The Catalyst - Seattle Branch AAUW

Volume 63, issue 6
February 1, 2015
www.aauw-seattle.org
Slavery in the Northwest
With Actress and Storyteller Eva Abram
Saturday, February 21, 2015
9:30-Noon - Best Western Executive Inn
200 Taylor Ave N - Seattle, WA
Storyteller Eva Abram will share the history of one of the few
documented cases of slavery in our state’s history. Charles Mitchell, who was born a slave, was
brought to Washington Territory in 1853. A tempest was building and citizens all over the state
had opinions about a possible Civil War, influencing their opinions about Mitchell’s status as a
slave. In this climate, Mitchell made a break for freedom – and his actions nearly started a war
between the U.S. and Canada. Through this story, we will examine how ideologies move
geographically. The migration to Washington attracted Americans with different socioeconomic
experiences from both Northern and Southern states. Did moving to Washington affect peoples’
opinions on slavery?
Eva Abram uses her talents as an actress and storyteller to share American history from an
African-American perspective. Over the 12 years, she has been commissioned to write a story
about Charles Lindbergh’s historic flight and has written and performed a piece for the
Washington State History Museum’s Women’s Suffrage Jubilee. She has also presented
workshops on storytelling for the Seattle Storytelling Guild and the Museum of Flight in Seattle,
and, as an alumnus of Freehold Acting, has performed in several plays around the region. Abram
earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Washington and lives in Seattle.
Come Join Us!
LOCATION: Best Western Executive Inn, 200 Taylor Ave. North
Menu - $15 inclusive - No Charge for Students with ID (Reservations Required)
Fluffy Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, Roasted Potatoes and Breakfast Breads
Chilled Fruit Juice, Freshly-brewed Coffee, Decaf Coffee, and Tea
Parking: Free in hotel garage. Members who park in the garage or BW lot can sign the book at the front desk
and give their name and license plate number. 10-hour curbside pay stations on Taylor and on Thomas at $1
per hour; nearby lots $5-10/day. Bus: #8 on Denny.
Reservations required by Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Contact Pauline Barrett [email protected]
or check our web site at www.aauw-seattle.org to pay in advance via PayPal.
Volume 63, issue 4
2
Leadership Corner
"With the new day comes new strength
and new thoughts." Eleanor Roosevelt
I wasn't able to watch the "The Roosevelts:
An Intimate History" when it aired last
fall, so recently watched it via Netflix.
About 15 minutes into the first of the
seven episodes, I was completely hooked,
and viewed the episodes in rapid succession. I couldn't
wait to learn the next thing about Theodore, Franklin or
Eleanor Roosevelt. As the website for the series says,
"together, these three individuals not only redefined the
relationship Americans had with their government and
with each other, but also redefined the role of the
United States within the wider world." They were
amazing!
Barbara
Sando
This newsletter is a publication of the
Seattle Branch of the AAUW
Mission Statement
The Seattle Branch American Association
of University Women advances equity for
women and girls through
advocacy, education, philanthropy, and
research.
Value Promise
By joining AAUW, we belong to a
community that breaks through
educational and economic barriers so
that all women have a fair chance.
Diversity Statement
In principle and in practice, AAUW values
and seeks a diverse membership.
There shall be no barriers to full
participation in this organization on the
basis of
gender, race, creed, age, sexual
orientation, national origin or disability.
The series also noted that Eleanor Roosevelt was the
longest serving first lady of our country and she
dramatically changed that role. Not content to stay in
the background and handle domestic matters, she
showed the world that the first lady was an important
part of American politics. She gave press conferences and spoke out for human rights, children's
causes and women's issues. She even had her own newspaper column, "My Day." Eleanor also
focused on helping the country's poor, stood against racial discrimination and, during World War II,
traveled abroad to visit U.S. troops. In later years, she served at the United Nations, focusing on
human rights and women's issues. Eleanor considered her role in drafting and securing adoption of
the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights as her greatest achievement.
Given our mission, it's not surprising that in 1988, AAUW established the Eleanor Roosevelt Fund to
support research and, in 1989, AAUW established the Eleanor Roosevelt Fund Award to honor an
individual, project, organization, or institution for outstanding contributions to equality and
education for women and girls.
For over 25 years now, AAUW has been honoring Eleanor
Roosevelt's legacy through the fund and its award. The fund is just one of many ways that AAUW
supports women and girls. Our branch and community activities, our partnerships with colleges
and universities, and our public policy advocacy all provide much needed support for our mission.
"When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die." Eleanor Roosevelt
It has long been said that our calendars and our checkbooks document best what we truly believe
in. Our passions keep us vital and give us purpose. Whether it's your time, your money, or both,
thank you for your continued contributions to the AAUW! Like Eleanor Roosevelt, we really do make
a difference in the lives of women and girls - and all Americans, starting with ourselves. Barbara Sando
[email protected]
The Catalyst
3
Deputy Mayor Kim Addresses City Issues at January Branch Meeting
Deputy Mayor
Kim
Hyeok Kim, Deputy Mayor for city of Seattle, gave an interesting program discussing our
city and answering questions. She stressed that Seattle is a progressive city and even
though Mayor Murray has been in office only since January 2014, three important
initiatives have passed of which he is very proud - a permanent funding source for
Seattle Park System, universal preschool program, and a transit levy for the City of
Seattle. Additionally he is pleased with the raise in the minimum wage for Seattle city
workers. Mayor Murray has the ability to bring people together, which has been referred
to as “The Murray Method”. His administration has a small but tight staff that works
efficiently.
With a 9% gender pay gap last year, Seattle placed last among U.S. major
cities in a 2013 study on pay equity in the private sector. Deputy Mayor Kim
discussed the gender pay gap, stating that Seattle has hired Boston consultants
who are looking at creative ideas on how the city can spur action to increase
gender pay equity.
Sue Greenfield with her
mother Theresa
Deputy Mayor Kim also discussed the poverty in our city, citing that 54% of
Robertson
attended the
African American children in Seattle live in poverty as opposed to 4% of white
meeting
children. The homeless population has increased dramatically and the city is
working on an encampment ordinance. As housing in Seattle becomes very
expensive, remedies for the homeless and low to medium income people become vital.
____________________________________________________________________________________
January Board Meeting Summary
The Seattle Branch Board of Directors met on January 12th at the home of Ann Dennis.
Ann reported that the Scholar Recognition Program has begun for 2015. All school focals have asked for
nominations. In addition to the schools that focals worked with last year, Southlake High School (an
alternative school) and Rainier Beach High School will be invited to participate.
Barbara Sando reported that the Weter Bequest Committee has reviewed the analysis received from our
attorney and recommends continuing to work with the attorney to better understand the latitude, if any, the
Branch may have in using any of the bequest monies to support the AAUW mission. The Board voted
unanimously in favor of the motion to pursue if there is any latitude for use of the Weter monies to support
the Branch, other than to purchase a permanent headquarters. Barbara and Tonna Kutner will meet with the
attorney and report back.
Renee Agatsuma, C/U liaison, continues to meet with the UW Women's Center and with leaders of the newly
formed AAUW Young Women's Task Force (YWTF) chapter in Seattle. The UW Women's Center Gala will be
held on March 7th. Seattle Branch is a sponsor and Renee will get the word out that 10 members can attend
the dinner event. Renee will also begin working with the Women's Center on a 2015 NCCWSL candidate for
the branch to sponsor.
The next meeting of the Board will be on February 9th. Agenda items for that meeting will include planning
for the 2015 Tech Trek and Scholar Recognition activities.
Board Meetings are open for all Branch members to attend. The Board generally convenes on the second
Monday of the month at various members' homes for a potluck dinner and meeting. Dates and contact
information are listed in the "Upcoming..." section of the Catalyst.
Volume 63, issue 6
4
Almost time for EYH!
Katy Olsen-Tiglao, volunteer coordinator for Seattle Expanding Your
Horizons, gave a short power-point presentation about the upcoming conference
at the January branch meeting, encouraging AAUW members to
volunteer on Saturday, March 14th at Seattle University. Katy is an associate
professor of chemistry at Pierce (Community) College, Puyallup.
Katy was a workshop presenter for a few years before joining the committee
that presents the annual conference. She encouraged us to participate by
volunteering between 7:30 AM and 1:00 PM on EYH day. If you are interested in being a volunteer,
email Katy at [email protected], giving your time availability. The conference runs best with
120 volunteers to assist with the 450+ middle school girls as they attend an opening session and 3
hands-on workshops taught by women in STEM fields. Katy said Seattle AAUW members were dependable and were the best volunteers at the conference.
Judy Waring presented Katy with a $500 check from Seattle Branch sponsoring of the lunch for
presenters following the conference, continuing sponsorship that the branch has done for many
years. Volunteer for EYH on March 14!
Got some time? Choose a time between 7:30AM and
1:00PM
Or check out all your options at [email protected]
Seattle Branch started the EYH program in Seattle in 1988 and we hope you'll join us in
volunteering March 14th 2015 and continuing an important AAUW tradition.
______________________________________________________________________________
Save the Date – April 22nd - to Honor Scholars!
Ann Dennis, Scholar Recognition Chair
Letters have gone out to the eleven Seattle area high schools that have been invited to participate
in the 15th annual Scholar Recognition awards program presented by the Seattle branch. This year
the reception, will be held at the Best Western Executive Inn on April 22nd at 7 p.m. The featured
speaker will be our own College/University Chair Renee Agatsuma, who, as a former science
teacher at Garfield High School, and current doctoral student at the University of Washington and
faculty member at Cornish College, is a wonderful example of STEM achievement.
The reception is always very inspiring, listening to the young women tell of their aspirations and
seeing how proud their families are. We hope that many of our members will plan to attend the
reception, to show their support and encouragement as these young scholars take the next
important step toward fulfilling their dreams.
The Catalyst
5
From the Women’s Center:
by Renée Agatsuma, AAUW College/University Chair
Women’s Center Updates
Women’s Center Women of Courage Gala
The annual fundraiser Gala that supports all the great
work of the Women’s Center is Saturday March 7th, a
date coinciding with International Women’s Day. The
theme is Women of Courage: Daring to Lead, and it
will emphasize many of Washington State’s Woman
leaders. AAUW is once again a proud sponsor of the
event, and will be hosting a table for 10. These 10 can
attend the GALA for a cost of $50, which covers the
dinner.
Please let me know ([email protected]) if you are
interested in joining us and supporting our CU
partner at the University of Washington; the Gala
this year will be held at the Sheraton hotel. For more
information, see:
http://depts.washington.edu/womenctr/womencourage-gala-events/
Girls Who Code
Congratulations to the Women’s Center’s Making Connections Program! Below is a transcript of
their announcement:
“The four student team placed 2nd in the national Girls Who Code application design
competition. The contest involved over 2,000 girls across the country and was sponsored by
Samsung.” The MC team developed a mobile application (app), "Major Crossroads," with the mission of
educational equity in their hearts. The tool helps students and families to explore different
majors offered by colleges, including current courses, and has the potential to show career
opportunities that come out of those majors.
Recognizing the serious lack of women represented in computer science and listening to our
students growing interest in coding, the Making Connections program partnered with Girls Who
Code, a national non-profit organization based out of New York, to become an official club
chapter. Girls Who Code programs work to inspire, educate, and equip girls with the computing
skills to pursue 21st century opportunities.”
Volume 63, issue 6
6
Public Policy -Judy Waring
State of the Union
Did you watch the State of the Union address? AAUW developed a set of 3 different Bingo cards
that could be printed up to mark off the squares as you watched the address and heard the words
or phrases spoken. The center square of each was "Women" and other squares Title IX, pregnancy
discrimination, paid sick days, voting rights, safe schools, elementary and secondary education act,
contraception, Paycheck Fairness Act, Medicare, Social Security, Campaign Finance Reform. Lisa
Maatz, AAUW's top policy advisor's speech analysis was headed by "Women’s Economic Concerns
Take Center Stage in State of the Union. Lisa ended her analysis: "With both the president and the
new Republican majorities clearly articulating the need to get back to the business of governing,
should they actually embrace that mantra, there is the potential ahead for two very interesting
years.” I thought back to the first State of the Union address that I remember watching. It was a
daytime broadcast (not night like it is now), and I lived across the street from Pinehurst School on
the north side of Seattle. My family had a TV (not everyone did) and my teacher and 3rd
grade class spent time crowded in my living room watching President Eisenhower speak on a very
small box TV. On January 13th I joined in a conference call that AAUW held on “Getting to Know You: Introducing
AAUW to Your Elected Officials.” The call featured when and how to schedule in-district meetings,
how to prepare, what to include in the meeting, and how to follow up afterwards. About 80 public
policy chairs participated in the call--which began with a roll call. As the states names were read,
each public policy chair participating said her name and branch--made one realize it was really a
national endeavor. Several AAUW members spoke of difficulty even contacting their members of
Congress who were very conservative in their views and didn't want to speak to them when in their
home district. State of the State
The Washington State Legislature is in session. I watched a TVW broadcast of Governor Jay Inslee's
State of the State address in which he proposed a bold plan to meet our state's many needs. This
will be a challenging session as present sources of income are not sufficient and it will be difficult
to raise taxes. Before the speech, the many dignitaries present in the chamber were introduced,
including our branch member Eva Kammel, the consul for Austria.
Other meetings I've
attended include Legal Voice's December legislative preview. I also attended the UW Alumni
Association and UW Impact meeting on campus on January 6th, with a panel discussion with 3
legislators discuss the budget and funding for higher education. This was a bipartisan group all
concerned about the high cost college.
Other thoughts as I write this on this 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision: Women's
reproductive rights are being threatened on many fronts. Be observant and speak up to educate
your friends and relatives. Next Month… Saturday, March 21 , 2015
Christine Torrison Mackay
Co-founder and Executive Director of “Crooked Trails - Travel
with a Purpose”
The Catalyst
page 7
Member News
Martha Dane is a graduate of Trinity College in AAUW-Seattle Branch Officers 2013-2014
Hartford, CT. She was part of the Hartford
Elected
AAUW Branch. "I was actually a member of the
President:
CT Student Advisory Council for the AAUW and
Pam
Forsha
[email protected]
recently brought 8 girls down to the AAUW
Conference in the DC area. I love the AAUW
Finance VP:
community and really look forward to working with you." Pat Dubrow [email protected]
Martha moved here from Boston in 2013 and joined our
Programs VP:
branch. We were delighted to meet Martha when she
Penny
Tetter
[email protected]
attended her first Seattle Branch meeting in January. Fiona Goodchild recently joined our Branch
and has a history with AAUW and Tech Trek. Originally from Scotland, she was a counseling
psychologist in the 1970's and 1980's. She
moved from Canada to California in 1990 and
had a career as a science educator. Fiona
helped design and organize STEM programs
with local K-12 schools and organizations such as Girls
Incorporated. That is how she came to be involved with the
planning for Tech Trek. One of the first Tech Trek programs
in California was held at UC Santa Barbara where Fiona was
Director of the Center for Science and Engineering
Partnerships. Fiona and her husband moved to Seattle in
2012- one of their daughters is a professor at the UW. Another daughter is also a professor and one is a physician
who owns a medical clinic. Fiona is particularly interested
in education issues and will be joining us for Lobby Day in
Olympia.
Membership VP:
Pauline Barrett [email protected]
Communications and Secretary:
Barbara Sando - [email protected]
Appointed
Web Site: Heather Dohan
[email protected]
Catalyst Newsletter Editor:
Maureen Kremers - [email protected]
Public Policy:
Judy Waring - [email protected]
AAUW Funds:
Pauline Barrett [email protected]
College/University Relations:
Renee Agatsuma - [email protected]
Dianne Juhl, recently “liked” TechTrek and
Scholars Recognition:
Ann Dennis - [email protected]
other AAUW-WA State programs on Facebook. We are delighted that our Membership Chair
Past President:
Pauline Barrett noticed and contacted her
Tonna Kutner – [email protected]
and she has now joined AAUW-Seattle.
Publicity
Dianne is the CEO and Founder of The
Cynthia Sheridan - [email protected]
Feminine Face of Money®. Prior to her earning a second
Master’s degree in Depth Psychology she worked at
Microsoft Corporation for 11 years where she led a two-year initiative to put the Microsoft library on the
desktop of every Microsoft employee globally. Today, Dianne offers women relevant knowledge about the
fundamentals of money that isn't taught anywhere else. She has supported countless numbers of women to
master money and feel more clarity, peace and harmony around money. With Dianne’s guidance, women
dissolve emotional, practical, or spiritual challenges that stand in the way being financially aligned with their
highest potential. In her spare time, Dianne continues to contribute to philanthropic projects and advises
nonprofit organizations such as Boys and Girls Club, United Way, YWCA, and the National Youth Leadership
Council. Theresa McCormick will be speaking at Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Westwood Village on Feb 6, 2015
presenting her book A Far Cry From Here--Growing Up and Out of Fundamentalism.
Lisa Stuebing presented a workshop "Introduction to Brain Fitness" at last April's joint WA/OR
state convention in Portland. Lisa is an AFPA Certified Personal Trainer and Senior Fitness Specialist--and
she's using her AAUW presentation in a free MIND MATTERS Series that the King County Library System has
scheduled from January to April. Lisa's "Brain Fitness Workshop with Juggling" features exploring the latest
science linking brain health to physical fitness. Participants wear exercise clothing and take notes in this
interactive class. Upcoming classes will be at libraries in Enumclaw (Feb. 24th, 7 PM), Renton Highlands
(Mar. 12, 7 PM), Black Diamond (Mar. 28, 2 PM), and Shoreline (Apr. 30, 7 PM).
Seattle Branch AAUW
2020 E Lynn St
Seattle, WA 98112-2620
Address Service Requested
Upcoming…
Monday February 9, 2015 - Board Meeting and Potluck - Members Welcome - Contact [email protected] for location
Saturday, February 21, 2015 - 9:30-Noon - 200 Taylor Ave N - Seattle, WA - Best Western Executive Inn AAUW Seattle Branch Meeting - Black history Month - Eva Abram, Storyteller - “Slavery in Washington.”
Saturday, March 7, 2015 - Seattle Sheraton Hotel - UW Women’s Center Gala
Saturday, March 14, 2015 - Seattle University - Expanding Your Horizons
Saturday, March 21 , 2015 - 9:30 - 200 Taylor Ave - Best Western Executive Inn - AAUW Seattle Branch
Meeting - Christine Torrison Mackay - Co-founder and Executive Director of Crooked Trails
Wednesday April 22, 2015 - 7:00 PM - 200 Taylor Ave - Best Western Executive Inn - Scholar Recognition
Reception with Renee Agatsuma
Saturday, May 2, 2015 - AAUW Washington State Annual Meeting at UW-Bothell
Saturday, May 16, 2015 - 9:30 - 200 Taylor Ave - Best Western Executive Inn - AAUW Seattle Branch
Meeting - Annual Meeting and Elections - “Trip to Madagascar” - Tonna Kutner, Speaker