Online Edition: April 2001 Vol. XII, No. VIII
Congressman
Barney Frank to speak in Fresno
U.S. Congressman, Barney
Frank, will speak as the guest of Central California Alliance, a community
service organization, on Monday, April 9, 2001 at Pardini’s Restaurant, 2257
W. Shaw, in Fresno. Social Hour at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., and speech at 8
p.m.
Frank, an openly gay
member of Congress, will talk about Congress and the new administration. He has
represented the Fourth Congressional District of Massachusetts since 1980.
Dinner
and speech tickets are $30 to CCA members, $40 to non-members. Speech Only
tickets are $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For information call (559)
265-7117. Call Milly Frederick at (209) 524-8026 for carpooling.
National Day of Silence at CSU,
Stanislaus
California
State University, Stanislaus will participate in the National Day of Silence on
Thursday, April 5th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CAUSE
and the Rainbow Alliance will break the silence with comedian Aundre the Wonder
Woman at 7:00 p.m. on the CSU Main Stage Theatre. A reception follows. Admission
is $5.00
The
Day of Silence Project is a National awareness event focusing on making people
aware of the silence that Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, and Transgender people face
daily. On the Day of Silence, students across the country take a vow of silence
to call attention to the silence and oppression those who are GLBT are forced
into. Instead of speaking, participants wear ribbons and pass out cards
explaining their participation.
These
cards state, “Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I support
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights. People who are silent today
believe that laws and attitudes should be inclusive of people of all sexual
orientations. The Day of Silence is to draw attention to those who have been
silenced by hatred, oppression, and prejudice. Think about the voices you are
not hearing. What can you do to end the silence?”
Two
campus information sessions will help participants with concerns, and give them
ideas on what to do if they need to speak. Sessions are Thursday, March 22 from
12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the North View Conference room and Wednesday, March 28th
from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the South Dining Hall. CSU staff are encouraged to
participate.
Coalition
on Homelessness has formed in Stanislaus County
By
NIKI LANE
The Coalition on
Homelessness been working in Stanislaus County, under the direction of the
Coalition on Homelessness of San Francisco for about a year and under their
non-profit status since October, 2000.
We try to provide for the
needs of the Homeless and low income populations in Stanislaus County through
education, outreach, advocacy and action.
We have the ultimate
responsibility of giving low income and homeless populations a voice in the
community as well as informing them of programs, policies, and resources. The
information gathered is through research and surveys and their voice is being
heard through advocacy in public meetings for the Continuum of Care, and other
meetings concerning housing, shelter, civil rights or funds to City or County
and grants to non-profits that concern homeless or low income populations.
Part of the education needs
to be to the public. Many of us are aware that there are few places to rent in
this area as well as an influx of people from the Bay Area because we had
affordable housing. Some of us did not know that there was only a 1 percent
vacancy rate. In addition, the combination of TANF (Temporary Assistance to
Needy Families) benefits and Food Stamps in every state are below the poverty
level, and public assistance does not protect families from homelessness.
A survey in 22 U.S.
communities found that 57 percent were receiving welfare. A Continuum of Care
for Stanislaus County 2000 survey showed that approximately 61 percent of
homeless TANF families live in Modesto. Section 8 vouchers are no guarantee that
you can find a place to live or a landlord that will be willing to take them. If
you are ever evicted, you have that against you, and most places want you to
have an income of three times the amount of your rent.
We have done two surveys:
one to find out if people were aware of services available; the other a shelter
survey put out by the Coalition in San Francisco to help in redesigning the
shelter system there. We found out that there is no Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) accessible shelter in Stanislaus County. Non-profit programs are
designed to house people in motels at great expense and the Gospel Mission
separates families to shelter them.
We receive complaints from
business owners as well as people who have fallen through the cracks. We
investigate what is happening to the best of our ability and, if at all
possible, we advocate for the people in need.
We registered voters for
the last election not by party but by voter, and offered registration on the
last day of the Veterans Stand Down last year. This year we want to help the
Central Valley Homeless Veterans with the entire Stand Down, not just voter
registration.
We do outreach (often
daily) to keep abreast of problems and we distribute leaflets and business cards
of health services providers, substance abuse treatment providers and veterans
services. We have drafted letters to Immigration and Social Security for people,
advocated to health agencies, Social Services and even lawyers.
The County is planning
another survey to update the Continuum information for HUD grants. We are
looking forward to taking them to the people they don’t normally get to.
Anyone with information on
places where people who appear to be homeless congregate, should call us at
(209) 544-0351. We also need information on neighborhood associations. Send
much-needed donations to the Coalition on Homelessness C/O P.O. Box 1608,
Modesto CA 95353-1608, email: nikicohsc@hotmail.com
UNICEF helps the world’s children
By PHYLLIS HARVEY
For every bottle (25 oz. or larger) of Dawn Dishwashing
Liquid Antibacterial Hand Soap you purchase from October 31 through December 31,
2001, Proctor and Gamble will donate the cost of one vaccine against
tuberculosis to children in need. All donations to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF will
benefit UNICEF’s fight against tuberculosis.
Most causes of death in the world’s children are easily
preventable, yet almost 11 million children under five die each year. Causes of
death are perinatal conditions, twenty percent; respiratory infections, eighteen
percent; malaria, seven percent; vaccine preventable diseases, fifteen percent;
diarrheal diseases, seventeen percent; other; twenty eight percent.
ACTION: help the
health conditions of the world’s children in 2001, uphold the Rights of the
Child adopted by the United Nations in 1989.
U.S. Committee for UNICEF, 333 East 35tth
Street, New York, N.Y. 10016: For information visit P&G’s website and
place the word “UNICEF” in its search engine: http://www.pg.com/about_pg/sectionmain.jhtml
Vocolot
brings one-of-a-kind entertainment to Modesto
By
TINA ARNOPOLE DRISKILL
Sunday Afternoons at CBS
will present Vocolot, an ensemble “with universal heart, Jewish soul and
social conscience,” at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 1 at Congregation Beth Shalom,
1705 Sherwood Ave., Modesto.
The group’s name comes
from the English word “vocal” and the Hebrew word “kolot”, meaning
voices. In describing this versatile group Julietta Appleton of the Bedford
Pound Ridge Record Review says “Imagine Simon and Garfunkel (think “Parsley,
Sage, Rosemary and Thyme”), Sweet Honey in the Rock, Le Mystere des Voix
Bulgares, Manhattan Transfer, and Peter, Paul and Mary, blended together into a
women’s acapella ensemble, and you’re imagining Vocolot.”
The group draws upon folk,
jazz, liturgy, cabaret, Yiddish songs, doo-wop and choral performance to produce
a “sweet seduction of forceful verse married to lush harmonies.” (Janet
Silver Ghent of the Jewish Bulletin) Songs are presented as rounds or canons in
English and Hebrew with touches of Yiddish, Ladino and Arabic, and the audience
is encouraged to join along as chorus.
Since 1988 the group has
performed at world music and international folk festivals, and many other
venues.
Tickets are $15 general,
$10 seniors and students and $7 children 12 and under. Call 575-2571 or 571-6060
for reservations.
What
in the world is a Poetry Slam?
By
TINA ARNOPOLE DRISKILL
Poets’ State holds its
first Poetry Slam Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m. at the State Theatre, 1307 J
Street, Modesto.
Poetry slams are a bit of
the theater of poetry and a bit of the sportsmanship of poetry, and feature
competitive poetry with an emphasis on fun and audience participation. Entrants
are limited to twenty poets who vie for first prize ($100) and second ($50). The
entry fee is $5.00
Those
wishing to participate should email MJC English instructor Sam Pierstorff at pierstorffs@mail.yosemite.cc.ca.us
The suggested donation for
the event is $10 general and $5 students and seniors. For more information about
Northern California poetry slams visit www.Norcalslam.org
Pow
Wow promises “old fashioned fun”
By
TINA ARNOPOLE DRISKILL
Red Nations and Friends
will present its Third Annual Pow Wow, Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
at the Modesto Junior College East Campus Quad, 435 College Ave., Modesto.
The intertribal Pow Wow
celebrates the life of Ruben Alfaro, a former MJC student and one of the
founding members of Red Nations, who transferred to Northern Arizona State
University and crossed over to the other side last June 2000 at the age of 27.
Come for old fashioned fun
and gathering. Dignitaries will include Lucky Preston, MC; Erik Kimble, AD; Val
ShadowHawk, Head Man; Zinobia Embty-Nimmer, Head Woman; Jordan Branzuela, Head
Boy; Millard Clark, Southern Drum, and others.
There will be craft, food
and community booths, and storytelling for children.
For information contact
Eric Anthony Ivory or Red Nations and Friends at 575-6255 or 575 6700; email:
ivorye@yosemite.cc.ca.us or
rednationsmjc@excite.com
Learn
Spanish in Mexico with MJC
Always wanted to speak
Spanish? Travel to Mexico? Learn about Mexican culture? Now’s your chance!
Modesto Junior College is sponsoring a month’s study this summer — June 8 to
July 9 — at the Spanish Language Institute in the beautiful city of Cuernavaca,
an hour southwest of Mexico City.
Students
will study Spanish for six hours daily and live with Mexican families. The cost,
approximately $1,800, includes round-trip airfare, lodging and meals, tuition,
books, and travelers insurance. Postpone your dream no longer. Contact MJC
Spanish instructors Marianne Franco (575-6187) or Dan Onorato (575-6161). A $250
deposit is due April 16, the balance by May 1. Bags packed? ¡Vámonos!
A
bizarre correspondence
From
JONAH H. PERETTI
Nike now lets you
personalize your shoes by submitting a word or phrase which they will stitch
onto your shoes, under the swoosh. So Jonah Peretti filled out the form and sent
them $50 to stitch “sweatshop” onto his shoes.
Here are the responses he
got.
From:
“Personalize, NIKE iD” <nikeid_personalize@nike.com
To:
“’Jonah H. Peretti’” <peretti@media.mit.edu
Subject:
RE: Your NIKE iD order o16468000
Your NIKE iD order was
cancelled for one or more of the following reasons:
1) Your Personal iD
contains another party’s trademark or other intellectual property
2) Your Personal iD
contains the name of an athlete or team we do not have the legal right to use
3) Your Personal iD was
left blank. Did you not want any personalization?
4) Your Personal iD
contains profanity or inappropriate slang, and besides, your mother would slap
us.
If you wish to reorder your
NIKE iD product with a new personalization please visit us again at www.nike.com
Thank you, NIKE iD
From:
“Jonah H. Peretti”
Greetings,
My order was canceled but
my personal NIKE iD does not violate any of the criteria outlined in your
message. The Personal iD on my custom ZOOM XC USA running shoes was the word
“sweatshop.”
Sweatshop is not:
1) another party’s
trademark,
2) the name of an athlete,
3) blank, or
4) profanity.
I choose the iD because I
wanted to remember the toil and labor of the children that made my shoes. Could
you please ship them to me immediately.
Thanks and Happy New Year,
Jonah Peretti
From:
“Personalize, NIKE iD” <nikeid_personalize@nike.com
Dear NIKE iD Customer,
Your NIKE iD order was
cancelled because the iD you have chosen contains, as stated in the previous
e-mail correspondence, “inappropriate slang”. If you wish to reorder your
NIKE iD product with a new personalization please visit us again at nike.com
Thank you, NIKE iD
From:
“Jonah H. Peretti”
Dear NIKE iD,
Thank you for your quick
response to my inquiry about my custom ZOOM XC USA running shoes. Although I
commend you for your prompt customer service, I disagree with the claim that my
personal iD was inappropriate slang. After consulting Webster’s Dictionary, I
discovered that “sweatshop” is in fact part of standard English, and not
slang. The word means: “a shop or factory in which workers are employed for
long hours at low wages and under unhealthy conditions” and its origin dates
from 1892. So my personal iD does meet the criteria detailed in your first
email.
Your web site advertises
that the NIKE iD program is “about freedom to choose and freedom to express
who you are.” I share Nike’s love of freedom and personal expression. The
site also says that “If you want it done right...build it yourself.” I was
thrilled to be able to build my own shoes, and my personal iD was offered as a
small token of appreciation for the sweatshop workers poised to help me realize
my vision. I hope that you will value my freedom of expression and reconsider
your decision to reject my order.
Thank you, Jonah Peretti
From:
“Personalize, NIKE iD”
Dear NIKE iD Customer,
Regarding the rules for
personalization it also states on the NIKE iD web site that “Nike reserves the
right to cancel any personal iD up to 24 hours after it has been submitted”.
In addition, it further explains: “While we honor most personal iDs, we cannot
honor every one. Some may be (or contain) other’s trademarks, or the names of
certain professional sports teams, athletes or celebrities that Nike does not
have the right to use. Others may contain material that we consider
inappropriate or simply do not want to place on our products. Unfortunately, at
times this obliges us to decline personal iDs that may otherwise seem
unobjectionable. In any event, we will let you know if we decline your personal
iD, and we will offer you the chance to submit another.” With these rules in
mind, we cannot accept your order as submitted. If you wish to reorder your NIKE
iD product with a new personalization please visit us again at www.nike.com
Thank you, NIKE iD
From:
“Jonah H. Peretti”
Dear NIKE iD,
Thank you for the time and
energy you have spent on my request. I have decided to order the shoes with a
different iD, but I would like to make one small request. Could you please send
me a color snapshot of the ten-year-old Vietnamese girl who makes my shoes?
Thanks,
Jonah Peretti
no response
Reprinted
by permission of the author
Tenth of each month. Submit peace, justice and environmentally friendly event notices
to P.O. Box 134, Modesto, CA, 95353, or call 522-4967 or 575-4299, or email to costello@ainet.com. Free listings
subject to space, availability and editing.
Mud Pies and Purple Onions