Feminist Collective Returns

Posted by Charli Renken in clubs

Feminist Collective held its first meeting of the semester. Photo by Richard Sweeting.

After a semester long hiatus, the Feminist Collective had its first meeting of the year Feb. 28. With a nearly packed room, the Collective kicked off a great start to the new semester, outlining a number of its goals. This year, Collective members want to focus on making the SFUAD campus safer and working on various Collective projects. Collective President Maria Siino led the introductory meeting, presenting some of these project such as attending One Billion Rising’s events in Santa Fe, hosting another “Take Back the Night” event and the Collective’s usual end of the year art show.

Maria Siino, president of the Feminist Collective. Photo by Richard Sweeting

On campus, safety is a top priority for the Collective, which has concerns involving the college’s ban on pepper spray, installing better lighting on campus and security response times. “We want to bring [these issue] to the attention of the administration and Security,” Siino says.

One event the Collective plans on getting involved with is One Billion Rising’s 2016 Rise for Revolution campaign. One Billion Rising describes itself as “the biggest mass action to end violence against women in human history,” according to its website. “The campaign, launched on Valentine’s Day 2012, began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than one billion women and girls.” Collective members attended last year’s event and plan to make a Collective trip to the Santa Fe Community College Campus for this year’s festivities on Feb. 14.

Feminist Collective faculty advisor Sierra Parson and officers Maria Siino and Haley Joy Porter are excited to start the new year. Photo by Richard Sweeting

Last year, the Collective also held a “Take Back the Night” event and plans on hosting another one later in the semester. “[Take Back the Night] is a demonstration that started in the ‘70’s that has to do with sexual assault,” Siino says. “It’s a way for women to take back the night– to not be afraid of walking home at night,” Collective Vice President Haley Joy Porter adds. “Take Back the Night” has a website with a manual people can use to host their own event. “The organization doesn’t host them. You do it yourself,” Siino says. The demonstration usually consists of a night march and sometimes a candlelight vigil, which the Collective hopes to add to this year’s event.

The Collective also plans to host another end of the year art show. “Last year’s show went really well,” Porter says. “We had it at Warehouse 21 and a lot of people came out.” The Collective hasn’t started accepting submissions yet, but in the past has accepted visual art and writing that fit a feminist theme. The show will most likely take place in the Library. Dates and call for submissions will be announced soon.

The Feminist Collective meets bi-monthly in the Miniver Room of the Fogelson Library. For more information on events and meeting times, please join the SFUAD Feminist Collective Facebook page, subscribe to the Collective’s tumblr or send the collective an email at sfuadfemcollective@gmail.com.