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Poetry

What Flows                                        Vanessa Pinkham  

What flows inside her twist of tides
and glows beneath her skin,
whispers soft and hard, uncanny things,
sends a shiver, sends a scream.

Her thoughts of lovers, lost and found,
of yearnings soft and deep.
Love held gently, love drowned,
and love left still to meet.

Among her hair and skin and clothes,
beneath sardonic smiles,
lies life so bold, so fresh, and free,
and pain, relentless, wild.

What flows inside her ocean eyes,
soars beneath her bright blue jeans
draws me through her ramparts
and brings me to my knees.

 Mikki’s Rant

by Mikki Fitch

   There are some things that just won’t go away. Last year, we experienced many different high school shootings. In Columbine, Colorado one such shooting occurred. It has led to many different discussions about boys, violence, outcasts, and the failures of parents and our public school system. Live broadcasts kept the nation in the know as events unfolded that day, and we turned to our friends and talked. You know what one comment I heard the most? "I understand why they did it."
   It seems that we all wanted to point fingers. We asked about the parents–why were they not aware of what was going on. We asked about the boys who did it and determined that they were psychologically messed up. We did everything but look into the mirror and realize that this is our problem. Every single one of us. Think back to high school. Do you remember what it felt like to be unpopular? If you were popular, do you remember the scorn you felt for those who were not? Did you call people names? Did you write them off?
   It happens everywhere. In every school, in every town, in big cities and in tiny communities, there are some people that "have it" and others who don’t. Why is that? I remember being hated in high school for being a vocal woman. I offended people because I wouldn’t except their ignorance. I refused to try and blend; it wasn’t my style. When I first heard about the Columbine shootings my first comment was, "I understand." I have recently read an article in the New York Times Magazine (August 22, 1999, section 7), called "The Outsiders". It is a discussion of what it’s like to be unpopular and how the students cope day in and day out. One comment struck me. A student in New Hampshire says, "I think it was the fact that I couldn’t completely control myself that scared me. I didn’t like myself because I didn’t have anything. No athletics, no grades. The only thing that kept me going was that I hated them more than I hated myself." It’s scary how that comment affected me. I remember feeling like that. I remember sitting with my friends (the other outsiders) and thinking about how much I would like to watch "them" suffer, all those people who hated me, who made me less than what I truly was. I hated them for making me hate myself.
   So, here we are. The next school year has began, and with it has come metal detectors, school policeman, and bans on trench coats and black clothing. As a society, we have become afraid both for and of the high school students. We holler and yell about how we have to stop the violence, but are we truly doing what needs to be done? The problem lies in many different places, but I think that one fact rings true: we cannot continue to ignore the issue of our students being ostracized. We cannot pretend this issue doesn’t exist. It’s not enough for us to have football heroes and love our jocks. For every person we revere in high school, for every cheerleader who gets special privileges, for every student who is told they are better than another student, there are three or four more who feel slighted. Over time it builds. As adults we are allowing the situation to occur. As future teachers it is our responsibility to take notice. Spend some time thinking about what you can do. How can you stop this extreme division between our students? What can we do?
   Our students are dying at the hands of other students. This issue is less about guns, violence on TV and angry music than about our class-dominated society. The problem lies in believing that one group of people is better than the other. It lies in thinking that one activity is more important than the other. It’s is driven and kept alive by our idealized images that are impossible for any of us to live up to. It is driven because we are not stopping it. It’s our responsibility and we need to address it. Every time we turn our head and shut our ears, we are pulling the trigger on our society. We might as well be holding the guns.

Stories

By Jessica Quilty

   Her parents met in the middle of two worlds – literally – at a dance in a city between her mother’s suburban home and her father’s city home. From different sides of the room they saw each other, met each other in the center, and began a relationship that is now thirty-three years old. They brought together their different histories and had her, a mix of their opinions, beliefs, pasts and futures.

   I was born an individual person – one person, possessing characteristics, and with experiences, specific to me. I was born, however, into society that defined me. I was born into a family defined by society and that also created its own world of definitions. I was born with the statistical qualities of white, female and working class, and these three qualities are key to my relationship with the world.

*     *      *

   On Friday they stood in a straight line against the brick wall of the Jewish Community Preschool and waited for the teachers and volunteers to lead them. They walked in a slow procession to the synagogue not far away. The big room was carpeted with thick plush, quiet and beautiful. Each one of them put on a yarmulke and listened to the rabbi, calling out foreign and familiar words.

   I was raised Catholic and attended a Jewish preschool. I celebrated Christmas and Hanukkah in the same month. At my school Jewish children, Christian children, children of many different cultures – Asian, African American, Hispanic–learned happily together.  
   It was a wonderful school, a place I learned the value of being human. I was not prepared, however, for the real world. The shock I felt upon discovering hatred between religions, between cultures, was enormous. Having never experienced it, I could not understand why.

*     *      *

   It was the biggest house she had ever seen, her Nana’s, her father’s mother. Her mother tried to explain that it was actually many houses, but she could not understand how more than one family could live in the same building. They pressed a button and Nana’s voice came through the speaker, telling them to come up. Nana’s floor was like a hotel, many doors with numbers. She looked through the four rooms, exploring, thinking they were the perfect size for one person. She wanted to live there when she was old enough.

   I grew up in the suburbs of Boston, in a small house that was big enough for every member of the family to have their own room. My grandmother lived in the same apartment building in Dorchester from the time that she moved to the U.S. from Italy to when she died, when I was seven.
   The short car trip to my grandmother’s building brought me into a whole different world. A world that was not as comfortable as mine, a world where people had tiny apartments and sometimes no phone, or not enough food. I learned two things before I was seven: appreciation for what I had, and appreciation and compassion for people who lived, and thrived, on less.

*     *      *

   Nothing had ever confused her more than her eighth grade algebra class. she sat in her second row desk, trying to convince her numbers to turn to letters and back again. She raised her hand and asked the teacher, "Please explain the third equation. I don’t understand." Her teacher turned from his blackboard, focused his grey eyes on her and said, "It doesn’t matter if you understand. You don’t need algebra. Sooner or later you’ll be busy over a stove with six kids clinging to your legs."

   A feminist was born. At that moment, I was stunned. I had known since I was little that it would take me and a male (probably), to produce six kids. So I wondered why it would be me, ignorant in algebra, who was responsible for their care.
   In my family, when my mom worked my dad cooked, and when my dad worked my mom cooked. I didn’t really associate those things with gender roles, although the roles were apparent on television and the rest of the media.
   I was angry. I learned the history of women, and vowed to help change the future.

*     *      *

   She was hurrying through the mall, late to meet her mother at the place arranged to pick her up. Her arms were swinging at her sides and her wallet slipped from her hand and skidded across the floor. A group of young guys was walking ahead of her, and she was nervous when one of them, African American, bent down to pick it up. When he turned to hand it to her, she was relieved and surprised.

   I am white. In this society I am privileged because of it. In many ways, millions of ways I do not realize, this has worked to my advantage. Could it have been a factor in the jobs I’ve held? The careers I’ve considered? The perception of my intelligence? The way I’ve been treated in stores, restaurants, hotels? Of course. It is impossible to discern how many times my white skin gave me privilege, without my even knowing.
   That moment in the mall made me realize my own prejudice. I was so hard to deal with, but it was a moment of change. From that time on, I tried consciously not to judge.

*     *      *

   She babysat for kids who lived in a mansion. At Christmas, they had a tree that filled their two-story foyer. The house overlooked the ocean; the whole bottom floor was a playroom for the three brothers. Their mother, in a hurry to rush off to work, said to her one day, "If Amy calls, tell her tomorrow at three is okay." She agreed and gave Amy the message when she called. As she made dinner she asked the oldest brother, who was eleven, who Amy was. "She’s the woman who comes to clean out the van," he said.
   I believe that night I learned how unfair the world of money could be. I saw my parents work just as hard as the parents I babysat for, and my parents had no money to spare. This family had a special maid for their car.

   I started thinking that night, and I formed my beliefs that there were some things all people were entitled to: housing, medical care, education – a truly livable standard of living. I thought it would make the most sense to even things out in this society where some are so rich and some are so poor.

*     *      *

   Stories upon stories define every person’s life. They are a way for one person to relate the meaning of their life to the rest of the world. One can look at the stories of one’s life, like beads on a string, and see the rises and falls, the moments of discovery. Each story becomes part of history, both personal and communal.

Through Feminist Eyes: A Review

by Kariné Esayan

Female Genital Mutilation: A Call for Action by Nahid Toubia

For a long time I had been hearing discussion and debate regarding the subject of female genital mutilation; after hearing so much about it, I finally decided I wanted to be informed. My opportunity arrived when I came across this book, which is actually more of an informational pamphlet. It is the perfect tool for anyone who has heard of female genital mutilation (FGM), knows vague details, but not really what it is and why it is such a hotly debated topic in our day and age. Nahid Toubia, currently an Associate Professor at Columbia University and the Director of RAINB& (Research, Action and Information Network for the Bodily Integrity of Women) thoroughly explains what FGM is, in what parts of Africa it is commonly practiced, why it is practiced, why it needs to be eradicated, and what organizations are doing to end FGM. Her writing interests the reader as well as informs her. The book is filled with quotes from the writings of activists, pictures of native African women and girls, and some graphic depictions of the FGM procedure. At forty-eight pages, it is a wonderful resource for those who want to be informed about FGM and want to be part of the action of putting an end to it.

OCTOBER 13

U-Maine, Memorial Union, Bangor Lounge, 12:15-1:30 p.m. Nancy Foss, Consultant on Reproductive Health and Rights, presents "The State of the State: Reproductive Health and Rights in Maine." Part of the Women in the Curriculum and Women's Studies Program Fall 1999 Lunch Series. For more information, call 581-1228.

Bates, Muskie Archives, 7 p.m. The 1999-2000 Zerby Lecture in Contemporary Religious Thought: Riffat Hassan, Chair of Religious Studies, University of Louisville, presents "Women in Islam: A Feminist Perspective." For more information, call 786-6330.

Bates, Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, 8 p.m. Bates College Concert Series presents Peggy Seeger, songwriter, singer and activist. Admission: $10/$8. For more information, call 786-6252.

OCTOBER 14

Colby, Robins Room, Roberts Union, 4 p.m. Women's Studies Colloquim: "Whose Problem Is It Anyway? A Panel on Sexual Assault" with Chief Justice Daniel Wathen, Attorney General Andrew Ketterer, Rep. Julie A. O'Brien (Augusta), and Cynthia Yerrick, Survivor and Activist. Reception to follow.

Bates, Chase Hall Lounge, 7:30 p.m. The Muskie Archives Millennial Series: Susan Hudson, scholar of French-Canadian women living in 19th century Lewiston, presents "Franco Women: The History and the Future." For more information, call 786-6330.

OCTOBER 16

Bates, Clifton Daggett Gray Athletic Building, 8 p.m. Concert, folksinger Dar Williams. Admission: $10/$5.  For more information, call 786-6305.

OCTOBER 20

U-Maine, Memorial Union, Bangor Lounge, 12:15-1:30 p.m. Brenda Hall Taylor, Director, Postgraduate Coursework, School of Social and Workplace Development, Southern Cross University, presents "What's Up Down Under? Women's Studies in Australia." Part of the Women in the Curriculum and Women's Studies Program Fall 1999 Lunch Series. For more information, call 581-1228.

OCTOBER 21--National Young Women's Day of Action

U-Maine, 12:30 p.m., Corbett Building, Room 100. Patricia Ireland, President, National Organization for Women, speaks at the Marxist Socialist lunch. 7 p.m., Ireland speaks in Minsky Hall. For more information, call Maine NOW PAC, 989-3306.

UMF, Ricker Hall, Thomas Auditorium, 7 p.m. Karen Raschke, Staff Attorney for State Programs, Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, presents "Pushing Us Back: The 'Partial Birth Abortion' Deception, the national campaign to end women's reproductive rights." Part of the Rock the Boat Speaker Series. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 778-7387 or e-mail umfws@maine.edu.

OCTOBER 27

U-Maine, Memorial Union, Bangor Lounge, 12:15-1:30 p.m. Tracey Flynn, Asst. Athletic Director of Compliance, Nellie Orr, Asst. Professor of Kinesiology and Physical Education, and Emily Ellis Throckmorton, UM Sports Hall of Famer, present "On the Ball: Women and Sports after Title IX." Part of the Women in the Curriculum and Women's Studies Program Fall 1999 Lunch Series. For more information, call 581-1228.

FMLA This Month

By Sharon Parker, FMLA President

   The first few weeks of any semester tend to be rather hectic, and this semester has been no exception. Everyone I have talked to is taking more than the standard twelve credits, and many people seem to be holding down at least two jobs on top of that. Despite the busy schedules, however, the FMLA has managed to meet three times in the past five weeks, with an average of ten to fifteen members showing up–a number that makes me proud.
   We have also already held our first fund-raising event, a "pay equity" bake sale. We made a large poster for the front of our table in the Student Center to advertise our prices, which were printed out as "$1 for men, and $0.74 for women." We also added a line advising people to ask about this price difference, which brought many passing students over to us, asking why we wanted men to pay a higher price for their cookies. We then explained that the price difference on our sign represented the pay inequity between men and women–that is, that women only make $0.74 for every $1.00 that men make for equal work. The FMLA doesn’t believe in discrimination, so we in fact charged everyone the same price for the same baked goods, regardless of sex or gender.
   One of our biggest concerns is that students at UMF understand the so-called "partial birth abortion" referendum that is coming to the polls in November. Our group can’t take sides in any legislation, but we can educate people about the facts surrounding the referendum, and we are planning to do just that by making facts sheets and having a table in the Student Center where people can learn about everything from what "partial birth abortion" really means to how to register to vote in Maine.
   We hope to spend some time in the next week or so planning out a budget proposal and taking it to Student Senate. Event ideas to budget for have included speakers, a performer, a fund-raising benefit to help end domestic violence, and a Rock for Choice concert. Other ideas are coming in all the time; we welcome all input from concerned feminists. We also have an executive board position available–and the fact that only one exec board member out of twelve was unable to return this year is very encouraging.
   During the bake sale last week, a student came to talk to us about his own feminist philosophy, and admitted that when he had talked to two female friends (not members affiliated with the FMLA) about coming to one of our meetings, they had told him we would only ridicule his beliefs and make him feel unwelcome. I would like to state that our group is open-minded and friendly to all feminists. We are a pro-choice organization, but anyone is welcome to join the group or attend the meetings, and all opinions are welcome. We work with a variety of issues, and no member is forced to participate in events or actions that they do not believe in. Lastly, not all feminists are female. Men are just as capable as women of working towards equal rights between women and men, and we encourage them to join the FMLA.
   Hope to see you at our meetings!

The FMLA meets on Thursday nights at 7:30 in the Women's Studies Center, 12 Ricker Hall.

WHAT DO WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IN MAINE?

So you think you’re up on your knowledge of Maine laws about reproductive rights? Test your smarts with our little quiz and find out just how much you really know! 

Maine Medicare pays for abortion.                                                                                                                             T   F

Teenagers in Maine need the permission of a parent, guardian or judge before they get an abortion.                              T   F

The "Morning After" pill is available in Maine.                                                                                                              T   F

98.7% of abortions in Maine are performed in the first trimester (12 weeks) of pregnancy.                                              T   F

Current Maine laws ban post viability abortions unless they are necessary to save the life or the health of the woman.     T   F

Bans on so called "partial birth abortions" restrict only those procedures performed during the third trimester.                  T   F

Check your answers here.

One Doctor Takes a Stand Against the "Partial Birth Abortion" Referendum

In September, Doctor Ellen Grunblatt sent this letter to her colleagues at the Maine College Health Association. We thank Dr Grunblatt for allowing us to print her letter, and are inspired by her courage in taking a public stance on this issue.

Dear Colleagues at MCHA:

As you all probably know, there will be a referendum on the ballot in November, known as the "partial-birth abortion" ban. Voters will be asked, "Do you want to ban a specific abortion procedure to be defined in state law except in cases where the life of the mother is in danger?" The text of the law (which will not appear on the ballot) goes on to describe "partial-birth abortion" as a procedure "in which the physician . . . partially vaginally delivers a living fetus before killing the fetus and completing the delivery." The law then states that a physician who performs such a procedure can be criminally prosecuted, and in addition can be sued by the woman’s husband or her parents (if she is under 18), unless there is specific proof that they consented to the procedure, or unless her pregnancy resulted from an illegal act such as rape or incest.

There are a number of problems with this referendum. The first problem is the language of the ballot question and the law itself, which is so vague that it can be interpreted to ban all abortions, even those procedure which are currently legal. "Partial-birth abortion" is not a "specific abortion procedure"; it’s not even a recognized medical term. It’s a catchy phrase which allows for the use of sensational and gruesome images to whip up popular support for limiting access to all abortions.

The second problem is that claim that "partial-birth abortion" refers only to abortions done late in pregnancy. If that’s the case, then there is no need for this law. Post-viability abortion is already banned in Maine unless the life or health of the mother is endangered, and in fact, only four third-trimester procedures have been done in the state in the last 14 years.

The third problem is the criminalization of an undefined medical procedure. The referendum legitimizes government intimidation of physicians, and intrusion into medical decisionmaking. If physicians are subject to criminal and civil prosecution for recommending a particular (though not clearly defined) medical intervention, women’s access to the safest abortion procedures, and therefore their health, will suffer. And if the law passes and is constitutionally upheld, it opens the door for further government interference in medical decision making. The integrity of all health professions and the well-being of our patients are harmed when medical decisions are subject to political whim (remember the gag rule? The time before Roe v. Wade? The Comstock laws?).

This law, if passed, will probably be declared unconstitutional, as have similar laws in other states. But its passage by referendum will send the message that the people of Maine are ready to allow the erosion of reproductive choice. Abortion opponents of all stripes, including the most violent and dangerous elements, will be heartened by this "people’s victory" and their efforts to ban a legal and safe procedure will be redoubled. Increased anti-abortion activism will further threaten the availability of abortion for women of reproductive age, and may very well escalate the dangers already faced by clinic personnel and physicians who provide this needed service.

I’m old enough to remember the time before abortions were legalized, when thousands of desperate women became critically ill and died from illegal or self-induced abortions. Preserving access to safe, legal abortion is vital to the health of our patients and of all women. The opinions expressed in this letter are mine alone and are not those of the board of the Maine College Health Association. But as college health professionals, please consider these issues when you go to the polls in November.

Sincerely,

Ellen Grunblatt, MD
University of ME at Farmington
President-elect, MCHA

Commonly asked Questions About Voting When You’re a Student

Can I vote in Farmington while I go to school here, and still vote about things in my hometown?

Unfortunately, even though being in college is like having two separate homes, a student can only vote in one of them. If you want to stay in touch on the issues in your hometown, you can vote there by absentee ballot. If you would like to have a say in what’s happening in Farmington while you live here, you can quickly and easily register to vote here.

When I’m not going to school here anymore, will I still have to vote here?

Not unless you legally change your residence to Farmington. Registering to vote here, as a student, is only valid for the duration of the time you are a student. The service is provided with to the understanding that students, because they spend most of their time in Farmington, should be represented too, not just residents. When you are not living in this area for school purposes anymore, you are expected to change your registration to your place of primary residence.

Doesn’t registering to vote here automatically change my residency?

No, there is a long process involved in legally changing your residence – one part of the process would be living here for purposes other than education for an extended period of time, as well as changing your car registration, licence, and your permanent address.

Will registering to vote in Farmington affect my financial aid?

The answer, as stated by Ron Milliken, Director of Financial Aid:

Registering to vote will not affect any student aid that has been offered directly by the University of Maine at Farmington, nor will it affect any Federal student aid that is being offered through UMF. Similarly, no Maine Student Incentive Scholarships and no Educators for Maine (formerly Teachers for Maine) awards would be affected by registering to vote in Farmington. There are, however, some rare exceptions where an outside entity like a state scholarship agency or private scholarship organization might either directly or indirectly link voter registration with residency requirements.

The key to getting correct information is knowing how to ask the right questions and to get information from the entity that regulates or controls the terms of a particular type of student aid. Probably, in most every case, registering to vote in Farmington will have no impact whatsoever on student financial assistance that one is receiving. The UMF Financial Aid office does not review voter registration records to match recipients or applicants with registered voters. Again, there are no Federal or UMF student aid programs that affect one’s student aid eligibility because of where one is registered to vote.

For the rare student aid recipient whose eligibility to participate in a state student aid program is contingent upon meeting state residency requirements, one should contact his or her state student aid agency to clarify whether or not the place of voter registrations is considered a determinant of state residency. Students who are residents of other states may want to check further. For example, a Pennsylvanian receiving a Pennsylvania grant to attend college in Maine is likely to be advises that he or she cannot transport a Pennsylvania state grant to Maine unless the recipient continues to meet all of Pennsylvania’s eligibility criteria. Pennsylvania would consider one to forfeit eligibility for a Pennsylvania state student aid grant if the recipient established a voting registration in the state of Maine at the time. By contacting the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), a Pennsylvanian can obtain this information detailing any special terms that may be used in establishing or maintaining Pennsylvania state grant eligibility.

The UMF Financial Aid Office is unaware of any private scholarship programs that actually compare voter registration lists with student aid recipients Nevertheless, just as it is possible that certain states may set conditions that either directly or indirectly relate to where one registers to vote, so it is also possible that certain private scholarships may have geographic or residency requirements that must be met. Some private scholarships do have geographic restrictions that require a certification from municipal officers attesting to residency. It is wise for all student aid recipients to be aware of any special terms or conditions that may apply to each type of assistance that one may receive, and to use this information in making decisions that respect the interests of the recipient and the integrity of the programs. For example, the Maine student from Palermo who is receiving a Joel and Annie Walker Scholarship while meeting the geographic restriction as a resident of Palermo should check with the certifying municipal officer about whether establishing a voter registration in Farmington might jeopardize eligibility to be re-certified for the Walker Scholarship even thought he student might consider himself or herself to still be a resident of Palermo.

The NYWDOA is a grassroots campaign organized for and by young women. It is an opportunity to activate a reproductive rights agenda that places reproductive and sexual freedom in the context of larger goals: racial justice, economic justice, an end to punitive immigration and welfare policies, and the right to exist as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people, accessible healthcare, freedom from violence and access to quality education.

This year’s NYWDOA focuses on commemorating Rosie Jiminez, a 27-year-old Mexican woman who died from a back-alley abortion. Rosie is considered the first victim of the Hyde Amendment, an amendment that denies women federal Medicaid funding for abortions.