September 30, 2011 

The Newcomb News is a weekly listserv sent to all Tulane women undergraduate students with information about upcoming events and opportunities through both the Newcomb College Institute and other organizations that are of interest. 
 
In this Issue:
  1. Fridays at Newcomb: “’La Feminidad Antes Que Todos/Femininity Before Everything’” with Prof. Katie Acosta
  2. Campus Life Grants: Applications due today
  3. Kierr Service Grants: Applications due today
  4. Shirley Gauff Award – $2,500 in Funds for a First Year Woman
  5. First-Year Reading Project Presents: A Night With Dr. Ruth Faden, discussing "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"
  6. Learn About Newcomb Student Grants
  7. Sex Education in Louisiana event
  8. Doctrine of Discovery: Reconsidering Columbus Day featuring Professor Robert J. Miller of Lewis & Clark Law School
  9. The Feminist Film Series Presents: “Sin by Silence”
  10. Newcomb funding now available for the “Women, Law & Public Policy Seminar” in Washington, DC 
  11. Swing Dancing Night @ the Rat
  12. NOW President Terry O’Neill to speak on campus
  13. Join the Her Campus Tulane Team
  14. Take Back the Night 20th Anniversary Fundraiser  
  15. Fall Newcomb Favorite Faculty Luncheon
  16. Applications Now Available to Start a NEW Newcomb Student Organization
  17. Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff, Presented by TUCP
  18. Campus Consciousness Tour: Janelle Monae, fun., Timothy Bloom Presented by TUCP
 
1. Fridays at Newcomb: “’La Feminidad Antes Que Todos/ Femininity Before Everything’” with Prof. Katie Acosta 
 Friday, September 30, at 12 pm at the Anna Many Lounge, Caroline Richardson Building (2nd Floor)

This talk explores the messages which lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) Latinas received early on in their lives regarding the importance of femininity and "appropriate" gender presentation. In it, Dr. Acosta argues that doing gender and femininity appropriately allowed for greater familial approval of LBQ Latinas' alternative sexualities. Inversely, when LBQ Latinas resisted societal and familial norms for appropriate gendered presentations of self, they risked jeopardizing acceptance from their families of origin. Dr. Acosta attributes the centrality of femininity in their lives to families of origins' commitment to heterosexuality. By holding lesbian, bisexual and queer Latinas to rigid standards of appropriate gendered appearance, families sought to minimize their queer visibility and outness. This, Dr. Acosta argues, led LBQ Latinas to adopt situational femininities: producing distinct socially acceptable physical appearances based on social location and audience. Lunch is provided for those staying for the talk. Email nsp@tulane.edu with any questions.

 
2.  Campus Life Grants: Applications due today
Application Deadline: Friday, September 30
 
Every academic year, the Newcomb Foundation awards Campus Life Grants to undergraduate women students for programs or projects that impact campus life or student learning at Tulane. Preference will be given to those requests that address women’s issues and interests. The maximum grant is $500. For more information and to apply, please take a look at the attached application form, visit http://tulane.edu/newcomb/grants.cfm  or email cheaney@tulane.edu
 
3.  Kierr Fund for Community Service Grant: Applications due today
Application Deadline: Friday, September 30
 
The Kierr Fund for Community Service Grant is awarded to an undergraduate woman at Tulane University to initiate or continue a community service project or program. This fund shall be used to promote community service and volunteerism by women. The maximum grant is $500. For more information and the application, click here, visit http://tulane.edu/newcomb/grants.cfm or email cheaney@tulane.edu
 
4. Shirley Gauff Award: $2,500 in Funds for a First Year Woman
Application Deadline: Tuesday, October 4, 5 pm
 
The Shirley Gauff Award is bestowed upon a current first year female student from an under-represented group at Tulane University who has distinguished herself through high school and Tulane involvement, an engaged pursuit of learning, and contribution to the greater New Orleans community. The recipient of the award will receive $2,500; this one-time cash award can be used to enhance the recipient’s educational experience at Tulane. For more information and to apply, please click here or visit http://tulane.edu/newcomb/grants.cfm or contact cheaney@tulane.edu.
 
5. First-Year Reading Project Presents: A Night With Dr. Ruth Faden, discussing "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"
Tuesday, October 4, 7 pm in Dixon Hall
 
Join us for an evening with Dr. Ruth R. Faden, Ph.D., M.P.H., who is the Philip Franklin Wagley Professor of Biomedical Ethics and Executive Director of The Phoebe R. Berman Bioethics Institute at Johns Hopkins University.  She is also a Senior Research Scholar at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University. Her bioethics background and position at Johns Hopkins give her a unique perspective on "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," and she has lectured on the book at other universities in connection with their common reading programs. Dr. Faden is the author and editor of numerous books and articles on biomedical ethics and health policy including Social Justice: The Moral Foundations of Public Health and Health Policy, A History and Theory of Informed Consent (with Tom L. Beauchamp), AIDS, Women and the Next Generation (Ruth Faden, Gail Geller and Madison Powers, eds.), HIV, AIDS and Childbearing: Public Policy, Private Lives (Ruth Faden and Nancy Kass, eds.).  Dr. Faden is a member of the Institute of Medicine and a Fellow of the Hastings Center and the American Psychological Association.  She has served on several national advisory committees and commissions, including the President's Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments, which she chaired.  Dr. Faden holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in General Studies in Humanities from the University of Chicago and an MPH and Ph.D. (Program in Attitudes and Behavior) from the University of California, Berkeley.  
 
This event is co-sponsored by Newcomb-Tulane College and the Newcomb College Institute. Funding is provided by the Dorothy K. Daspit Fund, an endowed fund which supports programs and activities promoting the interests of young women in science and mathematics. Email cheaney@tulane.edu for more information.
 
6. Newcomb Student Grants Information Sessions
October 4, 5 and 6
 
The Newcomb College Institute offers grants in support of academic research (independent or collaborative), conference attendance and community rebuilding initiatives.  Learn more at an information session:  Tuesday, October 4, at 3:30 pm; Wednesday, October 5, at 3:30 pm; Thursday, October 6, at 10 am.  Sessions are in Room 208 of the LBC, last less than one hour, and no rsvp is needed.  Can’t make a session?  Email jmulvihi@tulane.edu
 
7. Sex Education in Louisiana event
October 5 at 7 pm, Lavin-Bernick Center Race Conference Room (Room 201)
 
VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood at Tulane will be hosting Lila Arnaud, MPH, the health educator for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, for an interactive presentation and discussion on the state of sex education in Louisiana. This event will take place in the Lavin-Bernick Center Race Room (Room 201). Refreshments and coffee will be served. Email jfrankel@tulane.edu with questions.
 
 
8. Doctrine of Discovery: Reconsidering Columbus Day featuring Professor Robert J. Miller of Lewis & Clark Law School 
 
Thursday, October 6, 6 - 7:30 pm, Lavin-Bernick Center (LBC) in Room 203, Stibbs Conference Room

Professor Miller worked with the Stoel Rives law firm from 1992-1995 and practiced Indian law with Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker from 1995-1999. Miller is the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals of the Grand Ronde Tribe and sits as a judge for other tribes. His published works include articles, books, and book chapters on civil procedure and a wide array of federal Indian law issues. He will be speaking with us about his second book, Discovering Indigenous Lands: The Doctrine of Discovery in the English Colonies, which was published by Oxford University Press in 2010. The Doctrine of Discovery is still an active part of American law today and legally infringes the real property, sovereign, and self-determination rights of American Indian tribes and their people. Sponsored by: Multicultural Affairs Office, Center for Public Service, School of Law. For more information contact Desirée Anderson via email to danders7@tulane.edu or by phone at 504-865-5181

9. The Feminist Film Series Presents: “Sin by Silence”

Friday, October 7, 7 pm, Woldenberg Art Center, Freeman Auditorium
Free and open to the public; a reception will follow

In honor of October’s 20th Anniversary Take Back the Night event, we will be screening the film “Sin By Silence,” with special guest speakers Professor Tania Tetlow, Director of the Tulane Domestic Violence Law Clinic and Mary Baldwin Kennedy, Assistant Warden, Unit 1, Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women.
An important film that profiles Convicted Women Against Abuse (CWAA), the US prison system's first inmate initiated group and led by women, "Sin by Silence" includes interviews with experts on abusive relationships, law enforcement leaders and leaders in faith-based communities about domestic violence, and more. Questions? Email newcomb@tulane.edu or call 504-865-5422.
 
10. Newcomb funding now available for the “Women, Law & Public Policy Seminar” in Washington, DC
Application Deadline: Friday, October 7
 
The Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) will be holding its 22nd “Women, Law & Public Policy Seminar” November 12-14, 2011 for women students who are considering law school as a prelude to a career in public policy. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for women students to learn first-hand how many different ways an individual can make and influence public policy with and without a law degree.  They’re taught by Supreme Court Justices or their clerks, Members of Congress and top legislative staffers, White House officials and federal agency leaders, nonprofit advocates and corporate lobbyists, and lawyers with public interest law firms. Funding is available for conference and hotel fees, but students are responsible for travel and food expenses. For more information and to apply, please visit  http://tulane.edu/newcomb/grants.cfm or contact  cheaney@tulane.edu.
 
11. Swing Dancing Night @ the Rat
Free Swing Dancing Lessons and Social Dancing!
Friday, 8:30 – 11:30 pm in the Rat, LBC
Oct. 7, 21, & 28*
8:30 pm – “Move of the Week”
9:00 pm – Beginner Lesson
10:00 pm – Social Dancing for all levels
 
*Join us any time to give it a try, or come every week for to work on your skills!
This event is co-sponsored by the Reily Student Recreation Center and Tulane After Dark.  For more information contact Michelle Mirpuri at mariley@tulane.edu or call 314-2079
 
12. NOW President Terry O’Neill to speak on campus
Monday, October 17, 7 pm in Dixon Hall
 
Terry O’Neill is a former Tulane Law School faculty member who has been president of NOW since 2009.  She will discuss why proposed cuts in the federal budget are disproportionately unfair to women.
 
Terry O’Neill (L’80) is a feminist attorney, professor, activist for social justice, and president of the National Organization for Women since June 2009.
O’Neill taught at Tulane University and at the University of California at Davis, where her courses included feminist legal theory, international women’s rights law, corporate law and legal ethics. A skilled political organizer, O’Neill worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, and the campaign leading to the election of Louisiana’s first woman U.S. senator, Mary Landrieu. She has also worked to elect women’s rights supporters to judgeships and to the Louisiana state legislature.
Questions? Email jmulvihi@tulane.edu.
 
13. Join the Her Campus Tulane Team

Are you interested in getting involved on campus? Do you enjoy journalism, videography, or marketing? Then join the Her Campus Tulane team today! HerCampus.com is an online magazine for college women that individualizes its content college-by-college by establishing My Campus branches at schools across the country. With national content on Style, Health, Love, Dorm Life, Career, and World, supplemented by campus-specific content, Her Campus serves as a hub for everything college women need to know about today. It is written entirely by the nation's top college journalists that strive to define and provide a model for the future of online magazines by individualizing content, fill the hole in the media marketplace for media that responds directly to the needs of college women, and serve as a career launching point for the nation's top college journalists by providing them with a national platform for the publication of their work. Check out our Facebook page, Her Campus Tulane, for more details! If you are interested in joining the Her Campus Tulane team, contact campus correspondent Cat Combs at catherinecombs@hercampus.com
 
14. Fall Newcomb Favorite Faculty Luncheon
Tuesday, October 18, 1-2 pm, JL Ballroom 
 
This semester's Favorite Faculty Luncheon will be featuring Professor Ferruh Yilmaz of the Communication Department, Professor Toni Weiss of the Economics Department, and Nancy Goff from the Department of Finance and Conferences. Come get to know these great faculty members over a delicious lunch and see why they were voted Tulane's favorites! The Luncheon will be held in the Josephine Louise Ballroom on October 18th from 1:00-2:00pm. RSVPs are appreciated and can be sent to nsp@tulane.edu
 
 
15. Take Back the Night 20th Anniversary Fundraiser
 
This year’s special 20th Anniversary Take Back the Night event will be held on Tuesday, October 26, at 6 pm. Leading up to the event, there are lots of ways to get involved and help raise awareness about gender-based violence:
  • If your student organization is interested in donating a basket for Take Back the Night, please email hlipman@tulane.edu. Baskets should be $50-$100 in value.
  • If you are interested in selling $1 raffle tickets, please email lsmith11@tulane.edu.
  • If you are a sexual assault survivor, or the friend/partner of one, and would like to be a speaker at the opening ceremonies, email cheaney@tulane.edu.
  • Proceeds from the basket raffle fundraiser go to Crescent House, Metropolitan Center for Women & Children, and the SANE nurse program.
 
16. Applications Now Available to Start a NEW Newcomb Student Organization
Rolling Admissions; final deadline November 18, 2011
 
Interested in starting a new student organization on campus? Passionate about women’s issues and interests? Applications are now being accepted and reviewed by Newcomb Senate for NEW Newcomb Student Organizations to receive funding starting Fall ’11. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Please complete the application and submit it to cheaney@tulane.edu no later than November 18, and feel free to email with any questions. Click here for the application

17. Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff, Presented by TUCP
Monday, October 3, 2011,  8-9:30 pm, Dixon Hall, Free Admission
 
Annie has spent nearly two decades investigating and organizing on environmental health and justice issues. She has traveled to 40 countries, visiting literally hundreds of factories where our stuff is made and dumps where our stuff is dumped. Witnessing first hand the horrendous impacts of both over- and under- consumption around the world, Annie is fiercely dedicated to reclaiming and transforming our industrial and economic systems so they serve, rather than undermine, ecological sustainability and social equity.
 
18. Campus Consciousness Tour: Janelle Monae, fun., Timothy Bloom Presented by TUCP
Monday, October 10, 2011, 8-11:30pm,  McAlister Auditorium. Tickets will be on sale in the LBC 1st floor hallway 10-4 Monday through Friday. Students $10; Public $15
 
Half rock tour, half environmental campaign, CCT aims to inspire and activate students in an electric atmosphere while leaving a positive impact on each community the tour visits. In addition to educating and mobilizing students, the tour includes many greening elements and is run to have a minimal environmental footprint.