatives, the bill only cuts $14 million, leaving $94 million for these failed programs for the rest of the fiscal year.
This is despite President Obama’s public statements supporting comprehensive sex education, and his promise in the inaugural address to stop funding programs that don’t work. This is despite House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s public statement at Netroots Nation last year pledging to redirect abstinence-only funding.
The fact that the Democratic House leadership went exactly halfway towards the Senate’s recommendation is also alarming. Is this a sign that Barack Obama and the Democratic leadership are willing to meet halfway towards the social conservatives’ abstinence-only agenda, despite the overwhelming evidence of its failure, the desperate need to cut funding in the budget, and a strong Democratic majority in the House and Senate?
We certainly hope not, because Obama’s next test is currently underway. His administration is currently drafting their budget for the 2010 fiscal year, and this is Obama’s opportunity to walk the walk when it comes to his public statements on sex education.
We have already wasted $1.5 billion dollars on abstinence-only until marriage funding, and we are long past the time where this funding is, once and for all, zeroed out. Supporters of comprehensive sex education have already sent several thousand letters to Obama to zero out this funding, but we urgently need to send him more so he gets the message loud and clear.
Send this letter to President Obama, asking him to ZERO OUT funding for abstinence-only until marriage sex education in his 2010 fiscal budget.
The sexual health of young people is way too important to continue to leave it in the hands of these failed programs of the social conservative fringe. Abstinence Clownshorrifically misleading and harmful programs need go. Please let him know!!! and these
Re: Bros Before Hos the Musical
I wrote an article a few weeks ago that was featured on Feministing's main blog about a youtube video titled "Bros Before Hos: The Musical," that generated a fair amount of comments and confusion. I refuse to re-post the youtube video, as I feel it was sexist and homophobic and perhaps even posting it in the first place was a bad idea. That said, my article was moreso a rant than a critique and as such I was criticized that I should be able to "take a joke" and not fight irrelevant battles. Typical way of dismissing anger about sexism and homophobia: feminists just can't take a joke.
I responded accordingly:
Based on the comments, I see that is confusion about the homophobia expressed in this video. Although some of you expressed that the sexism is blatant, others argue that the homophobia in this video is non-existent or even irrelevant. Although it didn't help that I lacked coherence in connecting the dots between sexism and homophobia. I think the first concept I must address is that sexism and homophobia are interrelated. Sexism is the institution that subjugates one gender to another. Homophobia re-instates that subjugation by ensuring that there is no blurring of lines between the genders. Speaking to an audience of men, Michael Kimmel says, "Homophobia is the fear that other men will unmask us, emasculate us, reveal to us and the world that we do not measure up, that we are not real men." The men in this video re-enact the institution of sexism and keep it in check with homophobia. The structure of this event is organized neatly in the video as such: A) female figure in a menge-a-trois demands, lifting her status from object to subject B) the two male figures explore the conflict which arises in a sexist system when gender and sexual lines a blurred, ostensibly through sex, wherein gender lines are usually instated and/or re-instated C)The conflict resolves by ejecting the "single" guy from the group and instating heteronormativity.
There, I said it, now I can sleep at night.
New York Magazine's article of Bob Kerrey and the New School
New York Magazine has an article up of Bob Kerrey, President of the New School. Kerrey was given a vote of no confidence by faculty late in 2008 and his presidency has been perhaps the deciding factor in the 2008 New School occupation, where dozens of New School students took over their cafeteria for 30 hours or so. Students are still interested in getting rid of him. Check it out.
CUNY students mobilizing events
Lots of IMPORTANT CUNY events are coming up. I will attend all of them, so if you're crushing then this would be a good opportunity to stop by.
Upcoming Events Feburary 10th Hearing at 11am at BC in the Tanger Auditorium. The City University Board of Trustees is launching a search for a new President of Brooklyn College. As part of the process, the CUNY Trustees appointed to the Presidential Search Committee will visit the College. They have asked to meet with various constituent groups, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, local community partners and stakeholders. This is an opportunity to learn about the search process and ask questions, and also a chance for the Trustees to hear what the College community wants in a new president.
February 17th Meeting Brooklyn College Coalition Against the Budget Cuts and Tuition Hikes (location to be announced).
February 18 CUNY wide meeting at Hunter, with the primary purpose of planning a CUNY-wide budget cut and tuition hike event for April.
Feburary 26th Public Hearing on the budget cuts and tuition hikes in the Wood Tanger Auditorium of Brooklyn College at 4:00pmwith a collection of city and state legislators including Senator Parker and Senator Jacobs.
March 5 rally against the budget cuts at BMCC followed by a march to City Hall to join the protest called by the UFT and other unions against the budget cuts.
For more info, click here.
Using Sexism to Criticize Power Relations
KABOBfest recently wrote a little article titled "KABOBfest Exclusive: Livni Sex Tape Exposed." I initially assumed was going to be a story of how Bebe Netanyahu and cronies rummaged through Livni's personal space and realized that she has a fully functional vagina and is putting it to use, but as it turned out it was a parody article that is sexist and anti-Semitic.
From KABOBfest:
A new sex tape emerged that should send shockwaves through Israeli politics. As this family-friendly screenshot demonstrates, Livni was getting it on with two of her security detail as she was covered in flowers -- in public. Pretty hot, but nowhere nearly as sexy as the Israeli porn classics, Checkpoint Chicks Meet the Golani Brigade, Menachem the Mohel (if you are into horror-porn), and Coma-Hoes (starring Ariel Sharon).
I sounded the first mental alarm in only the first sentence. "Should" send shockwaves? I didn't know people having sex constituted national or even international news. Should we give her a reality show too?
The article then plays around with porn titles like "Checkpoint Chicks Meet the Golani Brigade," which insinuates that mistreatment of Palestinians at Israeli checkpoints is comparable to being forced into sex. This idea may best be understood with the double-edged phrase "getting fucked." Punny...
The author draws on themes of powerful women in the Bible, such as the famous Jezebels of both the Old and New Testaments, in order to make sense of female political power. The Jezebels were viewed as utilizing their bodies to (re)claim power in society and that they were thus prostituting themselves. Tzipi Livni, who nearly controls the military power know as the Israeli army, is apparently also being viewed by this blogger as wielding her power through similar means, and the relationship between Livni, her power, and her followers is understood similarly to the Jezebels, their power, and their followers. The Jezebel of the Hebrew Bible is thrown, by her Eunuchs, from her bedroom window and eaten by dogs, the Jezebel of the New Testament is gang raped by her "children." Hopefully no one resolves the tension created by Livni's power to justify raping or killing her.
The shit this article spews doesn't stop there. It concludes, "However, the film may not offend the orthodox Jewish community: they were boinking her through blanket holes." This = exploiting huge misconceptions of orthodox Jewish sexual practices, which is, in my definition, prejudice.
The underlying problem here is that this article perpetuates the idea that sexual relations are reasonable ways in which people may demonstrate power relations and that, thus, sex and power can be used metaphorically, interchangeably, etc. But they cannot. Sex is an act that occurs between two or more fully consenting individuals. If power relations find their way into sex, as they find their way into the workplace, our school systems, dating life, etc., then that means one or more people will be subjugated by one or more people. That isn't sex, that's rape.
I understand that the situation in Gaza and Israel is royally fucked up, but the messiness of this situation cannot be understood in the same tired ass ways, i.e. sexism, anti-semitism, wtvs-ism.
Ilene Tannenbaum responds to Times article
Ilene Tannenbaum is the director of the Brooklyn College Health Clinic, and an ally to young people in the fight for our right to live healthily. She responded to the recent NY Times article on uninsured young adults, and how the unnecessary denial of their health rights is leading them into dire circumstances.
Response Below:
‘For Uninsured Young Adults, Do-It-Yourself Health Care,’ (NY Times, 2/18/09) provides yet another example demonstrating the dire need for our country to implement a national health insurance plan.
Unlike the young adults described in the article, the students at Brooklyn College do not have to rely on the internet or their friends for either self-diagnosis or medical treatment. The system developed and maintained since 1993 for students may in fact serve as a model for our nation, and not merely as an alternative to neglect, self-management, and too often, misguided care. Through a small contribution of only $10 per student per semester, each individual attending Brooklyn College has access to unlimited visits to a skilled practitioner in which preventive care is emphasized, and early diagnosis and intervention help avoid disease complications. While there remain some generally negligible costs for certain medications, laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures, the clinic attempts to assure that these services are available to its patients at substantially reduced rates.
Although the Brooklyn College Health Clinic falls far from the ideal - it cannot offer patients with alternative choices for free outpatient care, it cannot provide in-patient treatment, and budgetary limitations hamper provider availability - this imperfect model nonetheless offers evidence that a population can be served well by garnering fairly small regular and equitable assessments regardless of need or intended use. Clearly any national proposal would have to include a contribution greater than Brooklyn College students are paying, but there is no reason not to be hopeful that much can be accomplished with a modest tax-like share to help ensure this goal.
No one should have to go without access to high-quality, affordable healthcare. At Brooklyn College we have shown how it can be done.
Ilene Tannenbaum, NP
Director, Brooklyn College Health Clinic
Last Night's Protest at NYU
Last night hundreds of people from different backgrounds, universities, and age groups, crowded around the occupied Kimmel Center mostly in support of, though a fair few in opposition to the NYU student protest of administrative financial mishaps, secrecy, disturbing salary multiplications, and exploitation of workers abroad. The rally was not peaceful, there were a few fist fights and the polic maced some of the demonstrators. The NYPD also attended a few tactics which included attempting to separate the crowd by brining (all the kings?) horses and trucks through the crowd, but the demonstrators quickly mobilized and created a human wall wherever they turned. Sweet. Throughout the night adminisrative promises were broken and some of the student protesters in Kimmel were forcibly evicted from their NYU housing (wtf @ making someone homeless for protesting?).
The occupation ended at 2pm today, but the movement continues in many ways. You can check out more on Take Back NYU here.
Enjoy some pics I took. CUNY support made me smile.
Of all people, you'd think professors would be able to think critically about what it means to "grade" someone.
The most-emailed article on nytimes.com right now is an article called "Student Expectations Seen as Causing Grade Disputes." In it, professors complain about their students' overwhelming "sense of self-entitlement" that makes them unable to accept a C for a grade.
Professor Marshall Grossman of U. Maryland, whose class I am glad not to be taking, says this: "Many students come in with the conviction that they've worked hard and deserve a higher mark... I tell my classes that if they just do what they are supposed to do and meet the standard requirements, that they will earn a C... That is the default grade. They see the default grade as an A."
Okay, buddy. First of all, I don't know if this is news to you, but you could do what most of my professors do and make the standard requirements be what students need to do to get an A. If your syllabus and assignments are so lack-luster that they don't get students to learn what you want them to learn and produce the high quality work you want to see, then change your requirements. Students are not mind-readers and they have other classes and lives and jobs and cannot devote extra time to going above and beyond the (probably) massive workload you've assigned them.
Second of all, where is the sensitivity to the oppressive number- and grade- obsessed system that students are unwillingly thrown into? All of our lives, we have been (and still are) in a world where NUMBERS count. Schools are obsessed with standardized test scores. Colleges were obsessed with our grades, ranks, and SATs. Grad schools will be obsessed with our grades, Latin honors, semesters on the Dean's list, and GREs. It never fucking ends. So yeah, students worry about their grades-- because having one asshole professor who gives you a C for meeting "the standard requirements" can have long-term fuck-up effects. And that's why I have a problem with calling students "self-entitled." I would say it's more like "surviving" in a world where you're nothing more than the numbers other people label you with.
Join rally in solidarity with Take Back NYU
As I posted earlier, students at NYU have taken over a university building in protest of financial mismanagement, diminished/suppressed voice of students, and some other shameful acts by NYU administration. They're calling all folks to stand with them in solidarity tonight.
From the Website:
The NYU Admin has told us we need to leave by 1am or we will be officially tresspassing. We are expecting a confrontation with security and/or police.
We really need you now, more than ever - please get everyone outside for a giant rally at 12 midnight tonight. The more people there are outside, the less likely it is that NYU will call in the police to drag us out.
WHEN: Tonight
WHERE: Outside the occupied Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South.
Someone's listening
The Kaiser Family Foundation has created an essay contest for college students about the current economic crisis and what ought to be prioritized in amending it. There's a pretty sweet cash prize too.
It's very nice to see a sudden interest in our opinions especially since we are constantly combating the ideology that works to dismiss our thoughts as young people, i.e. that young people are too naive, idealistic, unwise, immature, yada yada, you know the "when you get older you'll see..." bullshit.
From the website:
President Obama has stated that reforming the health care system is one of his top priorities, and there is broad interest from policymakers and the public in making a change. During the campaign, he outlined a framework for reforming health care. The essay should cover: what elements of his plan should be prioritized given the current economic crisis, what elements are most likely to garner support and which ones will be most challenging and why?
Undergraduate and graduate students will be judged separately and the winners will receive $1,000. All essays must be submitted by March 2, 2009.
Well, health majors, science majors, political science majors, anyone with a functioning mind attending college, flex your brain muscles and get to it.
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