A new pro-choice "voice" on campus
Jessica Chesnutt
Issue date: 11/13/03 Section: Features
A brand-new branch of a national organization is taking off at Smith. Vox: Voice for Choice, also known elsewhere as Voices for Planned Parenthood, is a campus-based initiative to educate college students about reproductive rights. While Smith has strong feminist and liberal voices, no such organization existed before now.
According to the Planned Parenthood website, Vox "is a program that educates young Americans about the threats to reproductive health and rights and mobilizes them in support of reproductive freedom." With groups at colleges and universities in 26 states and the District of Columbia, this pro-choice organization has the foundation and pedigree to make a difference.
Due to the group's affiliation with Planned Parenthood, Vox will promote the political agenda of the influential organization, including reproductive health, sex education and pro-choice issues. Smith's branch will also focus on local and campus-based activities. Aislinn Emirzian '06, co-founder of the Smith group, emphasized her desire to collaborate with other groups on campus. She hopes to work with "the peer sex education group ... for the educational aspects, [to educate about] reproductive health." The group also plans to hold a movie series and a lecture series.
Emirzian and co-founder Heather Gallagher '06 have high hopes for the group. Vox will focus strongly on the Save Women's Lives: March for Freedom of Choice to be held in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, April 25, 2005. "We're trying to get as many people in it as possible and we'll be working with the Coalition for the March that's on campus and getting that together," said Emirzian.
There are currently Vox branches at UMass, Amherst College, and Mount Holyoke College, and Emirzian hopes to coordinate efforts between the colleges. "It would be nice to hold a five college event at some point ... we're definitely in contact with the Vox organizations at the other colleges," she said.
As a new organization to Smith, Vox is focusing on few major ambitions this year. In addition to helping mobilize Smith students for the march, the founders hope to create a cohesive and effective voice on campus for this segment of the student body. In an institution immortalized for its influence in the feminist movement, Vox has been a long time coming. Now that Vox has officially been born at Smith, the campus can look for a much more vocal and educational view of reproductive rights.
For those interested in learning more or getting involved, there will be a general interest meeting on Wednesday, November 19.
According to the Planned Parenthood website, Vox "is a program that educates young Americans about the threats to reproductive health and rights and mobilizes them in support of reproductive freedom." With groups at colleges and universities in 26 states and the District of Columbia, this pro-choice organization has the foundation and pedigree to make a difference.
Due to the group's affiliation with Planned Parenthood, Vox will promote the political agenda of the influential organization, including reproductive health, sex education and pro-choice issues. Smith's branch will also focus on local and campus-based activities. Aislinn Emirzian '06, co-founder of the Smith group, emphasized her desire to collaborate with other groups on campus. She hopes to work with "the peer sex education group ... for the educational aspects, [to educate about] reproductive health." The group also plans to hold a movie series and a lecture series.
Emirzian and co-founder Heather Gallagher '06 have high hopes for the group. Vox will focus strongly on the Save Women's Lives: March for Freedom of Choice to be held in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, April 25, 2005. "We're trying to get as many people in it as possible and we'll be working with the Coalition for the March that's on campus and getting that together," said Emirzian.
There are currently Vox branches at UMass, Amherst College, and Mount Holyoke College, and Emirzian hopes to coordinate efforts between the colleges. "It would be nice to hold a five college event at some point ... we're definitely in contact with the Vox organizations at the other colleges," she said.
As a new organization to Smith, Vox is focusing on few major ambitions this year. In addition to helping mobilize Smith students for the march, the founders hope to create a cohesive and effective voice on campus for this segment of the student body. In an institution immortalized for its influence in the feminist movement, Vox has been a long time coming. Now that Vox has officially been born at Smith, the campus can look for a much more vocal and educational view of reproductive rights.
For those interested in learning more or getting involved, there will be a general interest meeting on Wednesday, November 19.