Okay

So this month of February the planned parent summit house has mad much progress. firstly we had a table set up out side the vagina monologues all three nights. we got a lot of signatures for free birth control. also we passed out lots of condoms so people can be safe and other things.

Secondly the planned parent summit house has been getting along just swimmingly! we have all overcome many differences, hatred, diversity, but really we just communicate better. we are all on the same page if you will. probably the best summit house. ever.

thirdly the planned parenthood house is making a big impact on drury campus and the local area. people are talking about us. good and bad. without us this movement for safe sex and free birth control, and awareness would not really be happening. i look forward to the events we have planned in the future.

oh we had a ballroom dace social. it was totally awesome. no one really came though. hit me up if you need a dance partner. i can tango.

It's finally Friday!

These past few weeks have been hectic not only with schoolwork but also Summit as well, so this Happy Friday is particularly cheerful. Last week the Panthers for Planned Parenthood prepared for the Vagina Monologues. We set up a table outside the event on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights in order to get signatures for Planned Parenthood’s Birth Control Matters petition and to pass out contraceptives. The petition demands that birth control is made available to all women with no co pay and sex education becomes a more prevalent subject in the education of young people.

So these Vagina Monologues events unearthed some of the weaknesses of our Summit house with Planned Parenthood and with each other, particularly in the way of our lines of communication. Our PP representative only contacted us days before the event, requesting our presence at the monologues. This put a strain on all of our schedules, making our attendance at the events rushed and put together at the last minute. On the bright side, when communication with Planned Parenthood is up to par, they are quite helpful in providing us with the necessary materials, i.e. condoms, pamphlets, petitions, to make our on-campus involvement a success.

Like I previously mentioned, communication between the members of our Summit group hasn’t been all that great either. While the event was only planned two days prior to the first night of Vagina Monologues, some of my housemates weren’t informed until the day before. We’ve all come to the conclusion that this is unacceptable, and we as a house must brainstorm more productibe means of communicating about Summit events. Brady posted an event calendar downstairs right outside our front door, a place where our events are easily accessible to all members of the house. In addition, I’ve taken it upon myself to start sending out a group text upon the creation of a new event, or a meeting with Kenny. My role in Summit has been the Faculty Liaison, which isn’t exactly the most demanding task, so I figured this new responsibility of mine will be nothing overwhelming.

Let’s see, goals for the semester. I would like to see an improved relationship between Planned Parenthood and our Summit group. Not only this, but improved communication between the members of the house, but I believe our new event calendar and group texts will do the trick. This far I think the major strength of Panthers for Planned Parenthood has been our ability to become involved on campus. But this semester I’d like to see a bit more involvement in Planned Parenthood events, while still maintaining our status on Drury’s campus.

At this stage in the game, our events in the semester have not been set in stone, so I’m anxious to see what will be happening in Summit. Hopefully our new found communication skills will spur more involved, brainstormed ideas about Summit events from all members of house. A meeting with Kenny is in the works, so our semester events will be set and publicized in the very near future. This semester is looking to be quite interesting for the Panthers for Planned Parenthood.

Laura Jean

Re: Vagina Monologues

The Drury University Panthers for Planned Parenthood® were privileged enough to have a table at the Vagina Monologues, Presented by the V-Warriors of Drury University all three nights it ran.

The Vagina Monologues are always a really interesting time. I like them a lot, but usually come away from the shows with the irrepressible want for a fertility idol to worship and to go bra-burning.

Anyway.

The PP table outside VM was a great big success, especially for its being accomplished so quickly. In two days, we procured PP materials and established a presence for the organization. Through our table, we managed to get 55 signatures for our grassroots petition and distributed countless condoms and contraceptive literature.

It was great.

Take a Lesson from Valentine's Chocolates: If It's Not Wrapped...Avoid It.

We kicked of the year in style with a rip-roaring Summit social! We brought in a dance instructor to teach those of us who attended a few basic ballroom dance steps (in honor of February, the month of .... mush). It was a great time!

What accomplishments do you hope to see happen with your project over the course of this semester?

So far we've been focused, mainly, on promoting awareness of Planned Parenthood on campus and the services they provide. This has been a great venture and I think we've succeeded in taking a bit of the stigma away from Planned Parenthood within the Drury community. I would like to work more closely with Planned Parenthood supporting their cause directly, while still maintaining a strong presence on campus.

What has been the greatest experience this past month volunteering with the agency?

In January we had the opportunity to help with a Planned Parenthood-sponsored event to celebrate the anniversary of the passing of Roe v. Wade. A "Champion of Choice" award was given to a member of the Springfield community who has played a significant role in supporting the causes of Planned Parenthood. We were able to meet other students and volunteers who also work with Planned Parenthood.

What has been your greatest challenge this past month volunteering with the agency?

We had a little issue with communication and Planned Parenthood springing a last-minute event on us, but it was all resolved and worked out just fine. It's always a challenge to work with people's schedules and make events accessible to everyone.

Through the class this semester what is the one project or activity you are looking forward to the most?

I am looking forward to spending 24 hours completely technology-free. It will be a nice little vacation. I have plans to return to my childhood with crayons and coloring books!

How has this past semester made you a stronger leader and what leadership roles do you plan to take on this semester for your Summit Group?

I'm really happy about my Summit experience because you get to work closely with a small group over an extended period of time towards a common goal. I think this experience will really be helpful in the future. I've learned through this experience how to direct a conversation to stay on topic. I would like to take charge of schedule organization this semester to try to avoid the problems we've been having with conflicts and lack of communication.

Forever and for always,
Brady

Feburrrrrrrrary!

Hello

This has been a crazy month! SOOO much winter weather has hit springfield. Enough to freeze us all in our tracks (no pun intended). I am about to leave for a Model UN trip. I'm excited!

Here are questions, provided by Wiemer.

What accomplishments do you hope to see happen with your project over the course of this semester?
Better communication, more great events, bonding time with my group!

What has been the greatest experience this past month volunteering with the agency?
Working at the Vagina Monologue event was really fun! Passing out goodies and mingling with the audience who were there to show support!

What has been your greatest challenge this past month volunteering with the agency?
No challenges so far, LET'S KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED!!

Through the class this semester what is the one project or activity you are looking forward to the most?
Hmmmmm.... our calendar isn't set in stone yet. So, I'm not sure which event. I was actually really excited about Roe v. Wade event that took place a few weeks ago! GREAT success :)

How has this past semester made you a stronger leader and what leadership roles do you plan to take on this semester for your Summit Group?
It made me aware of communication errors. I learned that I cannot rely on others in a group to be leaders and I need to take an active leadership role in every organization I am involved with to ensure that I get the credit I deserve.

I hope you all had a GREAT February and have an even merrier March!!

austin

In the coming semester I hope to see Drury embrace our Planned Parenthood group. I hope that as a university we can stop being embarrassed about sexual responsibility. I want people to take it seriously and protect themselves and maybe learn something useful about their health.

In the past month I LOVED the Vagina Monologues. They were both entertaining and powerful. I left feeling empowered as a woman and more aware of issues such as domestic violence and forms of mutilation. I was glad that we as a Summit group got the opportunity to support the V-Warriors in their efforts to make our campus more socially aware. Also I appreciated that it gave our group a chance to get more signatures on the Birth Control Matters petition.

My greatest challenge volunteering with our agency this month was the time frame. Everything was put together last minute which was very stressful to all of us as a house. However, I think we did a great job pooling our resources and getting a few people at the event each night. In the future events will hopefully be planned out with more time leading up to them. This will allow us to really prepare for whatever it is that we need to be ready to do.

This semester I am really looking forward to doing the financial tracking. This is something I have been trying to do since I arrived at college and I haven’t been able to quite accomplish it. I like that we will be held accountable because that is not something I have been forced to do thus far, at least not in the financial aspect of my life.

Last semester helped me to grow as a leader by making me be involved outside of my studies. Not only have I become a better leader because I am in a clearly defined leadership position but also because I am forced to manage my time and to balance my life. I have to balance my volunteer work and class work without slacking on either side. I am held responsible for my actions by the seven other people in my house and this helps me to stay on track. As this semester progresses I hope to help everyone by planning events that are both fun and educational. I want to take my position as co-event coordinator and really use it to everyone’s advantage!!

I can't wait to see how this busy semester turns out!

Stephanie

Vagina Monologues

This month we teamed up with the V Warriors to help make this year's Vagina Monologues a success with our very own Planned Parenthood table. We passed out condoms (as per usual), coupons, brochures, GYT stickers, and had a petition for free birth control on the table. What helped make our table different, however is the fact that we recently acquired designer condoms! They have unique pink designs on the packaging, and some of the condoms themselves are even pink-just in time for Valentine's Day! I enjoyed working the Vagina Monologue booth because the V Warriors are doing a very important thing for society, and I loved being a part of this very special program.

What accomplishments do you hope to see happen with your project over the course of this semester?

I hope to continue to bring Planned Parenthood events, information, and fun to the Drury students on campus. I also hope to change the mindset of the average Drury student that sex isn't something to take lightly. Protection is a must!

What has been the greatest experience this past month volunteering with the agency?

My greatest experience has been my only experience, Vagina Monologues. The women that perform are so dedicated, and the monologues range from funny to heart wrenching. I think what they do is so important to the betterment of women across America and throughout the world. Stories about women and their needs and experiences must be heard in order to equalize gender roles.

What has been your greatest challenge this past month volunteering with the agency?

The greatest challenge also came with Vagina Monologues. We had a petition for free birth control with no copay for all women as well as more sex education in public schools. Most people signed this petition willingly, but some people adamantly refused and said that they didn't agree with what the petition was doing. It was hard to at times take a defeat like that. However, overall the petition was a success.

Through the class this semester what is the one project or activity you are looking forward to the most?

I am looking forward to the tech free day because I feel it can be beneficial to myself as well as my peers. A day without technology will be tough for most of us, considering we were practically born with a computer and cell phone in our hands. I feel it will teach me that I do not need to be glued to my phone to survive.

How has this past semester made you a stronger leader and what leadership roles do you plan to take on this semester for your Summit Group?

I feel that my leadership role in this house is to be the voice of reason. At times issues may arise and opinions about events may clash. It is easy for me to step back, think about the situation, and tackle it from a different perspective. This will come in handy when deciding when and where to have events as well as carrying them out efficiently.

Yours,

Elyse

Roe V. Wade

To ring in the New Year Planned Parenthood put on a benefit event celebrating the Roe v. Wade decision to legalize abortions. The Panthers for Planned Parenthood tagged along to lend support at this event, providing chips and dip, as well as a veggie tray, and working different booths throughout the night.

At this event Crystal gave an opening speech introducing the celebration as well as welcoming specific guests. The entertainment of the night were 5 poets who gave different reads correlating with the theme of the night. One poem that was read was written by a woman giving a narrative of having undergone several miscarriages. This poem was particularly moving because the reader had difficulty reading the complete poem because she was so involved. Following this poem was the announcement that Charlie Norr had been chosen as our champion of choice this year.

Charlie told the story behind his support for planned parenthood. He discussed how when he was first married he was working for the military and barely making 30 bucks a month. His wife badly wanted a child but was unable to bare one for the first several times that they tried. Their doctor recommended starting her on birth control in order to better indicate when she would be ovulating and unfortunately birth control was 10 dollars at the time. This was a third of their monthly money and they simply could not afford it. Charlie turned to planned parenthood. Ever since they have helped him and his family out he has been helping them out.

Prior to the entertainment Panthers for Planned Parenthood and VOX members sold raffle tickets to be entered for specific prizes such as Roller Derby tickets, gift cards to The Grotto, and a $40 gift certificate to a local tattoo parlor. Buttons, shirts and bumper stickers were also on sale at this time. One woman who bought 4 bumper stickers remarked how her job had transfered her to Springfield from the East Coast and she was unsure weather or not there was even an active planned parenthood which she loved to support. She was glad that Crystal had planned the Roe v. Wade event and was able to meet with other Planned Parenthood supporters.

Doing work with Planned Parenthood has really opened up my eyes to the diversity that lies within Springfield. Although there are moral issue which surround the community service our Summit house is performing, I am still very grateful for the opportunity because I have seen so many supporters of the organization we are working for.

This week Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. the Panthers for PP will be working a booth outside the Vagina Monologues performance getting signatures for the current petition to make birth control free. Hope to see you there.

If you have questions feel free to contact us.