THE SIREN Feminist Magazine
of the
University
of
Oregon
The Self-Care Issue
“Caring for myself is no self-preservation, and th
lf is not self-indulgence, it is and that is an act of political warfare.� Audre Lorde
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Letter From The Editor-In-Chief As first time Editor-In-Chief of The Siren, I wanted to choose an issue many people could relate and benefit from. With the help of contributors, editors and the ASUO Women’s Center employees… The Self-Care Issue was born. The goal of this issue is to create dialogue about prioritizing your physical, emotional and mental health. This can be difficult for many people, but especially for survivors of violence and abuse. Throughout this process (trust me it was a hard one), I was able to incorporate self-care into my daily routine and I wanted others to do the same. Whether it be sleeping, eating a good meal or watching Netflix for 10 hours. It’s difficult to prioritize ourselves when we’re all going a million miles a minute to complete everything we have in a day—especially when capitalism mostly values us through labor. This topic is also important as a new administration moves into the White House. One that is fueled with racism, xenophobia, islamophobia, homophobia, sexism and misogyny. It’s important that we all take care of ourselves to keep on fighting, because in the words of Fatima Roohi Pervaiz, “Radical activism requires radical love and radical self-care.” Gabby Urenda Editor-In-Chief
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The Sirens... Editor-in-Chief Gabby Urenda
Art Director
Emily D. Haugbro
Contributors Carolyn Graeper Natalie Pearson Mia Vicino Peyton Ceboll Derek Maiolo Isabel Courtelis
Hannah BrumbaughCunningham Hannah Taub Bry Moore Fiona Byrne
Publishers
ASUO Women’s Center Oregon Web Press
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 07: Recipes 09: Post Election Self-Care 13: A Woman Named “Rita” 15: For When I Cannot Sleep 17: Reprogramming Self-Sacrifice 19: Her the Studio 25: Feel Good Feminist Films 27: Distracting Facemasks
29: Arthritis as a 20 Year-Old 31: Playlists 33: Peaceful Parks 35: Self-Care Scholar 39: Coloring Pages 45: Self-Care Quotes 47: International Women’s Day
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Baked.
S
Carolyn Graeper
The other day I spent two hours making banana bread when I could have been studying for finals, and I don’t regret it. Spending time in the kitchen is one of my favorite ways to destress and also treat myself. I love the entire process of choosing a recipe that I think I will like, finding ingredients, and putting it all together. And enjoying it. When I’m baking anything from scratch, my attention is focused on the ingredients and instructions at hand. Making recipes like these can be a perfect distraction from stressful responsibilities. A house that smells delicious is not bad either.
Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Scones 2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons sugar 5 tablespoons unsalted butter,
cold, cut into chunks 1 ½ - 2 cup heavy cream 1 cup dried cranberries 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
Combine the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Next add 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Fold everything together being careful not to overwork the dough. If it’s not quite sticking together, add a little more cream. Fold in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Form 12 medium sized mounds out of the dough. Arrange them on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the pre-heated oven for 16-20 minutes, or until the top just barely turned golden brown. Recipe from Cupcakes and Cashmere
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Soft-Baked Funfetti Sugar Cookies 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar 1 large egg, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ½ cups (190g) spoon & leveled all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tartar (cannot be omitted) 1/2 cup (80g) sprinkles, plus more for sprinkle on top before baking
In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. Get it nice and smooth, then add the sugar on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides as needed. Set aside.
Chill the balls of dough on the cookie sheet for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours in the refrigerator. This step will prevent spreading in the oven. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 different parts. The dough is quite thick and you may have to stir the rest by hand. Once combined, fold in 1/2 cup sprinkles. Scoop a large sections of dough (about 2 Tablespoons of dough each) and roll into balls. Make sure the balls are taller, rather than wide. Add a few more sprinkles on top of each ball dough.
Bake chilled cookie dough for 8-9 minutes. The cookies will appear undone and very soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for 3 minutes and move to wire rack to cool completely. Cookies stay soft & fresh for up to 1 week at room temperature. Cookies freeze well. Cookies may be rolled into balls and frozen up to 3 months to bake at a later date. Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. Recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction
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Post Election Self-Care Bry Moore
as i’m writing this, it has been exactly a month since the day of the election. i didn’t know what to do that night. i shouldn’t have been surprised. it shouldn’t have come as a shock to me that america was this racist, this sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, ableist, islamophobic, etc. the fact that it did is indicative of how much privilege i really do have. in the following days i could barely believe it had actually happened. i already struggle with mental health issues but everything seemed infinitely more hopeless when i woke up on november 9th and it was still real. donald trump was going to be the president of the united states. in the following days and weeks, i immersed myself in any action i could take against that reality. i marched, i protested, i attended rallies. i attended meetings and saw the impact this was having on marginalized communities at the UO. as a queer woman, i was terrified and failing to grasp any kind of comfort that would make this easier. also, students of color would be feeling the implications of this so much more directly. i got into countless arguments across social media, desperately trying to make people see what i was seeing, which was and is people genuinely scared for their lives and well-being. i tried to convince people that i should have the rights to my own body, to love who i love. i tried to make people see that migrants are not illegal and that people should not be disproportionately killed by law enforcement because of the color of their skin. i saw safety pins and appreciated the sentiment, but wanted to see direct action from people. i wanted them to be angry, to resist vocally and tangibly. it’s not fair of me to assume that they were not, but the mass population on campus seemed to be indifferent to the results of the election. to think that so many people could brush this off as a minor inconvenience or even laugh it off was so foreign to me, especially on days i could not even get out of bed because i was overcome with what
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it’s wh you to f act som you to tak mo to
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g to ely at i to uld the but to ere to ush to was
this would mean for different people across the country. discrimination, displacement, even death are certainly going to be amplified now that they have been carried into the highest office of power in the U.S. i am under no illusion that the election of donald trump signifies any shift in the prevalence of racist ideology in this country -- but racism has been directly validated by his election and has been openly given the highest platform possible. this election was already having such a heavy toll on my mental health that i couldn’t imagine what it would be like were i to have any more of my identities in danger. we must continue to take care of ourselves even when we don’t feel safe, because so many people are made unsafe by a donald trump presidency. what does self-care look like when you can’t even begin to think about how hated you are by your own government? it is so hard to take the time necessary to feel okay with yourself when you can’t even get out of bed some mornings because of the weight of the hatred spouted against who you are and who you are trying to be. but that’s why it’s so important. in the days and weeks after the election, i lost myself. i attended social justice events but was never fully present, and tried to seem okay when there was no way i could be. i was mad at myself for being so taken aback by the results, but it’s important to know first and foremost that wherever you’re at mentally post-election is okay. this means so much more tangible oppression for so many people and it’s okay to grieve for that. it’s okay to distract yourself from what this means if that’s the way in which you are able to handle it. putting headphones in and watching your favorite TV show is okay if that’s what keeps you going. to begin to feel okay in a country that threatens your existence is a revolutionary act. self-care is vital, and even more so post-election. i’ve learned that sometimes it is okay to not engage with people who don’t believe in your rights or liberation. i’ve learned that it is okay to do what you need to do for your mental health and well-being. realizing that it’s okay to take care of myself has been the only positive to come out of this past month, but going forward self-care is the only way i can get the energy to keep fighting.
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Hero
Peyton Ceboll
SilenceSilenceSilenceSilenceSilence Want the shadows of whispers cast by the smear of strangers seen in peripherals. Good. Bad. Noticed. Delusional. walking in voluntary chains clutched by no one. Buried away in a reflective surface is the sole ally. Make me a hero. For I stand immobile tucked into every fiber.
y.
Rita
Peyton Ceboll
rita hayworth makes smoking look so cool beautiful woman i want to be like rita hayworth desirable loved wanted by men envied by women she was an alcoholic distant with her children alzheimers destroyed her mind wasted away like my great grandmother she was afraid the sheets were there to choke her whats your name isnt that a pretty plant whats your name isnt that a pretty plant made my grandma walk into the woods and scream hidden away from her portrait of jesus hanging in the kitchen wanted to be a singer like rita hayworth who smokes and makes it look so cool
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for when i cannot sleep Derek Maiolo
it is dawn, strange at times wet from wonder— I loved a boy once and still I find myself early mornings plucking the tiny scabs on my brain, bits of color come out and I turn on the shower to wipe myself from sleeping with another married man.
before leaving I make toast in his kitchen—I see a note from his mother on a jar of jam in black ink it reads with love, always. let the wind wrap me ‘round and tell me something of this life its bend up the mountain like the small of his back and its muscled crest that I kiss until morning.
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Reprogramming Self Sacrifice Advice from Christiane Northrup Natalie Pearson When I hear the words self-care, I immediately think of Dr. Christiane Northrup. Northrup began her career as a traditionally trained gynecologist, but quickly moved into the realm of holistic healing and spiritual self-help after realizing how alienated women are from their own health care in modern medicine. Now a women’s healing advocate and speaker celebrated across the globe, Dr. Northrup regularly writes blogs and books for the ever-hippy-dippy Hay House Publishing. Don’t you love her already, Eugene? Yet beyond being a fabulously loving and authoritative hippy, Christiane Northrup is—more importantly—a feminist. Her works are much more likely to come up in selfhelp sections than in political works and she rarely uses the word “feminist” herself, but Northrup’s attitude is one of unapologetic reverence for female bodies, feminine spirit, and women’s knowledge. She speaks regularly about gender roles and is both sex and body positive. A woman who encourages other women to speak honestly and openly about their bodies and experiences is my type of feminist. In a recent blog post, Northrup wrote, “One of the biggest challenges women face is learning how to care for themselves while caring for others.” For centuries, women have been taught to find self-worth in their capacity to put others before themselves: our husbands or partners, our children, our communities always come first.
As a future preschool teacher, as a deeply maternal person, and as a lover, I connect strongly to this “programming of self-sacrifice,” as Northrup calls it. Women absorb this programming over and over from our mothers, our cultural history, our mainstream media. As a result, self-sacrifice is difficult to deny, even when we recognize the guilt, resentment, and stress that eat us alive when we fail to nurture ourselves.
Here’s how Dr. Northrup prescribes self-care: 1. Tap into the stream of healing energy regularly. Whatever these words mean to you, take time for the activities that feel healthful and energizing to you. 2. Know you are your own best mother. Be the person who always has your own best interests at heart! You are strong and able to care for yourself. 3. Do something pleasurable each and every day. 4. Breathe deeply and fully on a regular basis. 5. Get support for your self-care. Self-care doesn’t mean the burden is all on you! It is not selfish to seek out a community that supports you in your learning and growth process. 6. Use the incredible power of no. This one is so important for women, who often never learn how to say no for no’s sake. Know that your “no’s” do not require justification, argument, or guilt. 7. Don’t wait for permission to start taking care of your self. In Northrup’s words: “Prepare to be called ‘selfish’ when you start taking better care of yourself. And when someone calls you that, celebrate!” Read more in “Do You Practice Enough Self-Care?” by Dr. Christiane Northrup. www.drnorthrup.com
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Her the Studio A man ooos over her. The voice of the male gaze echos in the The LaVerne Krause Gallery at the University of Oregon. Soft pinks, blues and green create a feminine space. It’s “Her the Studio” and the artists are two girls from Portland, Oregon. Julia Sherman and Erin Carstens are product design majors at the University of Oregon. Both have admired each others work and came together to create the installation. Their main message: the commodification of the female form. “Her the Studio” evolved as the artists learned how to create pieces that said their message. Not every breast cast made the installation and not every idea made their message clear. However the final product was a gallery that left every viewer thinking differently. “It was difficult finding a way to display our ideas as well as not present objects in the way that society expects them, for example all the cast boobs,” said Sherman. “...but present these objects that makes people really think about the female form.” Emily D. Haugbro
Photos by: Emily D. Haugbro
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Five Feel-Good Feminist Films Mia Vicino
Down With Love (2003) A feminist author (Renee Zellwegger) writes a book about how romantic love only serves to distract women from career success. After it convinces women all over the world to stop seeking out love, a charismatic journalist (Ewan McGregor) sets out to seduce her and therefore prove her wrong. The plot twists, the feminist message, and possibly the best phone sex scene in the history of cinema all combine to create this smart spoof on 60s sex comedies. Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion (1997) Two best friends decide to lie about their lackluster lives in order to impress everyone at their ten-year high school reunion. If you’re like me and despised every second of high school, this movie will be an absolute fantasy and leave you with the biggest smile. It also includes the most incredible random dance sequence (set to Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time”). Smiley Face (2007) Jane (Anna Faris) is a slacker actress who, after mistakenly eating twelve cupcake edibles, sets off on a pot-fueled odyssey that includes accidentally stealing the Communist Manifesto, buying weed off Seth Cohen from The OC, and going to the dentist with Jim Halpert from The Office. FINALLY, a stoner comedy made for stoner girlz!
A watchlist of femme-led comedies for a relaxing night in with your pals.
But I’m A Cheerleader (1999) After her parents send her off to a straight conversion camp, a lesbian cheerleader falls in love with a rebellious outcast. Though this is a serious subject matter, the gorgeous pastel production design, the campy and satirical tone, and the fact that the cast is made up of people who actually identify as queer in real life (including a cameo by RuPaul) made this movie a cult classic among the LGBTQIA+ community. Ghostbusters (2016) It’s exactly what it sounds like: a bunch of ladies bust a bunch of ghosts. And it’s awesome. You probably remember the insane backlash this all-female remake of Ghostbusters (1984) faced this year, mostly by dudes who hadn’t even seen it. There are a ton of reasons as to why this version is better, but the main one is because it features the incredibly talented (and dreamy!) Kate McKinnon. I’ve laughed until I cried only five times in my whole life, and two of those times were while watching this movie.
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Distracting Facemasks
A review of Innisfree “It’s Real Squeeze Masks” Hannah Taub
As always happens when you decide to work on a class project with friends, our group was distracted. My group members and I hadn’t touched our Google document in about ten minutes, when one of them suddenly yelled, “facemasks!” “Spa night begins,” Claire announced. She ran into the other room and came back with a box of slim, multicolored packets, covered with Chinese characters. My other floormates had heard the call and we gathered around. We all then pounced on the “flavors” that drew our eye. There was pomegranate, honey, rice, green tea and a mysterious one called “Hija” that we all avoided. I opted for rice, and quickly peeled open the package before I could further contemplate the likelihood of the facemask causing me to break out in hives.
T r t p m t o o a
A s I o i w m t
The mask was sticky and cold, in a somewhat unrefreshing way. It reminded me vaguely of Wet Ones-those damp towelettes that your mom always takes on plane rides. It had convenient holes for eyes, nose and mouth; although, the mouth hole was about three times the size of any mouth imaginable. I was too grossed out by the texture to smooth it onto my face, so it kind of hung loosely for about 10 minutes while my friends and I laughed at each other’s ridiculous ghost faces. After peeling it off, I didn’t feel any tingly or dry sensation, as I have with other facemasks. Instead, I felt vaguely itchy and oily and quickly rinsed off my face. I can’t say I saw or felt much of a difference in my face over the next few hours or days, but it was worth the $1.20 to take selfies with the mask on and make fun of my friends. We even finished our project that night, although we painted our nails first—naturally.
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What Having Arthritis as a 20 Year-Old Fiona Byrne The stereotypical prescription of self-care is crawling into bed with a pint of ice cream and Netflix, and suspending your life for a few hours. I have done this more times than I can count, but I no longer see it as a cure-all. Having chronic pain has taught me a lot about what pain really is. Sometimes, pain is a warning. Other times, pain is just a complaint. Pain can be your body expressing fear of the unfamiliar, like the ache of trying to move a joint in a way you haven’t in awhile, or the sting of letting someone go. Just because it is something you need to do, doesn’t mean it won’t hurt. It took me a while to learn that pain can be a choice. I have little control over whether or not the fluid in my joints is inflamed, but it is up to me how I react to the fact that I can’t open a jar or twist a doorknob. I can let it break me, I can pity myself, or I can fall down the slippery slope of fear that I won’t be able to put my children’s socks on one day. But I can also laugh at the absurdity of the situation, and appreciate the irony that I have kind of always been a grandma anyway. Self-care, for me, means doing what you need to do to make it to tomorrow, but also doing what you need to do to make it to ten years from now. The bubble bath prescription helps short term, but I have found a quick solution cannot be sustainable on its own. For one, I don’t need that many baths. Though, short term immediate self-care is important because it keeps you going—and surviving. But once you get to a place where you are consistently surviving, you owe it to yourself to do more.
Year-Old Has Taught Me About Self-Care What I suggest, is finding a way to source self-care. Through compassion and love—internally—so that it can radiate out towards the external. If your self-care comes from the inside, then it is a well that won’t dry up. You’re not dependent on the bath aisle of Rite-Aid or the offerings of an online video streaming service. Self-care from the inside can be done anywhere, any time, and it can keep you going. For me, it takes the form of positive affirmation. It is hard to believe until you try it, but you really can change your own mind using positive affirmations. Here is a list of a few from a Huffington Post article by clinical psychologist Dr. Carmen Harra: 1. I am courageous and I stand up for myself. 2. Today, I abandon my old habits and take up new, more positive ones. 3. Many people look up to me and recognize my worth; I am admired. 4. I am a powerhouse; I am indestructible. 5. Though these times are difficult, they are only a short phase of life. It is important to note that in saying or thinking these affirmations, you are not lying to yourself. You are enabling yourself to observe positive things around you that negative thoughts may have blocked you from noticing. The pain in my body is not going to go away anytime soon. By refusing to let it have power over me, I am actively choosing life, and exercising that agency makes me feel pretty damn strong.
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Playlist #1 Isabel Courtelis
“I’m Coming Out”
“I Know There’s Gonna Be
“Good as Hell”
Jamie xx ft. Young Thug &
Diana Ross Lizzo
(Good Times)” Popcaan
“None Of Your Business”
“Forever”
“i”
Joseph Chilliams
“YOU DON’T WANT NO
Orange
Salt ‘N’ Pepa
Kendrick Lamar
Noname ft. Ravyn Lenae & “Best to You” Blood
PROBLEM WITH THE
“Ivy” Frank Ocean
DON’T TALK TO THE
Arthur”
GIRLS” COPS!
“Wonderful Everyday: Chance The Rapper & The
“Nobody’s Baby”
Social Experiment
Kings
(Positivity Song) Lil Yachty
Sharon Jones & The Dap-
“We Did It” (Outro)
Playlist #2
Hannah Brumbaugh-Cunningham
Be
“Breakaway”
“Raise Your Glass”
&
“Breathe (2AM)”
“Try”
“Secret”
“Brave”
“In My Mind”
“Be Ok”
“Beautiful”
“What a Wonderful
“Nobody’s Perfect”
Louis Armstrong
&
e
Kelly Clarkson Anna Nalick
Mary Lambert Amanda Palmer Christina Aguilera Hannah Montana
Pink
Colbie Caillat Sara Bareilles Ingrid Michaelson World”
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3 Parks Eugene, Oregon
take a walk, go for a run, clear your head.
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Self-Care Scholar Sandra Castro is an office assistant for the ASUO Women’s Center and a Ford Scholarship recipient. She credited the importance of self-care in relation to academics, anxiety and depression. You can read her powerful speech below:
Good evening everyone, I just want to start with a little disclaimer: I have no experience in public speaking so if I freeze up suddenly, just pretend it’s a dramatic pause. Born and raised in the beautiful coastal city of Mazatlan, Mexico, I never imagined that a future, like the one I am experiencing now, existed. The second child of an incredibly strong and tenacious single mother, I learned from a young age that hard work and determination is the key to accomplishing your goals. That theory has been put to test several times throughout my lifetime. Most prominently, it was put to test when my mom, my sister and I moved to the US in search of a brighter future. Learning a completely new language and adjusting to a different culture was excruciatingly challenging, but we persevered nonetheless. As I got older and started thinking about college, I was met with a new challenge: how was I going to pay for college. My family could not afford to pay for my education; my only hope was getting scholarships. I applied for as many scholarships as I could and received many rejection letters. Just when I thought all hope was lost, I got a letter in the mail that changed my life forever. That letter was from the Ford Family Foundation.
I c t o y u w c I o o a n i t O
W r a e
’s e y :
I arrived to The University of Oregon, which I have considered my home ever since my sister enrolled in this institution four years before me, with a special kind of confidence that only being a Ford Scholar can give you. As a first generation college student, however, I was unprepared for the academic challenges that came my way. Keeping up with the elevated academic standards of college seemed an impossible task, so I did what I do best; I worked tirelessly until I accomplished my goals. I reached out for help and utilized some of the resources available on campus such as the Teaching and Learning Center, and the Accessible Education Center. Not to mention, the numerous advisors I spoke with from various departments including the Center for Multicultural Academic Excellence, the Human Physiology Department, and the Pathway Oregon Program. With their help I was able to focus on other goals. Most recently I had the opportunity to participate in an internship abroad, which was by far one of the greatest learning experiences of my life.
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I have always appreciated challenges in a sense, because there is always something that can be learned from them. I have learned a lot over the years, but there is one major lesson that I had yet to learn. This time, the challenge was in the form of depression and anxiety and what I am continuously learning from them is a lesson in self-care. All my life I have worked hard to accomplish all of my goals because giving up isn’t an option for me. While this may not be a bad trait to have, when it is not met with adequate self-care techniques, it can have lasting impacts on your mental health. In my case, it did. Mental health is something that is always left out of conversations yet almost every person in this room has gone through, is going through, or will go through some kind of mental health problem in their life. Acknowledging this is important, and what is even more important is not being afraid to reach out and ask for help. I look around this room and I see so much potential. As Ford Scholarship recipients we will go out into the world and accomplish amazing things. I personally know many scholars who are already doing incredible things and helping to create change.
My message to all of you tonight is this: while you are working to maintain the legacy that the great Hallie and Kenneth Ford established many years ago, never forget to take care of yourselves too. It can be really easy to forget about yourself when you are so focused on helping others, but always remember that your ability to help others is reliant on your own well being. To quote Carl Bryan, “Taking good care of you means the people in your life will receive the best of you, rather than what’s left of you.� I want to take the time to say thank you to all of the people that have supported me through the years and helped me accomplish my goals and grow as a person. To my sister, who happens to be with us here tonight and who is a former Ford Scholarship recipient and now an academic advisor at the UO, thank you for being my rock and for always being there during the rough times. No words could ever fully express how much I love and appreciate you. To the Ford Family Foundation, thank you for believing in me and for investing in my education, but most importantly, thank you for your unyielding support and for being a constant reminder that I always have something to be thankful for.
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Fill the badge with things to celebrate We Believe You - a Coloring Book for Survivors and Supporters is an initiative of the Office of Sexual Violence Support and Education at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. All coloring pages are illustrated by Karen Campos Castillo
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10 Self-Care Gabby Urenda
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter “When I loved myself enough, I began leaving whatever wasn’t healthy. This meant people, jobs, my own beliefs and habits – anything that kept me small. My judgment called it disloyal. Now I see it as self-loving.” – Kim McMilllen “You are your best thing.” – Toni Morrison, Beloved “I found in my research that the biggest reason people aren’t more self-compassionate is that they are afraid they’ll become self-indulgent. They believe self-criticism is what keeps them in line. Most people have gotten it wrong because our culture says being hard on yourself is the way to be.” – Kristen Neff “It’s not your job to like me – it’s mine.” – Byron Katie
are
Quotes
“Now that I knew fear, I also knew it was not permanent. As powerful as it was, its grip on me would loosen. It would pass.” – Louise Erdrich, The Round House “I am a feminist, and what that means to me is much the same as the meaning of the fact that I am Black; it means that I must undertake to love myself and to respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect.” – June Jordan, Civil Wars “I was once afraid of people saying ‘Who does she think she is?’ Now I have the courage to stand and say ‘This is who I am.’” – Oprah “There are opportunities even in the most difficult moments.” – Wangari Maathai “Do something every day that is loving toward your body and gives you the opportunity to enjoy the sensations of your body.” – Golda Poretsky
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The annual International Women's Day Celebration is a globally recognized day in March where International Students have the opportunity to celebrate International cultures through authentic International food, educational presentations and cultural performances from Women around the globe, all of which is provided in a safe and affirming space. This year's event will be held in the EMU Ballroom and is open to people of all genders. Vegan and Gluten-Free food options will be available. Email the Women's Center's International Student Coordinator, Sara Golestaneh, at globalfemwc@gmail.com for more information! ALL ARE WELCOME AS WE CELEBRATE WOMEN OF THE WORLD!
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