Stuck in the snow?!

So everyone knows that getting your car stuck in the snow is not fun, not fun at all and the way things are looking Kutztown is not giving us any snow days, SO for those who drive to school, being stuck in the snow is not an option. After researching this topic for a while they all pretty much said the same thing, or variations of the same steps so before I list them below for you I would like to give you a list of essentials that I found from various websites you should keep in your house or at your disposal if you don't already have them in there:

-snow shovel (obviously)
-kitty litter (trust me on this one)
-a broom
-ropes
-trees (you need these, they're very important)
-jumper cables

What to do if you are stuck in the snow:

1. Check the tailpipe. This is very important, obviously as it is the first step, if you don't know where that is, it is the pipe at the back of the car. If there's snow covering it, it's very important that you clear it to prevent deadly gases from building up inside the car.

2.Dig away excessive snow and ice.

3. Put snow chains on, or lay traction gadgets such as metal frames in front of, the drive wheels.

4.Ride the brakes

5.Put the floor mats in front of the driven tires as a last resort.

6.Sprinkle salt, sand, and/or cat litter in front of the driven tires.

7.Straighten the wheels.

8.Use a low gear as you pull out

9.Let a little air out of the tires.

10.Rock the car

11.Take advantage of front-wheel drive

12.Try a physics trick. "Take a strong rope or cable and tie it from the car to a tree or secure object. Sit on the middle of the rope. Your weight is multiplied tenfold horizontally by the rope and will pull the car out of the snowbank. Do not tie the rope to anywhere other than reinforced towing points on the car frame or you may just bend or tear off car parts. Do not use a machine to pull on the car except with appropriate equipment and techniques -- a rope, cable or chain can break violently."

Then you should be good to go and there should be no excuse for you not to be in class!!

If that doesn't work and you are stuck at home here are some fun things that you can do if you are trapped indoors:

--Watch a movie
--Make some cookies or brownies
--Play a board game with your roommies
--Play a video game
--Read! (Yes, read)
--Follow the Women's Center on Twitter
--Facebook.

More info on how to dig out your car!

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Your-Car-Out-of-the-Snow

http://www.ehow.com/how_5842567_car-out-stuck-snow.html

Fun things

www.twitter.com/KUWomenscenter
KU Women's Center
www.facebook.com

stay warm today!!! :D

Why Stitch and Bitch?

So many KU students may wonder why the Women's Center offers "Stitch and Bitch." Why would college students knit? They don't have knitting needles in their book bag! What is this crazy program you are offering? You have the one string on the needle, oh no, can't get the yarn...it's more frustrating that actually relaxing! This is lunacy woman's center! What were you thinking??

Well contrary to popular belief, knitting is actually like meditation. The steady rhythm you get into once you get used to holding the needles helps to engage your brain and you begin to almost breathe in time to your stitches. In fact, knitting has been dubbed "the new yoga" or "mind detoxification" and celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts and Madonna have hopped on the knitting train and picked up a pair of needles. And for KU students you can knit here and tell everyone about your problems while eating light refreshments! It's great!

Also, having something to wear like a scarf or a hat that you made is definitely a confident booster and a money saver which is perfect for college students.

SO, to recap why does The Women's Center offer Stitch and Bitch? As college students we all lead stressful lives, I mean we have course work, jobs, possibly roommate drama and just plain day to day things that piss us off. If you didn't realize you are attending a school where scarves and hats can come in quite handy. Don't have one? You can make one and relax at the same time! Holy. Hannah. Who knew knitting was so helpful?


Learn more about knitting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uw-nUvGrBY

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/352591/study_knitting_elicits_relaxation_response.html

Double Standards and Being Safe

Double Standards have and will always exist in our society. A woman will make less to the dollar than a man for doing the same exact job, a woman will be criticized and put-down for succeeding in work while a man will be applauded, a man can be a Romeo and serenade his love while a woman is a stalker; the list goes on.

But the most unfair and important double standard is contraception. Sure, there is male contraception and female contraception but let's look at the list and see if it is equal and the effects of each of these contraceptives.

Males:
-Condoms.
-Vasectomy.

NEXT

Seriously. That's it. Well minus castration but that defeats the purpose of the whole event that your attempting...

Females: (Are you sitting comfortably?)
-The Pill
-The Female Condom
-The Sponge
-Spermicides
-Diaphragm
-Cervical Cap
-Lea's Shield
-The Patch
-NuvaRing
-Ortho Evra
-Depo-Provera
-sterilization
-tubal ligation
-Essure
-IUD
-hysterectomy

phew. all of that women have to go through. In addition to that women are the ones who have the children whereas men are the ones who standby and say "push".

And attention! Women if you are taking Birth Control Pills you must be careful and remember A-C-H-E-S!

A- Abdominal pain
C- Chest pain (severe, with cough, shortness of breath)
H- Headache, (severe) dizziness, weakness, numbness
E- Eye Problems, vision loss or blurring, speech problems
S- Severe leg or calf pain

^^these are early warning signs of medical complications Source: R.A. Hatcher Contaceptive Technology 19th rev ed. Contraceptive Technology Communications, Inc.

What is the pain that men have to go through? Their wallet hurting even when they can get them for free when oh The Women's Center? Women however have much bigger issues for example....

Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)- which is potentially fatal, which results from using the diaphragm as a contraceptive.

Yeast Infections-which are caused by many reasons, one of them being a reaction to condom

the list goes on...

The point of this post wasn't to bash men or anything like that, it was more for men to recognize that women do a lot in relationships, especially ones where the partners are sexually active. And if you are in a relationship where you are sexually active respect your partner and be safe 100% of the time.

Links to check out.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/

http://planbonestep.com/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=the%20morning%20after%20pill&utm_campaign=Emergency%20Contraception/Morning%20After%20Pill&gclid=CLOUjIbx1aYCFeR65QodeXsRTA

What is Roe V. Wade

What exactly is Roe v. Wade?

Roe v. Wade is the historic Supreme Court decision overturning a Texas interpretation of abortion law and making abortion legal in the United States. The Roe v. Wade decision held that a woman, with her doctor, could choose abortion in earlier months of pregnancy without restriction, and with restrictions in later months, based on the right to privacy.

Who is Roe and Who is Wade?

To protect her constitutional rights, the alias, “Jane Roe” was used for Norma McCorvey. McCorvey filed, representing women everywhere that it is a woman’s body and she should be given the right to decide whether or not she decide whether or not she wants to have a child.

Henry B. Wade was the District Attorny of Dallas County, Texas.

Definitions:

Pro-Life: Advocating the legal protection of human embyos and fetuses, especially by favoring the outlawing of abortion on the ground that it is the taking of a human life.

Pro-Choice: Favoring or supporting the legal right of women and girls to choose whether or not to continue a pregnancy to term

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/pro-choice#ixzz1ByhL5ynK

Some Interesting Links

http://womensissues.about.com/od/reproductiverights/a/AbortionArgumen.htm

http://www.abortionfacts.com/life_or_choice/pro_choice.asp

 

Cosmopolitan Magazine, Advertising and Eating Disorders

I talk about a lot of things in this blog; rape, incest, trafficking, battery-but those issues are issues where someone is hurting someone else. One issue that needs to be talked about is eating disorders, or when a woman or a man hurts them self. The media has, since pretty much the dawn of time, been promoting what the idea of "perfect" is. This is what an "ideal" man looks like and this is what an "ideal" woman looks like. If you do not have blindingly white teeth, hair that falls oh so perfectly into place at all times and if you weigh the healthy number for your height then you are not what the media deems ideal. 


This pressure to fit into a mold has weighed heavy on so many men and women that it has driven to eating disorders. Cosmopolitan Magazine, one of the most read women's magazine's has articles that 1. put women down and 2. tell women how to please their man rather than to please themselves.


While reading the astrology section:


LIBRA:
"your eating habits spiraled out of control over the holidays, determined Saturn says that it’s time to toss out the junk food and stock up on healthy snacks such as fruit and veggies."- 


Wow. Ok. I was looking for something like, your love life is looking up, or the 27th is good day to buy shoes, but no. You need to stop eating. Excuse me. You are a laptop. You cannot see me, and your advice is to change my eating habits? Not saying I have an eating disorder, because I don't but Cosmo promotes beautiful airbrushed women and then says things like that? 




Eating Disorder Statistics




- Over one person's lifetime, at least 50,000 individuals will die as a direct result of their eating disorder
- Approximately 7 million girls and women struggle with eating disorders 
- Approximately 1 million boys and men struggle with eating disorders

-As many as 10% of college women suffer from a clinical or nearly clinical eating disorder, including 5.1% who suffer from bulimia nervosa
- Studies indicate that by their first year of college, 4.5 to 18% of women and 0.4% of men have a history of bulimia and that as many as 1% of females between the ages of 12 and 18 have anorexia

NOTE IMPORTANT COVER INFLUENCES

Sex HE craves.

Lose 5 pounds! 

The Cover Girl is a beautiful Barbie-look-a-like 

This is the reason we have the body issues we have. 

"Change the way you think not the way you look"

No Means No. Rape Myths and Facts

Hey everyone, so I was just perusing the internet and I found some myths and facts that Roger Williams University posted I think everyone should know. I feel a lot of people are ill informed when it comes to rape and sexual assault so this is was a very good site and very educational. I'm going to post the link if you want to read more that the website had; helping a friend who has suffered an attack, legal definitions and more. 

http://www.rwu.edu/studentlife/studentservices/counselingcenter/sexualassault/rapemyths.htm

"Myth: Rape is caused by lust or uncontrollable sexual urges and the need for sexual gratification.

Fact: Rape is an act of physical violence and domination that is not motivated by sexual gratification.

Myth: Once a man gets sexually aroused, he can't just stop.

Fact: Men do not physically need to have sex after becoming sexually excited. Moreover, they are still able to control themselves after becoming aroused.

Myth: Women often lie about rape or falsely accuse someone of rape.

Fact: Statistical studies indicate false reports make up 2% or less of the reported cases of sexual assault. This figure is approximately the same for other types of crimes. Only 1 out of 10 rapes are actually reported. Rapes by someone the victim knows are the least likely to be reported.

Myth: Women provoke sexual assault by their appearance. Sexual attractiveness is a primary reason why a rapist selects a victim.

Fact: Rapists do not select their victims by their appearance. They select victims who are vulnerable and accessible. Victims of sexual assault range in age groups from infants to the elderly. Sexual attractiveness is not an issue.

Myth: Sexual assault is a topic that only concerns women, and men do not have to be concerned about sexual assault.

Fact: According to recent rape crisis center statistics, men, both straight and gay, suffered 10% of the sexual assaults reported in the US last year. (Almost all were raped by other men.) In addition, men have wives, friends, sisters, mothers, and daughters who may someday need assistance in coping with sexual assault. Rape is a concern for everyone.

Myth: If a woman really did not want to be raped, she could fight off her attacker.

Fact: Even if the rapist is not carrying a weapon, the element of surprise, shock, and fear, or the threat of harm can overpower a survivor."

--Roger Williams University

This blurb below is also taken directly from Roger Williams University, again I really suggest checking out their website. 

"Facts About Sexual Assault

• 1 out of 4 women is sexually assaulted at some point in her life.
• 1 out of 6 men is sexually assaulted at some point in his life.
• Every 15 seconds a woman is beaten by her husband or boyfriend. (FBI Uniform Crime Report, 1991)
• 2-4 million women are abused every year. (American Medical Association)
• 95-98% of victims of domestic violence are women. (Bureau of Statistics)
• Approximately 25% of all women in the U.S. will be abused by current or former partners some time during their lives. (American Medical Association)
• 82.8% of sexual assaults occur before the victim reaches the age of 25.
• 78% of sexual assault victims were assaulted by someone they knew.
• Up to 57% of rapes happened on a date.
• Over 66% of sexual assault victims reported NO visible physical injuries.
• Over 50% of victims and 70% of assailants had used drugs or alcohol prior to the assault..
• Fewer than 20% of crimes of sexual violence are reported to the police.
• Approximately 2% of acquaintance rapes are reported to the police.
• Only 2% of reported sexual assaults have been determined to be false reports.
• 1 in 8 college women is the victim of rape during her college years. 1 in 4 is the victim of attempted rape.
• 95% of these rape victims did not report the rape to officials.
• 25% percent of women were raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, partner or date during their lifetime.
• 84% of the women knew the men who raped them; 57% were on dates                                          --Roger Williams University

IF YOU NEED HELP

If you or anyone you know is in an abusive relationship or is sexually assaulted, male or female, the Women's Center offers HEART at KU, a sexual assault response team which operates under the direction of  Berks Women in Crisis (BWIC) to provide initial support and safety, as needed, to any individual 

who is reported to be a victim of sexual assault or relationship violence and to increase awareness of 

these issues. The team of trained, certified advocates offers support and compassionate listening as needed 

during the initial interview by law enforcement on campus; accompanies or meets the victim at the 

hospital, if needed; and distributes information about access to referral services. Services are initiated at the 

request of the victim.

To ask for a HEART at KU advocate, 

call the BWIC Hotline at 610-372-9540.

To become a part of HEART at KU or to learn more, 

stop by the Women’s Center, located in 126 Old Main. 

You can also call (610) 683-4655 between 

9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or email Grace Hill at 

hill@kutztown.edu. 

**The Women's Center also offers free safety whistles!!***

The Story Behind the Monologues.What is V-Day? Who is Eve Ensler?

"The Vagina Monologues" is much more than just a play. In 1994, Eve Ensler wrote the play "The Vagina Monologues", which is based on dozens of interviews Ensler conducted with women. The play addressed women's sexuality and the social stigma surrounding rape and abuse. Ensler, a survivor herself, wanted to raise awareness of this terrible abuse that seemed to run rampant all across the globe and try to stop it so she created V-Day. The V-Day message is simple, violence against women and girls must end. 


The first V-Day, 1998, Ensler along with other women performed "The Vagina Monologues" as a benefit show and raised $250,000 in one night. Today, what started out as just performance has turned into over 5,000  stages large-scale benefits and campaigns to educate and change social attitudes towards violence against women world wide. 






"Each year V-Day increases awareness by focusing on a specific group of women in the world who are resisting violence with courage and vision. In 2011, V-Day's Spotlight Campaign will be on the Women and Girls of Haiti. The Spotlight will highlight the high levels of violence against women and girls in Haiti, and will focus on the increased rates of sexual violence since the devastating earthquake that took place in January 2010. All funds raised through the Spotlight Campaign will be used to support a revolutionary national campaign in Haiti lead by a coalition of women activists - including longtime V-Day activist Elvire Eugene - that will address sexual violence through art, advocacy, safe shelter and legal services."-VDay.org


Amnesty International lets us see a 
     

You can learn more at www.vday.org

Haiti Women from the V-Day Spotlight Campaign

www.twitter.com/Kuwomenscenter

The Vagina Monologues!!

Eve Ensler's “The Vagina Monologues"
 

Eve Ensler’s "The Vagina Monologues," is presented by FMLA and the Women’s Center on February 10th and 11th at 7pm in Schaeffer Auditorium. This KU student production is performed in conjunction with worldwide, V-Day campaigns to raise awareness and funds for local anti-violence initiatives. Proceeds from the KU event are donated to Berks Women in Crisis, Planned Parenthood of Northeastern Pennsylvania and the VDAY International Spotlight. Tickets $5 for students, $10 for all others, can be purchased by cash or check at the KU McFarland Student Union information desk. For credit card purchases, please call 610-683-4092.

Hello and Welcome!

Hey everyone and welcome! 


This is the official blog of the Kutztown University Women's Center! You will be able to find information on what is going on in the Center and all the resources that it provides for Kutztown University students! You will also be able to find information and fast facts on topics such as rape, human trafficking, FGM, and battery in addition to other vital issues that unfortunately face the world today. Some posts will include how you can get involved on campus and off campus, also some fun quotes might be thrown into the posts to brighten your day! Keep checking back for updates and welcome to the blog! 



"The only necessary is the unnecessary"-Life is Beautiful



Kutztown Women's Center
Old Main 126
Center Hours: Monday - Thursday 9 a.m -8 p.m., Friday 9 a.m -5 p.m.