Saturday, December 11, 2010

Give the Gift of Love!

It seems that my blog post from November never posted to the site…interesting, so bear with me as I attempt to recollect the events of November.

In conjunction with the V-Warriors and Allies, we sponsored the Safe-Sex Campaign/Kinky Crafting two weeks in to November. Going along with our theme for our Panthers for Planned Parenthood, we wanted this event to emphasize our attempt to remove the taboo associated with the usage of contraceptives. To effectively convey this, we allotted students condoms, along with art supplies such as paint, feathers, sequins, and glitter to create safe-sex themed art. I was worried we wouldn’t have much of a turnout, but I couldn’t have been more wrong! We had at least twenty or thirty students come out to support our cause. To say the least, the event was a success. Also, I’d like to thank you to our architecture pal Nick Fish for tagging our Safe Sex photo backdrop.

I can’t say we had the same success with our Juno movie night in the last of November. Our turnout totaled three. Quite disappointing, really. I’d say we probably should have advertised a bit more, because I feel like our free condoms, Twizzlers, and Sunny D would have drawn in quite the crowd. And it probably didn’t help that we held the event the day students returned after Thanksgiving Break. But this was only a minor setback; we’ve learned that we need to prepare more in terms of advertising our events and next time, the same won’t happen.

Alright. On to December. World AIDS Day served as this semester’s final event. We wanted to celebrate the holiday season, so we thought it’d be neat to make those close pin reindeer like the ones everyone made in elementary school for Christmas ornaments. The reindeer were our cutesy was of hanging the condoms from our Christmas tree in commons. I’m fairly certain everyone got a kick out of them. I think a few of my housemates even made a few clever slogans for the condom reindeer like “Give the gift of love this holiday season” and “Wrap your Christmas presents”.

Anyhow, Wiemar proposed we answer some questions in response to this semester is Summit, so here it goes:

Q: What events have taken place at the agency have you have volunteered for and how have you assisted this month?

A: Our events this semester haven’t been directly through Planned Parenthood, but rather and extension of their message, and ours, to remove the social stigma associated with sexual education and the use of contraceptives. In November and December our events – the Kinky Crafting/Safe Sex Campaign, Juno movie night, and World AIDS Day all communicate our emphasis upon this theme.

Q: As we end the semester, what have been your best experiences and toughest experiences with your partnership agency?

A: It has been exceedingly difficult to communicate with Planned Parenthood throughout the semester. At the same time, I feel they are very excited that we have created a chapter of Planned Parenthood on Drury’s campus.

Q: How do you see your group project evolving into the spring semester now that you have one semester under your belt?

A: I think that in the spring semester we will be more involved in off-campus events with Planned Parenthood, especially with the Roe vs. Wade anniversary fast approaching.

Q: What skills have you gained or improved this semester that came directly out of being part of the Summit Leadership Experience?

A: My confidence in speaking with strangers has definitely been influenced by our on-campus events, particularly the lunchtime Ovarian Cancer Awareness and World AIDS Day booths.

Q: As we end the Wellness Program, and Stress Free Now, what have been the highlights –low and high – of this program and what would you suggest for the future if this is continued?

A: I especially enjoyed the weekly events – the yoga, tai chi, and massage session. On the other hand, the online meditation work was quite cheesy. I’ve done meditation work before, and have never found it quite this ridiculous and laughable.

Q: What are you looking forward to over the winter break?

A: Sleep. Quite the original answer, yes, I know. Actually, I took a glassblowing classes over the summer and would very much enjoy taking a few more over break. Also, Elyse and possibly Stephanie will be visiting St. Louis for New Years to hang out with Amanda, Kevin, and me. It should be a great time.

Have a Happy Holidays everyone!

Laura Jean

Friday, December 10, 2010

Do Panthers Hibernate, Or Is That Just Bears?

What events have taken place at the agency you have volunteered and how have you assisted this month?

To kick off the month, we hosted an event for World AIDS Day on the first to promote awareness of the dangers of AIDS. At the tail end of November, we also hosted a Juno movie night to inform our peers of life as a pregnant youngster. Complementary Sunny D and Twizzlers were provided.


As we end the semester what have been your best experiences and toughest experiences with your partnership agency?

Among the best experiences were our opportunities to actively communicate with the Drury community about the goals of Planned Parenthood. We were met with difficulty when our resources were tampered with, but nonetheless, it has been a positive experience to grow with my fellow Summit members in our efforts to promote sexual health on campus.

How do you see your group project evolving into the Spring Semester now that you have one semester under your belt?

In our first semester of working with Planned Parenthood, our main goal was to promote Drury awareness of the organization. I feel that we have now planted the seed in the minds of Drury's students, leaving the next semester open to promoting the services Planned Parenthood offers. Next semester, we would like to provide more useful and interactive information to the student body while continuing to break down the stigma of Planned Parenthood.

What skills have you gained or improved this semester that came directly out of being part of the Summit Leadership Experience?


I feel as though I have improved in working as a member of a team and adapting to the needs of others.

As we end the Wellness Program and Stress Free Now Component, what have been the highlights (low and high) of this program and what would you suggest for the future if this is continued?


I recognize the concern shown for our well-being. However, I already have a firm grasp on stress relief. I am a realist, and tend to put things in perspective, thus cutting stress off at the pass. I also found the yoga, tai chi, and acupuncture classes to be almost frightening in their methods. If anything, they only lessened my view of Eastern medicine. On top of that, I feel the time could have been put to more constructive use.

What are you looking forward to over the winter break?

I look forward to taking part in activities cherished as a child, spending time with family and close friends, and celebrating the Christmas season in true South Dakotan style.

BBBOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!!!

Christmas break is almost here!!

SO Planned Parenthood has been working pretty hard to spread sexual awareness. Unfortunately our Juno movie night was not a great success but I would like to thank the two people who did show up. At the movie we made little reindeer christmas decorations out of close pins. In the reindeers mouth was a condom. We put up a christmas tree in our living room and decorated it with the reindeer.

World Aids day went very well. we passed out a lot of condoms and we also got a lot of signatures. I spent a day this week at Planned Parenthood entering the names and information we got into a computer. I was amazed at how many there were. our presentation is going to go really well friday night during class. Andrew Wiemer is going to be amazed.

Massage week was this week! I did not get one however because I do not like strange people touching me. i was not the only one though Elyse didnt get one either. over all I did like the relaxation program. it did help me with my stress and I hope to carry some of it with me after the class has ended.

Planned Parenthood and You

Yesterday I wrote an article to the News-Leader on behalf of the Planned Parenthood 'Birth Control Matters!' campaign, which is trying to establish a 'grassroots' sort of thing to have birth control included in the coverable treatments in the new healthcare laws. Nicely enough, my article was written because of an unaffiliated columnist who of his own volition wrote an article in support of the Birth Control Matters campaign tenets without knowing a single thing about the campaign. Awareness was raised.

The article-writing was a pretty decent experience. World AIDS Day was also fun as we had a Christmas tree covered in prophylactics. Perhaps the toughest was simply arranging times for meetings and such as all parties involved had very different and chock-full schedules.

In the next semester, I can see the group doing more 'big' events for holidays and causes like our Juno night and World AIDS Day stuff.

This semester has, if nothing else, taught me how to better function as a little cog in a group that is itself a little cog in a group that is itself a little cog in a group.
The highlight of Stress Free Now was probably the yoga classes. I enjoyed those heavily, though I could do without the daily 360-5 check-ins.
It's especially strange when meditation is required daily—I think putting a sort of schedule on something like meditation cheapens it.
I would suggest cutting down on the frequency of the 360-5 things.

Over break I have tentative plans to turn into a large slug thing, covered in mucus, that moves only a little and is only record-able with heartbeat monitors and accepts food through a proboscis.



Thursday, December 9, 2010

December

Our goal as Panthers for Planned Parenthood is to bring Planned Parenthood on to our campus. So we worked with the agency to plan events here on campus. We did an Ovarian Cancer Awareness event, a Halloween event, Kinky Crafting, Juno, and World AIDS Day. At each event we’ve handed out information on Planned Parenthood and condoms. Also we have had our petitions on hand if people have felt inclined to sign to make birth control free as preventative healthcare. This month we volunteered by setting up a tree and a table outside of the commons for World AIDS Day. We passed out condoms and had people sign postcards to their representatives.

My best experiences in Summit have been volunteering and living with my closest friends here at Drury. I have learned a lot more about each of them over this year. Also putting on events with them has shown our true colors. On the other hand the toughest experience has been putting on events together. Stepping back from the friendship and being professional is complicated. In addition we are all very busy with our own commitments outside of Summit and it is hard to balance them all. So we have had to work together and rely on each other to get things done.

I see our group project evolving beautifully. We will hopefully continue to pass out condoms and information. But more than that, we will work more on breaking down the stigma associate with Planned Parenthood. We would like to have a specialist come to speak about problems people our age might experience and the importance of getting test. We shall see and I am excited to!

I’ve gained event-planning skills. I learned how much needs to be planned ahead and how flexible I need to be the day of the event. Also I have improved my teamwork skills, living and working with house of 8 is not easy.

The highlights of the wellness program were yoga and trying out the different techniques. However, the rest of the program is too complicated. With my schedule I was more stressed out about completing the program than I could even relax. The meditation seemed hokey and almost comical. I did enjoy the other aspects and believe that they should be continued.

This break I’m going to enjoy not having Organic Chemistry or Physics. I am going to relax and just enjoy the season!!!!

ho ho ho.

hey everyone! hope you had a fantastic month. :)

it's christmas time!!

so for my last blog of the year, i will continue the little tradition of "q&a with wiemer"

1. What events have taken place at the agency you have volunteered and how have you assisted this month?
we have made condom reindeer that we put on a christmas tree in the commons, this was a huge success people (including myself) loved them :) i am currently working on a huge project that will help transition us into a new semester (more details later).

2. As we end the semester what have been your best experiences and toughest experiences with your partnership agency?
best experiences- getting to spend time doing fun projects with my friends/housemates, condom reindeer :)
worst experiences- the lack of communication that i felt for part of the semester with planned parenthood, people not showing up for some events.

3. How do you see your group project evolving into the Spring Semester now that you have one semester under your belt?
i am working on getting business support for our roe v. wade event in the spring. that is a big undertaking. i am working with rachel, who is the representative from msu to contact 66 businesses. it'll be a great event!

4. What skills have you gained or improved this semester that came directly out of being part of the Summit Leadership Experience?
i've learned how important teamwork is. i am so busy that i can't make every event. so it's important to work with my team to make sure all of our events are successful.

5. As we end the Wellness Program and Stress Free Now Component what have been the highlights (low and high) of this program and what would you suggest for the future if this is continued?
the wellness program was a great experience. i loved yoga especially. getting to dabble in things i wouldn't normally do was really a great opportunity. i think it should be continued!

What are you looking forward to over the winter break?
spending a week with my family at home. then going to europe for 3 weeks to spend time with my friends in germany and check out german universities.

ich wünsche euch ein fröhliche weihnachten und ein glückliches neues jahr!

austin :)

Monday, December 6, 2010

Last blog of the 2010 year!
Events we participated in with Planned Parenthood are the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month along with World Aids Day. We passed out teal ribbons along with information packets for the Ovarian Cancer Awareness. We also baked cookies and gave them out as well in order to remind everyone on campus to be aware of Ovarian Cancer. For World Aids Day we got a Christmas Tree and decorated it with reindeer ornaments that held condoms. We had information on how to be safe and also cards for people to sign and send to our Senator about sexual education in schools.
The best experiences I've had this semester are bonding with Drury students and teaching my fellow man about sexual responsibility and the importance of testing. I really enjoyed interacting with students on campus and sharing Planned Parenthood goals and causes. On the other hand there were some tough experiences as well. Mostly it was difficult getting started and being aware of how to help and how to market Planned Parenthood. We had some difficulty jumping into the semester, but once we had a few events under our belt it because much easier for us to coordinate.
Our group projects will become easier to handle and coordinate in this upcoming semester. I feel that we will continue to work well together and have interesting events planned. Also as time goes on more organizations seem to learn about what we are doing here at Drury and have approached us to join with them in a few events. If this continues to be the trend, we will be involved again in projects closely related to Planned Parenthood with other groups again next semester.
I have learned how to coordinate events as well as how to speak with others and talk with them about Planned Parenthood and all the events they have. It is also good for me to have to go up to people I do not know and start a conversation with them. It is not something I would normally do, so taking myself out of my normal comfort zone has been good for me.
I feel like the Stress Free Now Component is not something that needs to be continued with Summit students. We are all extremely busy and the Stress Free component seems to just be stressing us out even more. I really enjoyed all the activities but especially yoga and acupuncture.
What are you looking forward to over the winter break?
I am looking forward to not having classes, mainly. And also making money as I will be working most of my break.

Elyse

Saturday, December 4, 2010

AIDS free December

What events have taken place at the agency you have volunteered and how have you assisted this month?

- To end November and welcome Drury students back from Thanksgiving break on a relaxing note the Panthers for Planned Parenthood held a Juno night in Lay Auditorium where we served Sunny D and Twizzlers while handing out condoms, lube, and general information about Planned Parenthood. We also had a copy of their most recent petition for free and prescription free birth control. Then December 1st was World AIDS Day and Planned Parenthood contacted us telling us that if we were planning an event they would send us 1000 condoms along with post cards for students to sign and fill out that would be sent on their behalf to their government representative stating that safe sex education is a priority and should become one within school districts and that we care that the youth are being educated. They also mentioned that available contraception was a priority in keeping the world AIDS free. We successfully got 50 postcards signed and will be continuing to have those at our events as well as the petition. At this event we made reindeer to hang on a Christmas tree with condoms in their mouths for people to take. Overall the event was very successful.

As we end the semester what have been your best experiences and toughest experiences with your partnership agency?

- I think that one of our best experiences with our agency has been the most recent World AIDS Day campaign where we were able to respond to Crystal’s needs instead of hosting an activity we planned on campus. So far the difficult part of our summit house is that we are not an organization that can simply head over to Planned Parenthood and volunteer several hours and come back. We joined Crystal as Drury members trying to get the stigma with Planned Parenthood settled on Drury’s campus. This means that we have to plan the activities, get the supplies and figure out a way to make it work smoothly. When Crystal was able to get us involved with all of the other Planned Parenthood education groups on different campuses to spread awareness on World AIDS Day it felt extremely rewarding.

How do you see your group project evolving into the Spring Semester now that you have one semester under your belt?

- I believe that next semester now that we have figured out some effective ways to get students attention and have obtained some petitions involving planned parenthood we can working toward creating larger events and possibly creating a student body group so that Planned Parenthood will continue to be supported by the Drury community.

What skills have you gained or improved this semester that came directly out of being part of the Summit Leadership Experience?

- I have gained important time management skills. This semester it has been imperative that I balance my homework with my volunteering. It would be awful if I was given a responsibility and let down my entire summit house. I was also able to step forward and contribute useful ideas as well as watch these plans become realities. It really helped me to see the amount of work it takes to not only be the group planning activities but also putting them on.

As we end the Wellness Program and Stress Free Now Component what have been the highlights (low and high) of this program and what would you suggest for the future if this is continued?

- The Stress Free Now Wellness Program has added a good amount of depth to my knowledge of distressing. Prior to the classes my methods were to pause for a second, and maybe go for a run. I had never explored message, acupuncture, tai chi, or yoga before. Some of the online activities were considerably lengthy to practice five times a week. When it has come down to the week before finals I am going to have a hard time finding thirty minutes to just meditate. While this has made me realize that meditation can be extremely helpful in de-stressing, it has also moderately stressed me out trying to find a full 30 minutes to dedicate to meditation. I responded really well to the yoga exercises as well as acupuncture and am excited about the message. Tai chi did not make a terrible amount of sense to me and was not as rewarding as the other activities because we were given such a short period of time to learn it. However, even if it did continue I think that it wasn’t something I was passionate about or believed I enough to continue doing.

What are you looking forward to over the winter break?

- Over winter break I am looking forward to sitting down without a text book or laptop in my lap. Having zero homework seems impossible as this semester comes to a close and I am looking forward to a couple days of not thinking and making Christmas cookies. I’m also excited to catch up on sleep and do some reading.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Safe Sex and Whatnot

well the safe sex condom art making event went very well. A lot of people showed up and made some great artwork. We also got a bunch of signatures for the free birth control thing. Its really great that this event turned out so well and I am looking forward to the Juno movie night coming up in a few weeks. Volunteering with Planned Parenthood is a really great thing. I really like that we are helping spread information and encouraging safe sex and preventing STD's. There have been some communication problems but we seem to figure everything out in the end.

On a different note living in summit is going pretty good . The people I live with are all great people and I am glad I have gotten to know them have become such good friends. We make a lot of pancakes and go to IHOP often. Im also surrounded by great neighbors. over all summit is really great and im proud to be in the summit program thing.

On a different different note yoga and Tai chi are very relaxing. The times at which they are offered are convenient. After I do yoga or tai chi I am much more relaxed and calm. It is a good way to end the night. I would like to take a yoga or tai chi class at Drury to keep with it. I am not a fan of the on line thing. I feel like I am more worried about finding time and trying to remember to listen to the recordings. I feel like this takes away from the point of it being relaxing and stress free.

November

November has been a busy month with the Panthers for Planned Parenthood. A few of us attended the monthly volunteer meeting at Planned Parenthood to discuss the events we have on campus and to discuss other volunteer opportunities that Planned Parenthood itself is planning. We also met with VOX, the Planned Parenthood group at MSU. On campus this month, we teamed up with Allies and the V-Warriors to host Kinky Krafts. The event went swimmingly! People showed up to create safe-sex themed artwork and receive information about Planned Parenthood and show their support for our cause. We are also planning a movie night featuring Juno in Lay Hall on November 29th.
In the past Planned Parenthood has had difficulty in dealing with the Drury community. Students haven't taken them seriously and have had the incorrect impression of what exactly it is that Planned Parenthood does. We as a Summit group have formed the link between Planned Parenthood and Drury. Aside from our stolen condoms incident, we haven't encountered any issues to speak of. Relations between Planned Parenthood staff and members of our group have been excellent.
I appreciate the efforts to supply us with outlets to deal with stress, but the Stress Free Now program is in no way, shape, or form a stress-reliever. It's just another thing that we have to remember to do everyday that doesn't provide any benefit. The Wellness classes each week also aren't serving any real purpose other than eating up time. I appreciate the concern for our wellness, but this program is serving an opposing purpose as to what it's intended.

Things

Things are going decently. Nothing has been stolen. Instead, nothing has been given freely.

We had a sexy art thing last week in tandem with Allies that came off really well. The FSC ballroom was filled with condoms on the breeze and passerby were kind of weirded but that is okay because we are too real for them. Lots of decent art was manufactured and a sheet was graffiti-tagged 'SAFE SEX' by our good delinquent friend Nicholas.

Also, a Planned Parenthood meeting was attended by me and others and it resulted in my accepting of mild responsibilities. So look for a 'Letter to the Editor' in the News-Herald in the upcoming week that will be just positively dripping with information.

That's it.

GREAT SUCCESS!

The safe sex campaign went off without a hitch Monday night! We had a great turnout and lots of arts and crafts were created! I was afraid that no one would want to make “kinky crafts” in public but several people did. Those who were uncomfortable just did art instead. We showed people how to make their own flogger out of a dowel rod and tassels and a feather tickler made with a boa. The best part was that it wasn’t even awkward! It was just plain fun. Some of us tried out our new floggers on the arms of those around us if they asked us to of course. Overall it was a great night.

Our house is working hard but sometimes we struggle with getting everything organized. Eight people are a lot to do one event and sometimes not everyone has a job. It’s hard to delegate responsibility evenly. But in the end we are able to come together and create successful events to raise awareness. I really believe the safe sex art campaign was a step in the right direction. If people are going to be experiencing sex than we need to try everything we can to help make it safe. Just being able to talk about it and do art that is inspired by it is an important feat in this culture that considers it still somewhat of a taboo. Our goal as Panthers for Planned Parenthood is to increase the knowledge and decrease the STIs and unplanned pregnancies, more or less. I feel that we really are making an impact by volunteering with this agency, even if it is through baby steps like passing out condoms.

In other news stress free now is still going but I do not know how much of a difference it is making in my life. I can hardly relax to do the exercises because I am worried about completing my other school work. I sometimes don't know how to prioritize. If my stress level comes first then I might not get my work done for class but if I try to get all my work done I get stressed out. It is sort of a vicious cycle. I do like the classes although I don't think they alleviate stress. I am so EXCITED to try acupuncture and for the massages at the end of this semester.

There is a lot to look forward to in the months to come including Juno! Everyone should come out because it's guaranteed to be a blast!

Love,

Stephanie

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Der Blog

Hiiiiii everyone,

I hope everyone is doing well, the weather is finally cold, I'm SO excited! This semester has been super stressful, busy, but also a lot of fun. We will be hosting one more really awesome event this semester, Juno night! It's going to be a really chill night on 29. November in Lay Auditorium at 6pm. Bring your friends and come out (literally) to hang out, watch Juno, get some kinky goodies, and some food and drank.
Now it's time for Q&A with me, courtesy of Andrew Wiemer:

What events have taken place at the agency you have volunteered and how have you assisted?
There are all types of different promotions and events Planned Parenthood hosts. We got to help with a few events like Ovarian Cancer Awareness month, there are also things like petitions, and more grassroots style events. I mainly help with advertising and getting the word out about our events to everyone that I know.
How do you feel your volunteerism is making an impact upon the agency thus far?
I definitely feel like volunteering with Planned Parenthood at Drury has helped to open up the topic of people using such services. Taking away the stigma attached was my ultimate goal.
Looking back over the semester so far what struggles have you encountered with the agency?
Definitely communication. Sometimes emails aren't answered, and this leads to less effective volunteering. As a busy individual, I rely heavily on email to communicate and keep progressing as a volunteer. When the emails aren't answered it makes it much more difficult to keep up with what is going on.
What is your experience like in Summit Park with your roommates and how have you interacted with the Summit community?
Summit is a really great social experience. Living with my roommates has been a relatively positive experience. I am fortunate to have great people in my house that I can go to for help and support. Summit socials are tons of fun! There was one last night at the C.A.R.E. house and it was really great to see everyone out even for a quick bite to eat and conversation.
How is the Stress Free and Wellness Experience going for you as we hit the midway mark?
I loved yoga, tai chi...not so much. But it is a great way to get to sample each type of activity. It definitely helps relieve some stress that everyday life tends to burden everyone with!

yours truly,

austin

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Uno Juno

Hello, hello...
Just going to say that our Safe Sex campaign with safe sex art and kinky crafts went extraordinarily well! We had a great turnout and a lot of positive feedback. It was a blast!
Planned Parenthood has one more event in the works for Drury students this semester. And yep, you guessed it...its JUNO! We will be playing the classic movie Juno in Lay Hall auditorium on November 29th at 6 pm. We will have grab bags with condoms and informational pamphlets inside as well as lube, Planned Parenthood pins, and dental dams for free! There will be some form of refreshments for your enjoyment that will include Twizzlers, Sunny D, and possibly even Taco Bell. Hopefully there will be another great turnout so we can spread awareness on safe sex, getting tested, sexual consequences, and all the amenities Planned Parenthood has to offer.
Now I'm supposed to answer questions Andrew Wiemer asked of us. So here goes:
What events have taken place at the agency you have volunteered and how have you assisted?
There are many events Planned Parenthood plans and participates in each month. We had the liberty of picking which ones we wanted to be involved in and how to help. We helped raise money and spread awareness during Ovarian Cancer Awareness month, and have a petition for free birth control we take to events and raise signatures for their Birth Control Matters campaign.
How do you feel your volunteerism is making an impact upon the agency thus far?
I feel our volunteerism is helping to form alliances with Planned Parenthood through Drury. It also helps to get rid of the stigma of birth control and spread awareness in general about sexual health and responsibility.
Looking back over the semester so far what struggles have you encountered with the agency?
We have had struggles getting all 8 of our Summit group members together at the same time, marketing and organizing events, and getting in touch with our Planned Parenthood community advisor. It just becomes difficult to get events completed efficiently with so many people in the mix.
What is your experience like in Summit Park with your roommates and how have you interacted with the Summit community?
I love living with my roommates. There is always someone to talk to, hang out with, and work on homework with. I enjoy the Summit socials because it helps the people of each house and group mingle when otherwise we wouldn't have. I find it interesting and inspirational to hear what each house has done for the community and their philanthropy.
How is the Stress Free and Wellness Experience going for you as we hit the midway mark?
I like the events we go to like Yoga and Tai Chi. However, I find the online program slightly corny and at (most) times hard to take seriously. I would like to see a yoga class on campus once or twice a week that I can continue to attend after this program is over. It works well to have the classes at 8 pm on weeknights. This is a good break from homework and my hectic schedule.

Don't forget to attend JUNO NOVEMBER 29TH at LAY HALL at 6!!!!

Peace, love, and Elyse

Monday, November 15, 2010

For Beard Lovers Apleanty....

Keep yourself safe now that No-shave November is in full swing!

These past couple of weeks have been some busy ones for us here at the Planned Parenthood Summit House. So let me run over some of our accomplishments thus far:

Last week the gang headed over to our local Planned Parenthood (located on E Battlefield between National and Campbell) to participate in their monthly volunteers meeting. Here, we were introduced to several of the MSU planned parenthood student group members (they call themselves VOX, Voices for Planned Parenthood), as well as a member of APO and several planned parenthood volunteer coordinators including Crystal, who we've been working with.

At the meeting we discussed our upcoming project with V Warriors and Allies here at Drury tonight which is the Safe Sex Campaign, promoting students to make artwork inspired by safe sexual practices as well as kinky toys. The VOX representatives talked about their upcoming event for World AIDS day which is December 1st. They are having a benefit show on November 30th with the DJ Makout. It will be an 18 and up event that night. APO is also hosting an event on December 1st that will be a candle vigil in founders park from 5-6. There was also a PROMO representative there that talked about their upcoming trivia night that is to happen on December 6th. It will be 50s themed, from 7-9:30 at the Unitarian Church and will cost $15 for an individual and $75 for an 8 person team. They are looking for people to sponsor a round, which last year planned parenthood made a bunch of sex ed questions for a round that didn't count towards the score but the winning team got condoms and other planned parenthood goodies.

World AIDS day is right around the corner and we will be teaming up with Allies and V warriors again to remind you to et yourself tested and practice safe sex.

We also went out and bought some supplies for the safe sex campaign. Friday Night the group got together and made brown paper grab bags with condoms, coupons, and information in them for students to take at the information table.

We've also been busy planning Juno night which due to POL had to be moved to November 29th now. We're throwing around different ideas for food. Some say taco bell, some say sunny D and twizzlers... but we'll just have to see where we end up on that front closer to the date.

As for tonight: we hope to see everyone at our safe sex campaign in the fsc ballroom. There will be music, kinky crafts, sex inspired art, photography, as well as us at the information booth. Drop on in between 6 and 8. Even if you don't want to keep your artwork the V warriors would love it to have on display at their annual production of the Vagina Monologues.

Also stay tuned for our Facebook page to be coming out any day now created by the lovely Kevin Rogan (website designer extrodinare, ect. )


Tuesday, November 2, 2010

october, where art thou.

hello everyone,

october flew by. i can't believe it's almost the end of the semester. during the month of october our summit group really focused our attention on planning great events for november. we have a juno movie night coming up and i'd really appreciate all of your support in attending our event.

we have begun a wellness class in summit and i really enjoy it, october was yoga month, and november will be tai-chi. it's really interesting to get to see how these exercises help keep stress levels down in the wake of term tests.

i am really excited to finish this semester on a strong note. i just attended a law school conference in chicago, and am really looking forward to spend as much time as possible working with planned parenthood to promote it's purpose (wearing fun sweaters and boots, of course!)

best,

austin

Friday, October 29, 2010

Happy Friday!

Hello bloggers! Happy Friday and Happy Halloween!

As you may or may not have noticed, the month of October has not been all that busy in Panthers for Planned Parenthood house. We've been focusing most of our time brainstorming the events for November. So, never fear, we're making a comeback in the next month.

Last night, Thursday the 28th of October, we held our first meeting with the V-Warriors and Allies about our up-and-coming collaborative event, a Safe Sex Campaign and Kinky Crafting Session. In order to promote such, we're suppling all sorts of paints and other arts and crafts supplies for students to combine on canvas with safe sex supplies, such as condoms, lubes, etc. Here's your chance to get creative and support safe sex: we'll be in the FSC on Monday, November 15th at six, so stop by after dinner and create your own piece of art!

On a side note, Juno Night is still on for November! Expect a viewing of the quirky comedy sometime in mid-November, again, to promote safe sex awareness.

Twizzlers? check
Sunny D? check
Orange Tic-Tacs? check
Pregnancy? ...

A fun night with your friends, free food, prizes, and Juno in the Lay Hall Auditorium? I think so. Stay tuned for a set date and time, which is to be posted within the week.

Have a safe and sexy Halloween!

Laura Jean

Thursday, October 28, 2010

So November

October didn't have that much in store for us at the Summit Planned Parenthood house. We mostly started the preparation for our big Juno night. We got in touch with the volunteer coordinator to discuss obtaining some more condoms since ours were stolen. Earlier in the week we tried yoga as the part of the stress free now program. And tonight the girls of the house met with the V-warriors and Allies to finalize some details of the safe sex campaign. So even though October was pretty laid back, November is already looking really busy.
Earlier in October we started a new program. Stress free now is the newest component to living in the Summit community. It is interesting to say the least. Everyday we do a different de-stressing exercise. I am not so sure if it is helping...but I will continue to try. However, the mandatory yoga session was AMAZING! I felt so good and relaxed. It's too bad I had to go home and immediately start studying Organic Chemistry. I am excited for Tai Chi and Acupuncture later on in the program.
The plan as of now for the safe sex campaign is to price items for safe sex art and kinky crafts. We will be buying paint, ribbons, feather boas, scissors, paint brushes, and of course GLITTER!!! So far the ideas for kinky crafts are floggers, feather ticklers, handcuffs, and blindfolds. Also we will be playing fun music like Ke$ha and Katy Perry. Hopefully it will be a playful and open place to be expressive about safe sex and to share what works and what doesn't. So far it's shaping up to look like a lot of fun!
I can't wait to see how November plays out but it'll be here soon enough!
Stephanie

A Lot of Nothing

There has been no real progress in terms of the advancement of PPP's Glorious Five-Year Plan, though a box of contraceptives were stolen off our front porch. In the spirit of baseless accusations and finger-pointing it is obvious that this is because of the limited availability of condoms and other prophylactics in suburban Springfield.

So, thief, thank you! And know that your desperate theft of our box of unmentionables will not go unmentioned, and we will in fact do our best to make sure there are more condoms to pilfer in the future!

HellO THERE AGAIN

Its Halloween!!! other then that this den of planned parenthood panthers hasn't had much going on just cat napping around. Its been purrrrrrfect! but next month there is a Juno movie night on this cam-puss. don't worry all you scaredy cats its not a scary movie so come on out. On a side note there will also be food at the movie.

OH NO! there is a cat burglar around summit. someone has stolen two bikes and a box of condoms from our house. one of the bikes was even lock. Its crazy. That dude really needs to stay out of our catnip. oh well though there is more then one way to skin a cat.

yoga was this month. after the session I felt as flexible as a feline. I know ill be going back. this stress free program is relaxing. I look forward to more activities. thanks Andrew Wiemer your the cats pajamas.

HELLO THERE

Tricks and Treats


Hello everyone! It may have seemed that The Panthers for Planned Parenthood have been on hiatus from the bustling world of community service lately, but I can assure you that we've been on the prowl for activities to support our cause! We've been getting our poop in a group this month to prepare for the events of November!

We've been plagued with a setback. Our liaison with Planned Parenthood dropped off a box of condoms, lube, and other treats on our porch. This box, whose contents were supposed to be distributed to the Drury community to promote safe sex on campus, was stolen! Yes, right from our very own Summit community! This was not the only thing stolen either! Two bicycles have gone missing from our stoop also. I would just like to use these examples to warn you, fellow Summiteers, that you should not leave valuables outside! However, we are working on getting a new package of treats to distribute to Drury students in the near future.

For the month of November, we are planning a Juno night complete with Juno-themed food, fun, and of course an important message for all those in attendance. We hope to see everyone there! You will be kept up to date with further announcements as this date creeps up on us!

Happy Halloween!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

HELLO THERE

Hi,

My name is Sean Banasik and Im kind of a big deal. I am a sophomore at Drury University. Im not sure what I want to major in yet. I like hanging out with friends, spending time with my family and going on adventures.
I am really excited to be in Summit park living house because it is such a great opportunity to help and giving back to the community of Springfield. I cant wait to get started and hope that I can do a lot of good.

Happy Halloween!


Hi all...

The month of October is fairly slow for us. We are planning at the moment on doing just one small event such as passing out condoms instead of candy to Drury Students. We figured this would be a great way of making condoms seem like less of a big deal, and each student's identity would be concealed, considering everyone will have amazing costumes! This allows for confidentiality as well as helping out the campus for their needs on a night that is notorious for midnight rendezvous.

In other news, November is a exciting month for us. We are planning all kinds of fun adventures such as a Juno night at the Lay Auditorium and teaming up with the V-Warriors and Allies in order to promote safe sex through art. We will put big tarps in the ballroom with paint, condoms, dental dams, lube, and other prevention items to make art with. The overall goal of this event is to reduce the stigma of using protection as well as having fun with certain items that may seem taboo. We are all really excited about these upcoming events.

On a side note, we have had two of the four bikes on our front porch stolen, and one was locked. What a terrible neighborhood! As a Summit family we are very disappointed in the caliber of morals (or lack thereof) in the surrounding area of Springfield. This is just a reminder to all the other college students out there who are naive and trusting - put your bike inside! Lock up your valuables! We have also had a BOX OF CONDOMS STOLEN OFF OUR FRONT PORCH!!!! This was sent to us from Planned Parenthood to give out to campus, and taken right from under our noses. My only hope is that the person who stole them is using them wisely.

Have a very Happy Halloween!
Be safe!

Elyse

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

No Way! November

The great month of October has been mildly inactive as far as Panthers for Planned Parenthood has gone. We've taken some time to talk with our advisor as well as to meet with our Planned Parenthood liaison Crystal. She was nice enough to throw together a care package for us with condoms to hand out, petitions on birth control to have people sign, signs to hang up announcing planned parenthoods involvement on campus as well as sparkly pink planned parenthood t-shirts so that we could represent.

However.... We've been having difficulty with the community around us and two of our house members bike's (including mine) were stolen from our porch along with the package from Crystal. She announced she had left it on our porch and an hour later when we got back from classes it was gone.

So we shall go to her next time in order to prevent interference.

With that said we've made great headway on the month of November so we can stay active on campus. Teaming up with the V Warriors as well as Allies on the tentative dates of November 15 through 18 in order to promote safe sex through artwork. Our plan is for our house to create some fun art pieces using condoms and paint and dental dams and lube and to promote people to take condoms from us to create their own art and take pictures with them. This will prevent people from becoming embarrassed by taking condoms from our table when people are watching because they can say that it is for the sake of ART!

We'll make sure to post some of those pictures in November when we've made our artwork. Also we'll attach our Juno night onto the end of this week and probably do some promotion for signing the birth control petitions that planned parenthood is collecting to send to our senators.

As far as October goes, you need not worry! We're planning some safe sex fun for the weekend of Halloween. Currently we're throwing around ideas of hiding condoms for people to seek out as well as trick or treat fun at the Planned Parenthood house, so watch out for that post and some possible e-mails we may send your way.

Happy Fall Break Everyone!

Amanda

Thursday, September 23, 2010

to whom it may concern:

hello everyone,

i know that i've been negligent in my blog posts, thus far, but i'm trying to make it up to you somehow.

my name is austin seaborn, and i am a sophomore here at drury university. i am a double major in international political studies and german. i am very excited to be working with planned parenthood this year in summit park leadership community, because i feel like it is an organization that has the potential to be a great resource to all of us in the drury community. the seven others and i are working to eliminate stereotypes and really introduce our friends and classmates to all of the wonderful services planned parenthood offers. but i'm going to be totally selfish and make this blog post all about me.

as previously stated, i am a double major in international polisci and german. with this i plan on moving to germany after school to pursue my dream in foreign diplomacy. i want to go to law school or to john's hopkins school of advanced international studies. my dream job is to be the united states ambassador to germany. i am extremely outgoing (too outgoing sometimes) but i am really passionate about meeting new people, and i love what i do. i am extremely involved on campus is several organizations. my pride and joy being student government association. i was recently elected by my peers to the position of vice president of student affairs. this position affords me many opportunities to serve my friends and peers and help shape a better future for all of us here at drury.

i chose to take part in summit park mainly because it's an excellent opportunity to get to know not only all of the other houses here in summit, but to build a great relationship with a local non-profit organization, like planned parenthood. these types of relationships are what will benefit me not necessarily today, but as i mature into an independent adult. it's opportunities like this that truly create a leader. i firmly believe in starting at the bottom and working your way up. i hope to get to know not only the people of planned parenthood, the springfield community, and my fellow summit partners; i also hope to learn more about myself. i want to find something i'm passionate about and go at it 200% this is a personal goal.

thank you for your support in every way.

best wishes,

austin

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Juno It's Hump Day?

Hey toots! I see you’ve come across this blog, Panthers for Planned Parenthood; if you haven’t read anything previous, you probably have a few questions as to what we’re about.

First off, my name is Laura Harmon. Here at Drury University, I’m majoring in architecture and art history. I suppose you’re surprised I’m not majoring in feminism.

Segway.

Quite honestly, my interest in the Summit Park Leadership Community didn’t originate with the excitement of leadership opportunities and community involvement; it began with a classy little house just off campus, eight friends, and free laundry. But Summit has become so much more than this. Working in conjunction with Planned Parenthood means removing the social taboo associated with sexual health. I’m sure when you think of Planned Parenthood, you think abortion, but we’re staying clear of those messy political issues, which by the way, aren’t even provided in Springfield. Oh, the side effects of living in the “bible belt”...

Personally, I’ve never been all that comfortable with discussing, let alone preaching about sexual health. I think that my involvement in Panthers for Planned Parenthood will not only benefit the Drury community but will allow me to become more comfortable with being educated about sexual health and related issues.

Segway.

As my fellow homies, yes, they are my housemates, have previously mentioned, we had our first event last week. On Wednesday, the fifteen of September, we set up a station outside of the commons to spread awareness of Ovarian Cancer. We handed out flyers and encouraged everyone to wear our teal ribbons; and we drew them in with cookies. The ribbons were gone by 12:30, so I’d say the event was quite the success.



Last night we had our first official meeting with our lovely staff advisor, Dr. Erin Kenny. In planning upcoming events, we hope to garner even more support from the student body. We’ve decided to have a screening of the film Juno, hopefully on Wednesday 10 November, to inform about teen pregnancy. Yes, copious amounts of Twizzlers and SunnyD will be provided, along with some other undecided food selections. Brady and I proposed calling the event “Juno It’s Hump Day?” but the rest of the group doesn’t agree.

We’ve also started thinking about the social event we’re to host for the other members of Summit in February. Kenny suggested ballroom dancing, which could be quite fun. Classy dancing and possibly red velvet cupcakes…

Get excited,

Laura Jean

My TEAL Experience

One week ago today Panthers for Planned Parenthood passed out cookies and teal ribbons for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week. As Elyse mentioned earlier it went surprisingly well. I honestly did not expect to have the response that we did. Facing a big crowd like the lunch line in the FSC commons can be daunting but they were very receptive. I am not a shy person by any means but I guess I was afraid we would be bothering people when they just wanted to eat their lunches. But several people wanted to know why we were standing there with a whole bunch of teal and others wanted to know more about ovarian cancer. Although most of the guys were only interested in cookies, some women took handouts on the symptoms and almost everyone we asked took a ribbon. In all we passed out 75 regular ribbons and awesome sequined ribbons. I felt like even though our first event was super simple it was still effective, which is what really matters. I’m glad that we are off to such a good start and look forward to working with Planned Parenthood!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

TEAL APPEAL!

Hey everyone! As mentioned in my last blog, you are all aware it is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. Panthers for Planned Parenthood had our very first (and successful) event today. We were stationed outside the Commons in the FSC with free cookies, teal ribbons, and information on Ovarian Cancer from 12 to 1 pm. The results were tremendous! We had many people come up to our desk and ask about the risks and signs of Ovarian Cancer. We ran out of ribbons very quickly and many people were extremely supportive to our cause. I'm looking forward to more events that will come later in the semester. Don't forget to wear your teal this month!

Here is a helpful website that talks all about the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Cookie Review

The cookies were really good.

We are handing out some that I didn't eat tomorrow. I will be there. I will hand out cookies to you, possibly. God willing.

TEAL FOREVER

///

Oh, hello. I didn't see you there.

I suppose we're introducing ourselves here. In that case, call me Kevin Rogan. That is coincidentally my name. I intend to be a major in Architecture and Art History both because I like my extraneous and altogether unnecessary degrees in pairs and would like to collect suffixes. Though it should be mentioned that I'd rather be a theoretical architect. Whether this means I'd rather design theatrical concepts of buildings or be an architect in theory I am not sure on yet. Though when we all get down to those proverbial 'brass tacks' I suppose it doesn't actually have any bearing on anything at all whatsoever, unless you think breathing heavily into gale-force winds is actually a profound event.

Anyway.

Segway.

I'm thrilled to be a part of Planned Parenthood on the Drury University campus because I feel as if we're truly espousing an organization that is often pigeon-holed into merely offering abortive services. This isn't the case! We'll be all about Drury preaching safe-sex practices and general reproductive health, along with handing out materials helpful to those designs and creating campaigns to promote awareness. Tomorrow I shall return to post things about our upcoming ovarian cancer campaign which is already highly visible in a variety of teal typefaces below this post on this very page but I will do it anyway.



In the Beginning

Hello everyone, I'm Brady Nelson. I'm a sophomore majoring in marketing with a minor in music. I look forward to the events of this year from volunteering with Planned Parenthood educating the community about the services they offer to living with seven of my closest friends. I chose to be a part of this because I am interested in making a positive impact on the community. I expect to gain valuable experience in volunteering with our organization. I'm sure we will all gain insight in regards to current issues through dealing with Planned Parenthood and through our own discussions involving our varying political and religious opinions. I'm happy to be a part of the Summit Community and am excited to get involved.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Teal Time

Symptoms of the SILENT KILLER

- Bloating

- Pelvic or abdominal pain

- Urinary urgency or frequency

- Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly

Women who have these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks should see their doctor, preferably a gynecologist.

need a gynecologist: Planned Parenthood does exams as well as referrals.

There is currently no early detection test for women with ovarian cancer. Regular pelvic exams and tests to not cover testing for ovarian cancer.

Know your risk

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

The ovarian cancer community’s color is TEAL.

In order to educate Drury on the deadliest cancer of the reproductive system and the leading cause of cancer death among women WEAR TEAL!

If you don’t have a teal shirt: paint your fingernails and toes teal

If you are still lacking teal the members of Panthers for Planned Parenthood will be handing out teal ribbons at the FSC during lunch on Wednesday.


Looks like a fun week!

See you there

- Amanda

Making the Difference.

My name is Amanda Combs and I am a sophomore advertising major. I am also involved in the Drury orchestra as well as the Drury/ Springfield Civic Orchestra.

This year I am living in the Drury Summit Leadership housing development working in partnership with Planned Parenthood. We call ourselves Panthers for Planned Parenthood. As a freshman living in Sunderland last year I had my own room and shared a bathroom with one other girl (which happened to be Stephanie). Looking into my housing options I became really interested in the Summit housing development because it was a chance to become involved in the Springfield community. Our summit house chose to work in partnership with Planned Parenthood in order to educate the Drury campus on sexual health. There are many risks involved with sexual practices as well as general sexual health that many college aged students are not fully aware of and sometimes ignore. We hope to prevent the spread of sexual diseases and promote testing for preventable illnesses, as well as helping students identify their risk for hereditary illnesses with unknown causes.

I hope to gain a sense of purpose from our Summit project. Planned Parenthood is often associated with the social stigma that their sole purpose is for abortions. The Planned Parenthoods in the Springfield area do not even perform abortion services. I hope to help Plan Parenthood gain a more respectable title on the Drury campus as well as promote Drury students to gain a comfortable nature in regards to knowing facilities they can go to in order to receive the care that they may require.

In September our house plans on spreading awareness of ovarian cancer around campus by painting the campus teal. We will tie teal ribbons to trees as well as handing them out to students. In September we would love for everyone to bring out their favorite teal attire to support Ovarian Cancer Awareness.

Know your risk.

Amanda