GEN's Voice

Issue 9

March 2002

GENaustin's web site now features current programs on the home page. Go to www.GENaustin.org anytime to see what events are coming up.

Here's what's going on in March:

Staying Close to Your Daughter by Karen Hunt, youth specialist and YWCA program manager
At the same time adolescent girls begin the important task of developing a separate identity from their parents, they also need to maintain emotional closeness, especially with mothers. Ms. Hunt will help mothers develop strategies to keep the mother-daughter bond healthy as daughters reach toward adulthood.
Tuesday, March 5, 6:30 - 8 p.m., Chisholm Trail Middle School, library, 500 Oakridge Dr. (one mile west of I-35 and Hwy. 620 at Deepwood)

Be All You Can Be by Travis County Sheriff Margo Frasier
Sheriff Frasier uses humor to tell her personal story of beating the odds and rising to success in a male-dominated profession. From working her way through college, to practicing law, to becoming the first woman elected sheriff of Travis County, Sheriff Frasier credits the advice of her mother and grandfather: "Be all you can be." With warmth and laughter, she shares inspiring advice with girls in an evening they're sure to remember.
Friday, March 8, 2:40 - 3:30 p.m., Fulmore Middle School, gymnasium, 201 Mary (off South Congress at Mary)

Ten Things Dads Can Do To Support Smart, Strong, Bold Girls by Michael Hayes, Executive Director, Texas Fragile Family Initiatives, national trainer for Planned Parenthood and father of an adolescent girl
Hayes offers a 10-point plan for strengthening father-daughter bonds, supporting daughters in healthy choices, and guiding girls toward competence, confidence, and success in career and relationships.
Tuesday, March 19, 6:30 - 8 p.m., Chisholm Trail Middle School library, 500 Oakridge Dr. (one mile west of I-35 and Hwy. 620 at Deepwood)

Girl Friends, Girl Foes by Carolyn Brooks, West Ridge Middle School counselor, and Cindy Austin, former Eanes counselor
Peer relationships are everything in middle school, and when they are good, they are very, very good. And when they are bad... "Girl fighting" is often a hallmark of middle school, and some of the most painful times in girls' lives. Young teen girls may express their aggression through hurtful words, gossip and other forms of relational violence that can damage girls emotionally. Two experienced school counselors will discuss why this happens and will help girls and adults explore coping strategies and solutions.
Monday, March 25, 11:15 a.m. - 1 p.m., St. Stephens Episcopal School (call 327-1213 for location), 2900 Bunny Run (take Westlake Dr. west from 360, left on Bunny Run); Bring your lunch.

Mastering the Media by Robyn Ross
This young journalist and editor has developed an eye-opening visual presentation aimed at helping girls decode the media for bias, stereotypes, and hidden persuasions. Bring your daughter for a thought-provoking 90 minutes that can help her become a more savvy media consumer. This program has twice won raves at the Dallas conference for the gifted and talented.
Wednesday, March 27, 7 - 8:30 p.m., Canyon Vista Middle School, lecture hall, 8455 Spicewood Springs Rd. (near SH 183 & Spicewood Springs Rd.)

So, You Like to Build Things by Bess Althaus Graham, Partner in MRGA Architecture; Jennifer Sullivan, a civil engineer with PBS&J; and Tiffany Curtis, and architecture and architectural engineering student at UT
Join Bess Althaus Graham, Partner in MRGA Architecture; Jennifer Sullivan, a civil engineer with PBS&J; and Tiffany Curtis, and architecture and architectural engineering student at UT, for a lively afternoon experiencing life as an architect or engineer! Even if you've never designed anything before, you may be surprised at how creative the building process can be. These three experts will offer hands-on demonstrations to show the interests, talents, and preparation needed to enter the design professions.
Thursday, March 28, 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m., Fulmore Middle School (check office for location), 201 Mary (off S. Congress at Mary)

Miranda Oropeza, a clubGEN high school facilitator, will be the recipient of a "Five Kids Who Care" award from KVUE! Miranda's impressive resume of volunteer activities, scholarship and extra-curricular activities made her an obvious choice for the award which recognizes volunteers who give their time and energy to organizations devoted to serving human needs. She will receive a $1000 savings bond at an awards ceremony that will be held on Monday, April 15 at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. The ceremony will be videotaped and will air as an hour-long, primetime special on Friday, April 19 at 8pm on KVUE, so stay tuned for that! Teresa Kelly, the founder of GENaustin and current board member, was also chosen by KVUE as a runner-up for the "Five Who Care" award. Congratulations to both!

Also, GENaustin's own Anita Mennucci and Katherine Jones were semi-finalists in the Austin Under 40 Awards. Chosen from an initial 88 nominees, Anita and Katherine were among the top three semi-finalists in their categories of Youth and Education and Business and Finance, respectively. GENaustin board member, Ileana Abounader was also nominated for an award. Austin Under 40 honors men and women under the age of 40 who have excelled in their field of endeavor and have demonstrated service to the community. The awards are sponsored by the Young Women's Alliance and Young Men's Business League, and they benefit Sunshine Camps. GENaustin congratulates all of the nominees and winners!

The 3M Half Marathon was a huge success and we'd like to thank 3M and all of the other sponsors and volunteers who were so wonderful to work with and really made this tremendous event possible.

We would also like to extend a very special thanks to our waterstop sponsors: Public Strategies, Cirrus Logic, Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, Hyperformix, Austin Wine Merchants, Liv in the Game, Gladys' Home Baked Banana Nut Bread, Ivory Cats, Champion Gymnastics, and Milkshake Media. And very special thanks to 3M and the GENaustin Half Marathon Committee: Colleen Cunningham, Susan Farago, Margaret Garcia, and Anita Mennucci.

The $15,000 grant from 3M will provide GENaustin with the foundation to support existing programs, as well as help us to grow and cultivate more creative programming for girls in the Austin area and beyond. And aside from the financial support the marathon has provided to GENaustin, it has also given us many wonderful memories and a newly energized spirit!

Also, congratulations are in order for these GENaustinites who finished the 13.1-mile marathon: Susan Farago, Bobby Garcia, Alexa Lange, and Anita Mennucci.

The following is Raina Bayas' first person account of the Jan. 29 "Love and Sex on the Big Screen" presentation at St. Stephens Episcopal School. The presentation was part of GENaustin's speaker series:

Laughter comes from the 75 students present at a St. Stephen's assembly after a clip of the popular movie "American Pie" plays on the auditorium screen. The clips might be entertaining, but the topic at hand is no laughing matter. Robyn Ross, a board member of GENaustin, is trying to show this group of 8th graders that the ways relationships are portrayed in the popular media are not necessarily healthy or true to life. Her lesson is based on studies that document how both children and adults make decisions based on what they see portrayed in the media as normal and status quo. The counselors at St. Stephens felt that this lesson was so important they called a mandatory assembly for all 8th graders. "The mediated portrayal of reality is not always one that is respectful of both genders or that shows the consequences of characters' decisions," Robyn said. "Parents can help their children distinguish between reality and the fantasy world of the movies by watching and discussing shows together." The hour-and-a-half session covered stereotypes about men and women in the media, portrayals of romantic relationships in the movies, and critical thinking about how movie characters make decisions about sex. The lecture included a break-out session where the group separated into small groups with their teachers to discuss their opinions. The students were encouraged to participate throughout the session by answering questions posed by Robyn and their teachers.

We Can Do It! is a new, unique outdoor event featuring a variety of activity stations set up to teach girls to overcome and face all obstacles that stand in their way. Join Girlstart for an all-day event giving girls valuable opportunities to conquer fears, feel strong, and promote their sense of self. The celebrity hosts for the event are Aleshia Calloway from CBS's hit show "Survivor" and Alexa Vega, the star of "Spy Kids" and "Spy Kids II."

When: Saturday, March 23, 2002 from 2 - 6pm
Where: O. Henry Middle School
Tickets: Tickets available at 469-SHOW. Tickets are $10 (plus service fees) in advance and $15 at the door. Adults are free when accompanying a child. For more info, visit http://www.girlstart.org/party.htm.

A list of therapists that specialize in eating disorders and adolescents is now available at the GENaustin office. Call us at 851-8100 for a referral.

The Austin Commission for Women (ACW) was founded in 1970 to serve as a voice for all women for equality, and to provide a forum for ideas, opinions, and issues of Austin women. ACW played a key role in establishing the Austin Women's Center and the Center for Battered Women - two important facilities for providing guidance and support to Austin women.

The ACW is charged with apprising the City Council and City Manager of the needs and problems of Austin women and recommending programs to alleviate inequities that confront women socially, economically, politically, and professionally. Commissioners are Austin citizens committed to equal rights for all women and who actively demonstrate that dedication.

ACW is currently looking for three people to fill open slots on the commission. One slot is designated for an African-American. The other two slots are open. If you are interested in being appointed to the ACW, please contact the new Chair of ACW, Anita Mennucci at [email protected].

We would like to apologize to our newsletter subscribers who received more than one newsletter email last month. Due to a hardware upgrade at the web site that manages our email list, the newsletter was accidentally sent to some people numerous times. We have been told the problem has been resolved. We do not want to bother you by inundating your inbox with copies of the same email, so please do not hesitate to email us at [email protected] if this unfortunate incident repeats itself.

When you make a purchase at the following places part of your purchase goes to help fund GENaustin.

• Randall's (Remarkable Card code 9033)
• Greatergood.com
• iGive.com
• Bookpeople.com

One more way you can help is by purchasing one or more raffle tickets. The raffle is for two roundtrip tickets on Southwest Airlines, and the tickets are $5 each or $20 for 5. Call 851-8100 to find out how to get your raffle tickets.

This site was last updated on 1/04/2005.

Copyright © GENaustin, Inc. 2001. All rights reserved. GEN, GENaustin, and GENaustin logos used and displayed herein are registered and unregistered trademarks of GENaustin, Inc. All other trademarks, service marks and logos used herein are the property of their respective owners. Email us at office@genaustin.org.