Call for papers!!

I just saw that the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research is having a call for papers for their conference in Pittsburgh. I thought that those of us who are academically inclined (either our contributors or our readers) might be interested in this. It's not really my field of study, but I thought I would let you all know.

From the Honors College

Congratulations! We have just received the Assessment Form completed by your Faculty Sponsor with your grade for HONR 4000. You should be proud of your accomplishment in completing your project -- and are probably a little relieved as well. We are very pleased to inform you that your $1,000 Research Grant has been posted to your Revenue Account. We want you to know what a pleasure it has been having you as a member of The Honors College. Your participation and commitment to the Program are a positive reflection on the entire Central community and we hope you have found your honors experience a rewarding addition to your undergraduate academic career. Please let us hear from you with each success in your life – we am confident there will be many!


We am confident indeed. I'm doubtful I'll keep up much with the blog anymore, as comments seem to have tapered off, but I am working on the zine, which will probably be finished in a couple months.

Women Scholars at Central shout-out

This morning I was on facebook, looking through all the old pictures from Women Scholars. And I remembered this awesome bulletin board we made last year:

And, my favorite part, at the very bottom:

Lil Obee!

The results are in...

My workshop was kick-ass.

Every single one of my evals came back stellar, with comments like

• She was really light hearteed which eliminated a lot of the tension.
• Loved our speaker's personality and the word 'vag'.
• Jamie was a very good speaker and had fun with the presentation.
• Jamie was open and charming and knew her stuff. (To be honest, that one's from my old roommate.)
• Thanks for the info!
• I felt like the presenter was someone I could really relate to and even be friends with.

Tomorrow I'll be talking about this some more at the Central Scholars Symposium at 12:30. It's somewhere in the Union; I think I'm in 233.

Workshop: It's Your Body. PERIOD.

Hello everyone in the UCM area:

We've decided on a date for my workshop!

It's Your Body. Period.
A workshop about the impact of menstrual products on your body, your wallet & the environment
Presented by Jamie Schlote as part of an honors thesis project
Wednesday, March 26, 1:00pm
Union 237B

"That time of the month." "Aunt Flo's monthly visit." "Riding the crimson tide." There are so many ways for women (and men) to talk about menstrual cycles without ever actually naming them. Why is this? This interactive session explores some of the taboos and anxieties surrounding menstruation, from the way ancient cultures interpreted it to how it is marketed to young girls today. Jamie compares typical drugstore products used to manage menstruation to lesser-known alternatives and reveals the hidden costs carried by both - to women's health, to women's wallets, and the environment.

So yeah. Mark your calendars; I can't wait to see you.

Word Count

My paper has 3,366 words in it right now. Eight single-spaced pages.

Jenn (advisor) says I should spend this next week haulin' ass (my paraphrase) with this thing so that I feel good about it when I leave for Spring Break on Friday. I agree.

I hope I continue to agree throughout the week...

Boys

In my Sociology of Gender class last week, somehow we got on the subject of menstruation and how girls are socialized to keep it a big secret. It was a pretty fun little talk, and one girl in my class said something that made me laugh:

"Guys don't understand periods until they've had a couple girlfriends. Then they're good to go."

That sounds about right to me.

I kind of avoid telling boys about my honors project. Well no, that's not entirely true. Depending on who it is, I either completely avoid talking about it, or I whole-heartedly spearhead the conversation and quietly judge them based on their first reactions. I'd say only about 5% of boys fall into the latter category though.

Approval

I got my letter of approval from the Honors College today. I'm happy it came so fast.

Real work will start in January. Right now I'm still hung up on Dr. Mario.

The Proposal

With this blog I aim to track and share my progress on my senior honors project. I'll be working on it next semester, but I just finished up the proposal I plan to turn in tomorrow. I am really excited to work on this. The response will surely be interesting, but I hope I can take something useful out of the positive rather than be disheartened by the nearly inevitable negative.

Here's the proposal, so you have an idea of what to expect:

“That time of the month.” “Aunt Flo’s monthly visit.” “Riding the crimson tide.” There are so many ways for women (and men) to talk about their menstrual cycles without ever actually saying anything. Why is this?

With this project, lightheartedly titled Period Piece, I aim to dig deeper into menstruation from a few different perspectives. As it is such a taboo subject for discussion in our society, I would like to start with examining the reasons and mythology behind this discomfort with menses. The air of secrecy surrounding menstrual habits ties into feminism and women’s empowerment, and I would like to explore that relationship. Beyond that, I hope to discover the unique impact that modern menstrual products have on the environment, women’s bodies, and women’s wallets. I also plan to learn more about alternative reusable menstrual products and how they compare to the disposable standard with this project. Additionally, I would like to present a workshop about these alternatives as a part of UCM’s V-Week activities in February. Presenting my findings to a group of interested women is the most personally fulfilling goal I have in mind. Other possible avenues of sharing my work with others might include a display case, blog, or personal zine.

Most women are unaware of the impact that their feminine products make. Millions of tampons and pads are produced each year and treated with a battery of chemicals that are then put into women’s bodies. These treatment chemicals often have ill effects on the bodies of women, and are almost always under-researched and under-reported. After one-time usage, these products are then disposed of, clogging water ways or filling landfills, virtually never to decompose. Very few people are privy to the variety of reusable menstrual products that are less expensive over the long-term, produce less disposable waste, and require less (if any) harmful chemicals involved in their production.

Procedures for this project will involve mostly reading and research from a variety of readily-available sources. I will study menstruation from not only an academic standpoint, through reading medical journals, books, and previous research, but also from a popular standpoint by examining media that may include women’s magazines, blogs, and personal experiences. For the V-Week workshop, I would like to not only present what I have learned, but also provide supplies and time for the participants to make their own reusable products so they have the opportunity to apply some of what they learn in their own lives.

Ultimately, I hope with the information gained through Period Piece I am able to educate and empower others to critically think about and evaluate their attitudes and behaviors relating to menstruation. I think the project will complement my minor in Women & Gender Studies well and will be a satisfying way to finish my degree here at UCM. The research I will complete through my honors project will better prepare me to engage in meaningful conversations with other women about the choices they make about their bodies. This venture is also of interest to the university as a whole, as to the best of my knowledge, this is the first menstrual activism study to take place at the University of Central Missouri.

Personally, as an environmental and feminist activist, this project means a lot to me, as it combines both of those interests. Most people are surprised to hear about alternatives to “corporate products” and those reactions are of interest to me. When I enlighten other women about the impact their personal hygiene products have on the world that surrounds them, I feel like I am making a positive difference both for women and for the environment.